The privacy search engine DuckDuckGo has just updated the Privacy Essentials extension for Chrome browser users to block Google’s new FLoC-based tracking method. The full name of FLoC is “Federated Learning of Cohorts” (Federated Learning of Cohorts), but this tracking system designed to replace third-party cookies has caused great controversy.
As third-party cookies are increasingly used for online advertising, Google obviously also hopes to use people’s browsing history to identify and classify, and then advertisers can use this to push corresponding advertisements.
However, the emergence of FLoC still aroused strong opposition from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and many privacy advocates.
The good news is that DuckDuckGo released a new version of the extension in time for the Google trial. Company founder Gabriel Weinberg said:
This tracking mechanism that is imposed without anyone’s consent is not conducive to privacy at all, because FLoC will conduct behavior tracking by default. If Google insists on using FLoC, it should explicitly ask users whether to opt-in.
At the same time, DuckDuckGo’s Chrome extension provides users with a simple and intuitive option to exit FLoC tracking. The purpose of this extension is only to provide comprehensive privacy protection in Chrome.
It is reported that the current 2021.4.8 version of the DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extension is still awaiting Google’s review and approval. If it goes well, old users can be prompted to automatically upgrade soon. In addition, new users can also search and install through the Chrome Web Store.
