Apple to stop Facebook fingerprinting web users
Apple will attempt to frustrate tools used by Facebook to automatically track web users, within the next version of its iOS and Mac operating systems. Apple’ software chief Craig Federighi, said at the WWDC developers conference, “We’re shutting down automatic tracking of web users without the owner’s permission, unlike the web browser Safari which would always first ask owners’ permission before allowing the social network to monitor their activity.”
Apple is allowing users to see when tracking is enabled on a website.
Apple also said that MacOS Mojave would combat a technique called, ”fingerprinting”, in which advertisers try to track users who delete their cookies. The method involves identifying computers by the fonts and plug-ins installed among other configuration details. The counter this, Apple will present web pages with fewer details about the computer. “ As a result, your Mac will look like everyone.
“Data companies are clever and relentless, “ he said.” It turns out that when you browse the web your device can be identified by a unique set of characteristics like its configuration, its fonts you have installed, and the plugins you might have installed on a device. With Mojave, we’re making it much harder for trackers to create a unique fingerprint. We’re presenting website with only a simplified system configuration. We show them only built-in fonts. Legacy plugins are no longer supported so those can’t contribute to a fingerprint. So your Mac will look more like everyone else’s Mac and will it be dramatically more difficult for data companies to uniquely identify your device and track you. The Mac iOS has expanded privacy controls in Mojave around the camera and microphone so it’s protected by default for any app you run. The user has to authorise access.”
Web tracking involves seeing a list of all visitors that are currently on your website and similar to DVR you can play back everything a visitor did and them catch up to what they are doing in real-time.