Before you start installing some shady 3rd-party extensions for Safari, you might want to hold off. Apple is treating anyone who breaks Safari privacy rules as outliers to be purged, like malware. Despite the strict rules surrounding Apple’s premiere web browser, their intentions might still be for your user safety.
The tech giant is reportedly cracking down on malicious businesses and companies whose ads or extensions for breaking Safari privacy rules. Such tools or programs from said companies can be used to track user behavior and navigation from one site to another. This helps businesses mine your data and map your preferences, leading to overall better suggestions and marketing.
For Apple, however, such business practices might be taking things too far. Just this Wednesday, they published a policy stating that Safari will block advertisers and websites that track users online. Apple even has a contingency for those who might try circumventing the Safari privacy rules.
“We treat circumvention of shipping anti-tracking measures with the same seriousness as exploitation of security vulnerabilities. If a party attempts to circumvent our tracking prevention methods, we may add additional restrictions without prior notice,” withstood Apple.
That could only mean Safari punishing or penalizing websites for trying to find other ways to track user behavior with ads or other programs. Among methods that can be used to trick the privacy policy is fingerprinting or supercookies; Apple is warning companies or parties who might try to resort to those workarounds.
By definition, “tracking” in internet lingo refers to the collection of data regarding an individual’s identity or activity across one or more websites. The definition is black and white meaning there’s not much wiggle room for excuses and pardons, at least in Safari’s part. For more information on Anti-Tracking policy, you can check this link.
