this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Technology

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Topics essentially works like this: rather than using cookies to track people around the web and figure out their interests from the sites they visit and the apps they use, websites can ask Chrome directly, via its Topics JavaScript API, what sort of things the user is interested in, and then display ads based on that. Chrome picks these topics of interest from studying the user's browser history.

Isn't this completely immoral? They are literally stealing the users private browsing history and uses it to boost their own profits.

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[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone -4 points 1 year ago (8 children)

They're not stealing browser history. The site requests a list of topics and Chrome parses them based on the local history and returns a list of topics.

It's more secure and private than third party cookies.

[–] Klame@lemmy.ml 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

The technique they use does not really change to the issue.

It's also not necessarily more secure than third party cookies like you claim? You can refuse those cookies and not all website use them, while all website ends up in browsing history.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

But the website doesn't end up with your browsing history...

And you can opt out of this just like you can opt out of third party cookies.

[–] uneronumo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, they merely created the technology that watches everything you do. You can opt out! No worries! This certainly isn’t anything to worry about! They will definitely continue to let you opt out indefinitely. History tells me that that’s how this works.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 1 year ago

That's so silly; you can manage all of your data and opt out on your Google account from the start.

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