Google Sandbox Privacy – an initiative that claims simultaneously protects online privacy users while also providing business with the information needed for targeted advertisements – currently getting new features that are said to increase the latter without the previous compromise. This is called a topic, and according to Google, it is intended to trace your potential interest without actively tracking your activities. Rather.
The topic will work with a web browser to see your history and conclude a handful of “themes” (or topics) to be used as your interests for this week. Google confirms that this information will only be stored on the device itself, and will not be shared with an external server or third party. Instead, websites that participate in the topic will be given only topics that have been determined to be used and distributed with advertising partners to create targeted advertisements.
According to Google’s description, the topic chosen by the topic will cycle from time to time, with each expiration after a three-week period and replaced with an updated topic specified by your browser. It also states that the topic will restore your topic to exclude potentially sensitive subjects.
Although as Google shows, the website must choose to use the topic and no one prevents the site from staying with other targeted adverts such as cookies and tracking browsers.
What does this mean for users?
Illustration of topics in the browser
If you visit a website to book a hotel, it might make a “travel & transportation” topic. If you see sports equipment in an online store, it can add “fitness.” Then when you visit a site that uses the topic (installation of standard cookies or browser tracking), your browser will choose three predetermined topics to be sent.
The three topics will then be used by the site and advertising partners to produce targeted ads, just like what you might have seen. Even though in this case, who you are, your location, and your search history will not be included with this information.
While your personal details are stored under WRAPS, Google recognizes companies may still be able to connect topics provided together to try and determine potentially sensitive information. With Google’s own example, this means that the company can still try to find races, gender identity, etc., even if the information is not provided via the topic.
You can also see topics that have been determined for you, and if you don’t want the specific ones related, you can block it. Similarly, you will be able to opt out of Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative completely in your Chrome settings.
There will be no general topic launch for some time because Google says technology is still in the early stages, but it intends to launch the developer test in Chrome “soon.”
