Online advertisers now allowed to track user data across all internet-enabled devices, including gaming consoles and smart TVs.
Users of the world’s most popular online browser are being warned new changes mean more of their data can be tracked across the internet. Changes introduced to Google Chrome last week allow online advertisers to track user data across all internet-enabled devices, including gaming consoles and smart TVs.
Google had previously spoken out about so-called ‘fingerprinting’, saying in 2019 it “subverts user choice and is wrong”. But now developments in how people use the internet has made it harder for companies to collect data and target them with appropriate advertising.
Opponents have said the changes make it more difficult for people to control what information about them is collected by tech giants. Google Chrome is by far the most widely-used web browser in the world, accounting for more than two-thirds of internet traffic worldwide.
Fingerprinting collects data about a person and uses it to create a profile about them which can be used to target them with specific adverts. It does not just cover websites people visit, but also information such as time zone, battery level, the type of device they are using, and more. Unlike tracking cookies, which users are able to disable, fingerprinting cannot be deactivated.
Speaking to the BBC, Google said: “Privacy-enhancing technologies offer new ways or our partners to succeed on emerging platforms… without compromising on user privacy. We know that data signals like IP addresses are already commonly used by others in the industry today, and Google has been using IP responsibly to fight fraud for years.”
A spokesperson added: “We continue to give users choice whether to receive personalised ads, and will work across the industry to encourage responsible data use.”
UK data watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised the move, saying: “Fingerprinting is not a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce people’s choice and control over how their information is collected.”
In a blog post, executive director of regulatory risk Stephen Almond described the change “irresponsible”, and called on companies using the collected data to be transparent about how they are staying within the law.
“Based on our understanding of how fingerprinting techniques are currently used for advertising this is a high bar to meet,” he wrote.
And Lena Cohen, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Google was prioritising “profits over privacy”.
“The same tracking techniques that Google claims are essential for online advertising also expose individuals’ sensitive information to data brokers, surveillance companies, and law enforcement,” she added.
