Vivaldi and Brave Begin Blocking Google FLoC

[Brett_Tabke]

[vivaldi.com...]

Google’s new data harvesting venture is nasty. Called FLoC (The Federated Learning of Cohorts), this new advertising technology intends to replace third-party cookies and related technologies like third-party localStorage. This clearly is a dangerous step that harms user privacy.

Currently, it is being trialled in Google Chrome and is a part of the Chromium browser engine.

Now the real question; What is Vivaldi’s position on this new technology by Google?

This is a pretty valid question as we are based on Chromium. But the truth is that while we rely on the Chromium engine to render pages correctly, this is where Vivaldi’s similarities with Chrome (and other Chromium-based browsers) end.

[superclown2]

Google makes a good case for proper regulation of the Web. The wild west days should be over by now.

[goodoldweb]

I agree superclown2,

This just in, a world first re the collection of location data by Google:
[msn.com...]

And this:
[msn.com...]

Rod Sims, the chairman of the competition regulator, said Google's defence that users were adequately warned ' was simply not true'.

'Companies that collect information must explain their settings clearly and transparently so consumers are not misled,' he said.

'Consumers should not be kept in the dark when it comes to the collection of their personal location data.'

[thecoalman]

.... the politicians will consult with Google, Facebook, Amazon, lobbyists and the other majors. Google will be happy to agree with regulations their army of engineers can implement and their army of lawyers can defend when they don't. Mom and Pop go down the drain after being lost in a sea of red tape and expense. Amazon who helped create all that red tape will be glad to accommodate their business, for a fee of course.

[tangor]

And the small guys (ie. most of us!) are left swinging in the wind.

Any one ready to install their version of FLoC on your sites?

[thecoalman]

Tangor that was pretty much my point. I don't want lead in toys but if the law implemented is going to destroy small businesses to the benefit of the companies that created the problem to begin with that is not the path to take. I don't know if they ever made accommodations but that actually happened, look up Mattel and how the laws enacted affected small toy businesses.

We need regulations but be careful what you wish for. because the more you pile on the more difficult it becomes for small and independent businesses. I'm a moderator at phpBB.com and you get a lot of newbies with their shiny new domain on $5.99 hosting and one click install of phpBB. The problems created for these people affected by GDPR with no technical skill or knowledge of the law can be insurmountable if they want to come into full compliance. The privacy issues created by big business need to be addressed but in the process lets not kill off what has made the internet such a fantastic thing.

[RedBar]

Have you tried customising this browser? Trying to find anything that resembles usable normality is a nightmare.

I'll leave it installed for testing purposes however it'll not be my goto as yet!