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'''FLoC''' (Federated Learning of Cohorts) is a targeted advertising technology developed by [[Google]], for the [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] browser. It is designed to allow a website to perform targeted advertising for anyone who visits their site, but without specifically identifying the individual visitor. When Google released this, they marketed it as a more "privacy-focused" method of targeted advertising, as opposed to using third party trackers.<ref>https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/2021-01-privacy-sandbox/</ref>

'''FLoC''' (Federated Learning of Cohorts) is a targeted advertising technology developed by [[Google]], for the [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] browser. It is designed to allow a website to perform targeted advertising for anyone who visits their site, but without specifically identifying the individual visitor. When Google released this, they marketed it as a more "privacy-focused" method of targeted advertising, as opposed to using third party trackers.<ref>https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/2021-01-privacy-sandbox/</ref>

#FLoC will have full viability into everything a user does on the web. While third-party trackers can only typically see into the places where webmasters allow them, FLoC will essentailly be everywhere, since it runs in the web browser itself.<ref name="thewindowsclub.com">https://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-google-floc</ref>

#FLoC will have full viability into everything a user does on the web. While third-party trackers can only typically see into the places where webmasters allow them, FLoC will essentailly be everywhere, since it runs in the web browser itself.<ref name="thewindowsclub.com">https://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-google-floc</ref>

#FLoC does not consolidate advertising profiles to Google specifically (although Google users will inadvertently begin sharing more data with Google), but this technology does make an effort to drive third-party trackers out of business, and force everyone to base their online advertising on the data that Google's FLoC provides. While some might see this a a good thing, it could also be seen as an anti-trust violation, since Google is using its position in the browser market to consolidate power to themselves while actively fighting third parties who have the same objective.

#FLoC does not consolidate advertising profiles to Google specifically (although Google users will inadvertently begin sharing more data with Google), but this technology does make an effort to drive third-party trackers out of business, and force everyone to base their online advertising on the data that Google's FLoC provides. While some might see this a a good thing, it could also be seen as an anti-trust violation, since Google is using its position in the browser market to consolidate power to themselves while actively fighting third parties who have the same objective.

#While users can opt-out of FLoC at this time,<ref>https://blog.malwarebytes.com/privacy-2/2021/04/how-to-opt-out-of-the-google-floc-trial/</ref> they must know it has been added, and research how to block it. By default, users are opted-in without being asked or informed.<ref>https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/privacy/2021/04/millions-of-chrome-users-quietly-added-to-googles-floc-pilot/</ref>

#While users can supposedly opt-out of FLoC at this time (by disabling all third-party cookies),<ref>https://blog.malwarebytes.com/privacy-2/2021/04/how-to-opt-out-of-the-google-floc-trial/</ref> they must know it has been added, and research how to block it. By default, users are opted-in without being asked or informed.<ref>https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/privacy/2021/04/millions-of-chrome-users-quietly-added-to-googles-floc-pilot/</ref>

 

*At time of release, FLoC was only compatible with Chromium. The other two browser engines (Safari and Firefox) did not immediately add it to their browsers. Firefox specifically announced its intent to avoid FLoC, at that time.<ref>https://digiday.com/media/browser-makers-now-including-mozillas-firefox-are-already-ditching-googles-proposed-cookieless-ad-targeting-method-floc/</ref>

==References==

==References==