Apparently privacy settings are only actually respected when they service the needs and interests of Google. According to the Wall Street Journal, even though people had intended for their web surfing details to be protected and blocked, Google was still monitoring user’s browsing habits.
Google swiftly disabled this code after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal yesterday.
Google was also quick to respond to the publication, stating that, “The Journal mis-characterizes what happened and why. We used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled. It’s important to stress that these advertising cookies do not collect personal information.” Apparently Google doesn’t feel that browsing habits and site choices should be considered personal information.
The way it works is simple. Normally when you visit a site, a cookie can be saved with details of your visit (which is intended to make your browsing more convenient for later visits, etc.). This is something you can enable and choose to take advantage of. Google took this a step further and let the advertisements on a particular page also record cookie details –so you were actually getting tracked by sites you hadn’t even visited –and relayed information to them about where you actually -did- visit.
Google was not alone either. It seems that three other major advertising networks (Vibrant Media, Media Innovation Group and Gannett PointRoll) were identified as having used the same process.
Usually quiet during these kinds of proceedings, Apple was quick to issue a statement of their own indicating they would be working quickly to eliminate Google’s ability to compromise their user’s privacy. This is a good move made by Apple at a time when security is a top concern for many of us and when Google is fairing so poorly in the light.
Bad Google, no cookie (for real this time).