The Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) is Google’s latest tactic for tracking users across the web. This tracking works even if you have cookies disabled! They say the data is anonymous and safe, but, we’ve heard it all before. The only safe way for Google to handle user data is for Google to not handle that data in the first place. This plugin sets an HTTP header that disables FLoC tracking for your ClassicPress site, giving your site visitors added privacy on the web.
Why is this important?
Disabling FLoC is not a method to preserve our own privacy; it’s a method for enhancing the privacy of our site visitors. This plugin sets a header that prevents Google from tossing people into bins of interests (cohorts) such that they can be granularly (and even egregiously) targeted with who-knows-what (products, propaganda, etc) later. As history has shown, even anonymized data isn’t ever actually anonymous – and Google shouldn’t have this data.
Simply activate the plugin and it will set the appropriate header for your site. There are no settings screens and no documentation to wade through. Set it and forget it.
I had not heard about this, thanks for sharing and for putting together a way to disable it.
Since this new FLoC thing is code that runs in the browser and talks to an external API, the best way to avoid it is to use a browser that doesn’t support it. However this plugin should work nicely for ClassicPress sites.
I am not sure how much I would trust DuckDuckGo with my private data either. However, the EFF’s analysis of this technology that you linked to is very clear and well-written.
At this point, I think it’s only implemented in Chrome. I haven’t heard about any of the other browsers thinking of following suit. DuckDuckGo decided to get out in front of it, but, as you noted, trusting them is just as sketchy as trusting any other one. I tossed it in for completeness. Of course, if it starts panning out for Google, you can bet other browsers will follow.
It occurs to me that those using this plugin may want to update their Privacy Policy to include language that describes actively opting-out of Google’s cookie-less FLoC tracking mechanism.
Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice.
Being privacy-related, it makes sense to include this language in the same way it makes sense when we include language for how we won’t use their data. Virtually every privacy policy has something like, “we won’t sell your data to 3rd parties,” for example, which similarly explains that the site is not doing a bad thing.
Why is this important?
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Learn More about FLoC
Of course, if it starts panning out for Google, you can bet other browsers will follow.