Microsoft is the latest company to block Google's browser-based tracking feature FLoC (opens in new tab) and for the time being it remains disabled in Microsoft Edge (opens in new tab).
Google recently began testing out its Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) tracking program which aims to replace third-party cookies (opens in new tab). Instead of tracking users on an individual basis, FLoC uses machine learning algorithms to place people into groups based on their browsing habits and data from these groups is then shared with advertisers.
FLoC is currently being tested in Google Chrome (opens in new tab) and other Chromium-based browsers as Google has added it to Chromium's source code through a component called 'Federated Learning of Cohorts'. As the search giant has enabled support for FLoC by default, other companies that have created Chromium-based browsers will automatically have the component installed unless they specifically disable it.
- We've built a list of the best browsers (opens in new tab) around
- These are the best VPN (opens in new tab) services on the market
- Also check out our roundup of the best proxy (opens in new tab)
Microsoft has decided to disable FLoC in Edge for now though the company could enable the feature in the future if it proves to be an acceptable replacement for third-party cookies.
Disabling FLoC
When the news outlet BleepingComputer reached out to Microsoft to see if the company had decided to intentionally disable FLoC in Edge, the software giant instead provided information on its own alternative to third-party cookies called PARAKEET (opens in new tab) which stands for Private and Anonymized Requests for Ads that Keep Efficacy and Enhance Transparency.
Mozilla and Apple are also both on the fence when it comes to embracing Google's FLoC in their respective browsers. While a Mozilla spokesperson told BleepingComputer that it is currently evaluating various advertising proposals, Apple has not said whether it will support FLoC though Safari (opens in new tab) engineer John Wilander has stated that the company will also wait and see.
At the same time though, Brave (opens in new tab), Vivaldi (opens in new tab), the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and DuckDuckGo (opens in new tab) have all openly voiced their concerns regarding FLoC while WordPress recently said that it is considering blocking FLoC (opens in new tab).
As Google controls such a large share of the web browser market, FLoC could be here to stay depending on how well the feature performs in testing.
- We've also highlighted the best anonymous browsers (opens in new tab)
Via BleepingComputer (opens in new tab)
