Google To Fix Loophole That Let Firms Track Porn-viewing Habits

San Francisco: After facing criticism over letting third-party organization get access to users’ viewing habits even while browsing in ‘Incognito’ mode, Google has said Chrome will fix a loophole that has allowed sites to detect people who are browsing the web privately.

This confirms that a loophole is indeed there in “Incognito” mode allowing site owners and publishers to detect when people are browsing privately, including porn. “People choose to browse the web privately for many reasons. Some wish to protect their privacy on shared or borrowed devices or to exclude certain activities from their browsing histories,” Barb Palser, a Partner Development Manager at Google said in a blog post.

Chrome will remedy a loophole that has allowed sites to detect people who are browsing in ‘Incognito’ Mode. “This will affect some publishers who have used the loophole to deter metered paywall circumvention,” Palser added.

When third-party vendors use the loophole in Chrome’s “Incognito mode, Chrome’s FileSystem API is disabled to avoid leaving traces of activity on someone’s device. “With the release of Chrome 76 scheduled for July 30, the behaviour of the FileSystem API will be modified to remedy this method of Incognito Mode detection. Chrome will likewise work to remedy any other current or future means of Incognito Mode detection,” Google informed. (IANS)

Also Read: Google, Facebook Secretly Tracking Your Porn-Viewing Habits