Google’s new ad targeting will be interrupted due to DuckDuckGo’s Chrome extension

DuckDuckGo is known for providing its searchers privacy and protect them from filter bubble of their personalized search results. This privacy focused browser has recently updated its Chrome extension and seems the new ad targeting methods from Google’s Privacy Sandbox will get blocked.

Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative is an alternative method of tracking and targeting users for online ads. According to Google its Sandbox is more privacy focused and users can be tracked and attracted through ads which will not use much of their information. The company is testing the new ad tech on few specific users at the moment. But the regulators and privacy advocates are opposing the Sandbox and DuckDuckGo has also joined by criticizing Google ad tech.

DuckDuckGo thinks that Google Topics and FLEDGE by default will automatically keep on tracking the user’s activity so that the advertisers can behaviorally target the user without his consent. DuckDuckGo informed user that they can block Topics and FLEDGE with the help of the new extension or they can also disable the Privacy Sandbox setting in Chrome.

DuckDuckGo has called out both Topics and FLEDGE to be less protectant of user privacy. Both use the personal information and track the daily routine and behaviors of the users to recommend and advertise a product. Product director Peter Dolanjski told the people that when they visit a website where an advertiser wants to later follow the user with an ad, he can tell the Chrome browser to consider the user and out it in an interest group. When the user will open another website, the Chrome browser will run an ad auction based on the user’s interest and in this Chrome will show specific ads to the users.

On the contrary Google claims that Topics is less invasive way of ad targeting and FLEDGE unlike older methods allows for remarketing relying on a personal identifier about the users. Before this the ad re-targeting used to occur through third party cookies but now FLEDGE will be baked by Google chrome browser. Google has gradually been updating the timeline and by 2023 it is totally stop supporting the third party cookies which will take Google to another level in the market.

Also Read: DuckDuckGo launches its privacy Browser for Desktop users