Google removes Floc to replace cookies and introduces Topics API

In an effort to get rid of third-party cookies, Google Unified learning for groups (Floc). Unlike cookies, which store information on an individual level, Floc stores information by larger groups of users. It’s broken down based on, among other things, web and activity history, something that was largely intended to preserve users’ privacy.

► Google suggests replacing cookies

However, Floc has faced criticism from both users and other tech giants. It is not implemented in any other browser and among other things the WordPress publishing system has chosen to block Floc by default. Due to concerns and resistance, Google is now abandoning Floc and instead offering what they chose to call the Topics API.

Like Floc, the idea is that the information collected will become more public. Instead of groups, they should be based instead on interest categories, such as different types of entertainment. Each week, six categories of Chrome users are assigned, five of which are based on web history found locally in the browser and one category is assigned randomly. There are a total of 350 categories, in which the division based on the most sensitive personal data has been intentionally omitted.

When the user then visits a webpage in which a third party requests information, three categories that are randomly selected by the browser are shared. They can then be used for targeted ads, rather than the exact information they’re based on, meant to make them more anonymous. Users must also be able to edit their categories themselves or disable the categories entirely.

A beta developer beta will be launched on Chrome at the end of the first quarter of the year, with the goal of evaluating the tool in relation to third-party cookies. It is then scheduled to be modified based on user feedback prior to the sharp launch. It is not clear when exactly this could happen.

Do you think this is as silly as it sounds? / UndaC