Google Sued Over Apple Browsing Privacy

[onehandle]

Source: Sky News

Google is facing legal action in the UK over claims it breached the privacy of people browsing the internet on Apple computers and mobile devices. Twelve people are seeking damages from the company for allegedly tracking their use of the web without their knowledge.

The claimants say Google designed a code to secretly install cookies - small tracking files - on the Safari internet browser. Cookies can be used to target advertising based on the type of websites someone looks at.

Olswang, the law firm handling the case, gives the example of a person searching for engagement rings could find that their partner, using the same computer, later sees adverts for rings. The claimants say they thought cookies were being blocked on the devices because of assurances given by Google and Safari's only default privacy settings.

It is estimated that around 10 million people could have grounds to bring a claim given the number of Apple users at the time in question - summer 2011 to spring 2012. There is no suggestion that Apple is in any way at fault in the case.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/google-sued-over-apple-browsing-privacy-111631868--finance.html

[Hosnon]

1. The one-man Google hate machine strikes again!

What is your motivation?

[onehandle]

4. It's my fault that Google does evil?

I wish. I'd make a lot more money.

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. I'd say he's a paid shill, but then again

Apple has so many sycophant iWhatever monkeys clamoring to mortgage their homes for
the ability to view the smallest screen in the phone market that he could be one of them.

Notice how he hasn't said squat about the fact that the shine is starting to come off the
Apple. Gee, maybe they need to make the iPad in another size and double the price?

[Romulus Quirinus]

22. Relevant Oatmeal Comic

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

[ManiacJoe]

2. Some companies are just slow learners.

Google was fined $22.5m (£14.3) in the US last year over similar claims, with the Federal Trade Commission ruling that the firm had broken a promise not to mislead consumers over its privacy practices.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Google went over to the dark side quite awhile back.

[Incitatus]

20. $22 million is couch cushion change to them.

There are billions to be made with private data and advertising. How is a fine in the low millions going to dissuade them?

[ChromeFoundry]

5. This is last years news...

Posted on 17 February 2012.
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=12424

Oh, and by the way.. Google used a known documented feature in Safari.
Looks like Apple needs to fix their browser's security.

Google has immediately issued a statement saying that the Journal mischaracterized what happened and why, and claiming that they used a known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled. It has also removed text from one of its sites claiming that Safari users could rely on Safari's privacy settings to prevent tracking by Google.

According to the WSJ's independent technical advisor Ashkan Soltani, Google is not the only ad company doing this. Vibrant Media, WPP PLC's Media Innovation Group and Gannett Co.'s PointRoll have also been using similar techniques to get around Safari's default privacy settings.

Apple has piped out to say that they are working on a solution that would prevent Safari's privacy settings being bypassed ...

Funny, if this action was done on Internet Explorer... would you fault Microsoft or Google?

[onehandle]

6. 1) It's from today and at many news sites. 2) Your link tried to install scam-ware. nt

[ChromeFoundry]

7. No suspicious activity on FF, Chrome or IE...

must only be you and your copy of Safari...

Title: Help Net Security
Description: Help Net Security is a security portal offering various information on security issues - news, vulnerabilities, press releases, software, viruses and a popular weekly newsletter. - net-security.org
Keywords: Security News and Media[Free Organic Keyword Report]
Language: English
Site Rating: net-security.org:2 out of 5
Performance: Page loads in 3 Seconds
Age: 14 Years, 0 Months (18-Jan-1999)
Safety: Safe website Clean from Virus Malicious Worms Adwares Trojans Spywares and Suspicious Phishing Attacks
[ Verified with Google Safe Browsing ]

http://www.freewebsitereport.org/www.net-security.org

Fox news uses that same tactic to hide facts from people.

[onehandle]

10. I was on my work issued Windows machine. I tried again, and I was let on.

Probably a passing glitch. I'm on my Mac now and had no problem.

Regardless, the news item is from today.

[OhioChick]

8. Worked fine for me, no problems here n/t

[ChromeFoundry]

9. Norton states it is safe too...

http://safeweb.norton.com/report/show?url=www.net-security.org

Viruses : Threats found: 0
Drive-By Downloads : Threats found: 0
Malicious Downloads : Threats found: 0
Worms : Threats found: 0
Suspicious Applications : Threats found: 0
Suspicious Browser Changes : Threats found: 0
Security Risks : Threats found: 0
Heuristic Viruses : Threats found: 0
Adware : Threats found: 0
Trojans : Threats found: 0
Phishing Attacks : Threats found: 0
Spyware : Threats found: 0
Backdoors : Threats found: 0
Remote Access Software : Threats found: 0
Information Stealers : Threats found: 0
Dialers : Threats found: 0
Downloaders : Threats found: 0
Embedded Link To Malicious Site : Threats found: 0

But that won't stop him from singing the praises of Apple, and beating the war drum against any superior competing product.

[warrprayer]

11. google destroyed youtube

can't have freeform social networking, it's toxic to the police state

[Xithras]

12. You know, I've been enjoying the double standard with this story since it broke last year.

Apple left a blatant, mile wide security hole in their browser and Google exploited it. Shame on Google, and shame on Apple. I just find it funny that Apple is somehow painted as a victim or an innocent bystander in this scheme....if Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Firefox were found to have a bug that allowed third party websites to bypass their security settings and install arbitrary tracking software, the tech media world would have gone nuts over it as another example of the "inherent insecurity" of the PC world. And god forbid if someone had found a browser exploit on Android that allowed Android users to be tracked and cookies to be placed, even when the security settings prohibited it. That would be front page news on CNN!

Apple drops the same ball, and in a HUGE way, and nobody seems to care. It's Apple, so the media gives them a free pass.

The double standard is staggering.

[ChromeFoundry]

14. When you post anything negative about Apple...

Fanboys put you on ignore.
Mine got +1'd today... I must be doing something right.
I wonder if there is an App for that.

[TheBlackAdder]

15. Apple has a MAJOR security hole in their browser and OS? How else do you take it?

The attention is on Google's ad software from tracking users of Safari/i-devices.

What the ad software does is no different than any other rogue or other browser-loaded app.

Apple appears to be admitting that Google's ad software can bypass settings on the browser and operating system.

THIS IS A SECURITY HOLE ON APPLE'S SIDE!

[onehandle]

16. 'There is no suggestion that Apple is in any way at fault in the case.'

Google's ads are scamware. Everyone knows that.

[Xithras]

19. Nobody with an IQ above 3 believes that.

It's an Apple user group filing the suit, so it's natural that they're going to try to shift the blame away from Apple.

But it goes without saying, to anyone with an ounce of technical understanding, that this was a major Apple security hole. A website was able to execute arbitrary code in their web browser which overrode the users intended security setting. No website, anywhere, should be able to do that on any browser, from any company.

There's a technical term for code that does this...it's called an "exploit". Do you know WHY they are called "exploits"? Because they "exploit" security holes left in software by their publishers.

Google should be rightly sued for writing and using an exploit, but Google could have used the exploit without the existence of the original hole, and the security hole itself is 100% Apple's fault. If you read up on the nature of the hole (an autopostback to mark the code as interactive and therefore storable), it was an obvious and stupid mistake on Apples part. They are just as culpable for this as Microsoft is every time some new exploit pops up on IE. It's the result of poorly planned, sloppy programming.

[high density]

17. What's with the UK's insanity over cookies?

Every site I visit over there has talk about cookies on it... It's amusing coming from this big brother society that has cameras everywhere.

[onehandle]

18. Over there they call them 'biscuits.' nt

[Posteritatis]

21. They passed a law last summer requiring obvious disclosure of them and how they're used.

Personally I think it's a pretty good way to head off some of the hyperbolic FUD articles people were writing about the menace of these "cookie" things they'd only heard about hours before.