Google, Facebook team up to beat Apple's consumer privacy agenda
Google has
teamed up with Facebook to
work around Apple's privacy tools in Safari to continue tracking end-users, an
update to an antitrust lawsuit claims, with the search engine also doing what
it could to slow down other regulatory initiatives surrounding privacy.
A lawsuit was filed against Google in December
2020 by a group of attorneys general, accusing the search engine of
"engaging in market collusion to rig auctions," reports AppleInsider.
While the lawsuit largely focuses on a deal between Google and Facebook to cooperate
in the online advertising business instead of competing, an update accuses the
two tech giants of trying to work against initiatives by Apple to help protect
the privacy of its users.
The amended complaint filed on October 22 and first reported by
The Register, expands on the original claim in some directions, revealing more
ways that Google may have tried to subvert user privacy.
As part of the complaint, it is alleged Google and Facebook "have
been working together to improve Facebook's ability to recognise users using
browsers with blocked cookies on Apple devices, and on
Apple's Safari browser, thereby circumventing one Big Tech company's efforts to
compete by offering users better privacy.
This was apparently prompted by the two companies working closely
and in integrating their SDKs "so Google can pass Facebook data for user
ID cookie matching," the complaint reads.
Comments
Post a Comment