Title: Google's 6-Week Tracking Spree: Your Devices, No Exemptions for Chrome or Android
In an unexpected turn of events this week, Google took aim at Microsoft for allegedly deceiving users and limiting choices, barely three weeks after being accused of doing the same thing with its own plan to track users' devices through digital fingerprinting. This new tracking method, set to kick off in just six weeks, isn't limited to Android and Chrome devices, but extends to a broader range of tech gadgets.
Two related stories in quick succession - Microsoft's alleged deception and Google's upcoming digital fingerprinting campaign - reveal a common theme; users as unwitting pawns in the grand schemes of the tech giants they rely on daily.
After Microsoft was caught secretly mimicking Google's homepage when users searched for Google on Bing, a Windows blog, Windows Latest, exposed the tactic as a "genius move to keep you from Google search". While Microsoft has a history of clashing with Google, particularly in the realm of web browsers, the latest incident took place on Bing search.
Google responded to this deception by accusing Microsoft of confusing users and restricting choices – a charge that comes with a touch of irony given Google's upcoming tracking campaign. Microsoft has been repeatedly accused of favoring its Edge browser at the expense of Google's Chrome. In the end, search is the prize, as demonstrated when Apple lent its support to Google in defending its default search position on iOS devices.
Microsoft's deceptive practice consisted of disguising its Bing search results to look like Google, complete with a Google-style search box and Doodle-like image. The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) labeled this an instance of digital fingerprinting, involving the collection of device details to generate a unique identifier. The ICO criticized the practice, highlighting that fingerprinting reduces user control over how their information is collected.
Google's move toward digital fingerprinting raises serious concerns, especially as it extends beyond browser tracking. As noted by Identity Week, organizations using Google's advertising tech can implement fingerprinting without violating Google's policies or data protection laws. Once implemented, fingerprinting biometrics leave user identities rather difficult to erase.
The gravy Analytics data leak, which took place around the same time, revealed just how prevalent device tracking is within the advertising ecosystem. The data leak exposed the collection of location data from millions of smartphone users, with popular apps like Candy Crush, Tinder, and MyFitnessPal among those implicated. With over 10 million downloads, MyFitnessPal is just one example of an app collecting user data without the user's explicit consent.
As the Gravy leak and Google's fingerprinting campaign show, user tracking is a common practice within the advertising ecosystem. With two warnings, a legal ruling, and a significant privacy leak in just a couple of weeks, users are left wondering how best to protect their privacy in a world that continues to blur the lines between public and private space. Google and Microsoft have yet to comment on the matter.
- Amidst these privacy concerns, users might be interested in exploring alternative web browsers beyond Chrome and Edge, such as Firefox or Safari, to limit digital fingerprinting.
- The ongoing dispute between Google and Microsoft over privacy issues highlights the need for stronger regulations to protect mobile phone privacy, as both companies seem to be wanting to expand their tracking capabilities.
- In light of the Google warning about digital fingerprinting, some Android users might consider switching to iPhone or other non-Android devices to prevent their digital fingerprint from being tracked.
- Microsoft's response to Google's accusations of deception could potentially impact the market share of its Bing search engine and Edge browser, given that Google Warning has raised concerns about user privacy in digital advertising.
