Developer Claims Chrome Uses 10x More RAM Than Safari

MacRumors writes:
Under normal and lightweight web browsing, Google Chrome uses 10x more RAM than Safari on macOS Big Sur, according to a test conducted by Flotato creator Morten Just (via iMore). In a blog post, Morten Just outlines that he put both browsers to the test in two scenarios on the latest version of macOS. The first test was conducted on…

Apple Will Proxy Safe Browsing Traffic on iOS 14.5 To Hide User IPs from Google

Apple’s upcoming iOS 14.5 release will ship with a feature that will re-route all Safari’s Safe Browsing traffic through Apple-controlled proxy servers as a workaround to preserve user privacy and prevent Google from learning the IP addresses of iOS users. From a report: The new feature will work only when users activate the “Fraudulent Website Warning” option in the iOS Safari…

Google Explores Alternative To Apple’s New Anti-Tracking Feature

Google is exploring an alternative to Apple’s new anti-tracking feature, the latest sign that the internet industry is slowly embracing user privacy, Bloomberg is reporting, citing people with knowledge of the matter. From the report: Internally, the search giant is discussing how it can limit data collection and cross-app tracking on the Android operating system in a way that is less…

Google Chrome Sync Feature Can Be Abused For C&C and Data Exfiltration

Threat actors have discovered they can abuse the Google Chrome sync feature to send commands to infected browsers and steal data from infected systems, bypassing traditional firewalls and other network defenses. From a report: For non-Chrome users, Chrome sync is a feature of the Chrome web browser that stores copies of a user’s Chrome bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and browser and…

Firefox 85 Isolated Supercookies, But Dropped Progressive Web App Support

Tech blogger Paul Thurrott writes:
Firefox 85 now protects users against supercookies, which Mozilla says is “a type of tracker that can stay hidden in your browser and track you online, even after you clear cookies. By isolating supercookies, Firefox prevents them from tracking your web browsing from one site to the next.” It also includes small improvements to bookmarks and password…

‘Terms of Service’ Agreements Are Unbalanced, Need Reforming, Urges New York Times

“The same legalese that can ban Donald Trump from Twitter can bar users from joining class-action lawsuits,” warns the official Editorial Board of the New York Times, urging “It’s time to fix the fine print.” [Alternate URL here] [M]ost people have no idea what is signed away when they click “agree” to binding terms of service contracts — again and again…

How you can help with penguin research by browsing images at home

Many penguin populations are under threat but you can help researchers keep an eye on them through a citizen science project called Penguin Watch Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933162-500-how-you-can-help-with-penguin-research-by-browsing-images-at-home/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Google Ad Changes Face UK Probe in First Shot at Big Tech

Google is the U.K.’s first big post-Brexit antitrust target as regulators opened a probe into the company’s planned changes to curb publishers’ collection of advertising data. From a report: The Competition and Markets Authority said it’s investigating Google’s so-called privacy sandbox changes that could “undermine the ability of publishers to generate revenue and undermine competition in digital advertising, entrenching Google’s market…

Tech Giants Will Block Kazakhstan’s Web Surveillance Efforts Again

Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla have teamed up to block the Kazakhstan government’s attempts to force its citizens to install a “national security certificate” on every internet-capable device in the country. “That government-issued root certificate would allow authorities to keep tabs on people’s online traffic, essentially becoming a back door to access citizens’ data,” reports Engadget. From the report: In its…

Apple Launches New App Store Privacy Labels So You Can See How iOS Apps Use Your Data

Apple is officially launching its so-called “nutrition label” privacy disclosures for all iOS device owners running the latest version of iOS 14. The Verge reports: Apple says the new labels will be required for apps on all of its platforms — that includes iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — and they will have to be up to date and accurate…