Privacy News ICO UK: Our response to Google’s policy change on fingerprinting

Gandalf_The_Grey · Dec 19, 2024

Yesterday, Google announced to organisations that use its advertising products, that from 16 February 2025, it will no longer prohibit them from employing fingerprinting techniques. Our response is clear: businesses do not have free rein to use fingerprinting as they please. Like all advertising technology, it must be lawfully and transparently deployed – and if it is not, the ICO will act.

Fingerprinting involves the collection of pieces of information about a device’s software or hardware, which, when combined, can uniquely identify a particular device and user.

The ICO’s view is that fingerprinting is not a fair means of tracking users online because it is likely to reduce people’s choice and control over how their information is collected. The change to Google’s policy means that fingerprinting could now replace the functions of third-party cookies.

We think this change is irresponsible. Google itself has previously said that fingerprinting does not meet users’ expectations for privacy, as users cannot easily consent to it as they would cookies. This in turn means they cannot control how their information is collected. To quote Google’s own position on fingerprinting from 2019: “We think this subverts user choice and is wrong.”

We are continuing to engage with Google on this U-turn in its position and the departure it represents from our expectation of a privacy-friendly internet. When the new policy comes into force on 16 February 2025, organisations using Google’s advertising technology will be able to deploy fingerprinting without being in breach of Google’s own policies. Given Google’s position and scale in the online advertising ecosystem, this is significant.

Our response to Google’s policy change on fingerprinting

ico.org.uk

Gandalf_The_Grey · Feb 23, 2025

New Google ad tracking policy a ‘Pandora’s box’ for privacy, experts warn

Google's new ad tracking policy is drawing scrutiny from regulators and privacy watchdogs who say it makes it harder for users to be anonymous online.

On Sunday, the search giant switched from enabling cookies to so-called digital fingerprinting.

Digital fingerprints allow advertisers and data brokers to collect consumer data based on internet users’ activities across web browsers, online sessions and often multiple devices. Google’s new policy enabling them will make it difficult for people online, including those using VPNs, Tor and privacy browsers, to stay anonymous, experts say.

Google had previously allowed advertisers to shadow users with cookies, which only track people across websites and sometimes across sessions.

To block cookies, individuals can use ad blockers, cookie blockers and incognito mode or clear their cookie cache, but with digital fingerprinting those protections aren't available.