Amazon blocks Google's somewhat controversial way of tracking people without the use of cookies! While Google might have found a clever way to collect user data without the use of cookies, Amazon still won't have it.
Amazon Blocks Google's Tracking Efforts
According to a post on Slashdot, Amazon is now blocking the controversial cookieless tracking and targeting method by Google. Amazon's properties include Amazon.com, Zappos.com, and WholeFoods.com are all preventing Google's cunning tracking system FLoC.
For those that aren't aware what an FLoC is, FLoC stands for Federated Learning of Cohorts. Amazon is now stopping Google's FLoC from gathering really valuable data reflecting the products that users are searching in Amazon's wide e-commerce universe.
Amazon Code Spotted
The website code was analyzed by Digiday as well as three tech experts that all helped Digiday review the code and uncover what happened. As Google's very own system gathers data from people's web travels in order to inform how it categorizes them, Amazon's own under-the-radar move could be more than just a significant blow to Google's mission to help guide the future of digital ad tracking after the cookies eventually die.
This move could give Amazon a full leg up in its own efforts to sell advertising across the remains of the open web. Although Amazon was able to block Google's data gathering, this still does not attest to what the company's intentions are as well. Since Amazon also sells products, user information is also very important.
User Tracking for Ads
For those that aren't too keen on what tracking feels like, try searching for a product. Once a user searches for any product, especially on chrome, they will then be met with a number of recommendations to other similar products.
In fact, most of the ads that they will be getting from then on would be related to that specific product that they searched. Although not always accurate, there is still an uncanny connection to the ads being shown and what the user is searching for.
Read Also: Amazon AirPods Raffle Scam: Your Account and Financial Data Could be at Risk; Here's How to Avoid It
Why Encryption is Important
While this might be okay when you are intentionally searching for a product, some unencrypted methods of communication leak the intents of the users' conversation as well. This is where the problem starts. Once private conversations no longer become private as they start to become used by ads to target users, the conversation is now compromised.
This is why the trend in communication right now revolves around more than just convenience but about encryption. Encryption makes sure that the only users that have access to a file, message, or conversation is the recipient and the sender.
Encryption doesn't have to be limited to just two parties as there are already messaging services that offer group messages all protected by encryption. For those concerned about their privacy online, maybe it's time to start using encrypted methods of communication more often.
Related Article: Security Company Now Offers 'Unbreakable Encryption' As Ransomware Attacks Continue to Rise
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
