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Google’s new Topics API makes users vulnerable to fingerprinting attacks (www.theregister.com)

submitted 1 year ago by RagnarokOnline@reddthat.com to c/technology

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Google has stated it plans to address developers’ concerns by “making web publishers promise not to abuse the API”.

Google’s new browser-based tracking functionality available via their “Topics API” has sparked numerous concerns recently, including fear that the heightened communication of web browser history could lead to “fingerprinting attacks” which could be used to track users across devices by profiling recent web history.

When prompted with this issue, Google started their short-term solution is to have web developers who enroll in the new Topics API platform take pledge that they will not abuse the new tool, whatever that means.

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[–] lvxferre@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 year ago

Google is likely asking them to not abuse it just to cover its own arse, to create that plausible denial that the API was not "supposed" to be used for fingerprinting. It smells bullshit from a distance.