Stop Freaking Out about FLOC: Google is Fine

 Hello, this is TheTechBoy with an article on FLOC. 

What is FLoC? 

   FLoC stands for Federated Learning of Cohorts. FLoC is Google's solution to cookies; it is better than cookies because cookies track you while FLoC groups people together based on similar searches. This would allow advertisers to show ad's to a group of people with similar searches. 

    The is part of the Privacy Sandbox feature that Google is testing. You can turn it on or off by clicking "Safety Check" and clicking the "Privacy Sandbox" box or copying and pasting chrome://settings/privacySandbox in Chrome. 

Why Do Some Companies Hate It?

    Some companies have fears about FLoC, but according to Google, "Chrome recently published a new proposal, Gnatcatcher, for how someone’s IP address might be masked to protect that person’s identity without interfering with a website’s normal operations. This proposal will continue to be refined based on feedback from the web community."

     This means certain fears about IP tracing might be quelled. Here at TheTechBoy we are supporting FLoC and believe that FLoC is being ridiculed partly because Google is implementing it.

How Does FLoC Work?

       Floc works by showing advertisement to people who do similar searches. A very small cohort will be combined with other cohort(s) so the advertisers can not target the one or two people who have very specific interests and then be able to track them. 

    Cohorts also change every week based on the websites visited. Websites will be blocked from knowing too much about you. Changing cohorts means different companies will only know that this random number, not you, has different interests. Cohorts about medical information and religion are not being made. 

I Like FLoC What Should I Do?

    Nothing. FLoC is testing in some regions with Chrome. Other browser makers are thinking about using it and some absolutely abhor it. For more information about "Privacy Sandbox" click these links. privacysandbox.com, Chromium Blog, and https://web.dev/floc/.

I Dislike FLoC What Should I Do?

 

Go to "Privacy and Security" tab in Chrome settings and check the box about Third Party Cookies. You can install an adblocker so you don't see the advertisements. You can also install the DuckDuckGo Extension or go to Am I FLoCed by the EFF.

Conclusion

FLoC is being tested on some Chrome Users. Google wants third-party cookies to go away in two years. Other browsers may adopt it later. This is a very interesting development. Share your thoughts and comments below.

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Bonus: Did You Know?

Chrome has a built-in antivirus. This is not a substitute for a real antivirus. Go to chrome://settings/ and click the safety check button that will check for compromised data and update your browser. Also, click safety check and scroll to the bottom, then click "Clean Up Computer". Pushing the "Find" button will scan your device for bad software. This is not a substitute for a real antivirus though.