Google has officially commenced the implementation of Privacy Sandbox within its Chrome web browser for a majority of its users. This move comes nearly four months after the initial announcement of the plan.
"We believe it is vital to both improve privacy and preserve access to information, whether it's news, a how-to-guide, or a fun video," Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox initiatives at Google, said.
"Without viable privacy-preserving alternatives to third-party cookies, such as the Privacy Sandbox, we risk reducing access to information for all users, and incentivizing invasive tactics such as fingerprinting."
To facilitate thorough testing, the search giant has chosen to leave approximately three percent of users unaffected by the transition initially. Full availability is anticipated for all users in the upcoming months.
Privacy Sandbox serves as Google's comprehensive approach to a suite of technologies designed to replace third-party tracking cookies with privacy-conscious alternatives. This transition aims to maintain personalized content and advertisements while safeguarding user privacy.
Simultaneously, the company is in the beta testing phase of Privacy Sandbox on Android, extending it to eligible mobile devices running Android 13.
A pivotal component of this endeavor is the Topics API, which categorizes users into varying topics based on their site visitation frequency. Websites can utilize this API to discern a user's interests and deliver tailored ads without knowing the user's identity. Essentially, the web browser acts as an intermediary between the user and the website. Users also have the option to further customize their experience, including specifying ad topics of interest, enabling relevance and measurement APIs, or opting out entirely.
Despite its advancements, Privacy Sandbox has not been without criticism. The Movement For An Open Web recently pointed out that "Google gathers reams of personal data on each and every one of its users, sourced through an opt-in process that it's hard for most web users to avoid."
This development coincides with Google's efforts to enhance real-time protections against phishing attacks through enhancements to Safe Browsing, all without prior knowledge of users' browsing history.
While Google hasn't disclosed specific technical details, it has incorporated Oblivious HTTP relays (OHTTP relays) as part of Privacy Sandbox to enhance anonymity protections and mask IP address information.
"Previously, it worked by checking every site visit against a locally-stored list of known bad sites, which is updated every 30 to 60 minutes," Parisa Tabriz, vice president of Chrome, said.
"But phishing domains have gotten more sophisticated — and today, 60% of them exist for less than 10 minutes, making them difficult to block. By shortening the time between identification and prevention of threats, we expect to see 25% improved protection from malware and phishing threats."