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Cake day: June 22nd, 2023

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  • TL;DR:

    In the Safari settings on your iPhone, under “Advanced,” you will see an option called “Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection.” By default this is currently toggled to “Private Browsing,” but will default to “All Browsing” in iOS 26.

    AI summary:

    Google has quietly begun using a new type of silent tracking on iPhones that relies on digital fingerprinting. Unlike cookies, which are more visible and can be cleared or blocked, fingerprinting builds a unique signature of your device and lets Google identify you across different websites. The concerning part is that this tracking happens invisibly—without your awareness or explicit permission—making it harder to know when you are being monitored.

    This raises serious privacy concerns, because digital fingerprints are persistent and difficult to avoid once they are tied to your identity. Even if you switch sites or clear cookies, the fingerprint allows Google to continue following your browsing behavior. The result is that users lose meaningful control over their online privacy, and the protections Apple has put in place on iOS devices are undermined.

    Fortunately, the Forbes report highlights that there is a simple one-click fix to block this tracking. While the article doesn’t spell out the exact path, it points to a quick toggle in iPhone settings, Safari privacy controls, or Google app permissions that shuts down the fingerprinting mechanism. Much like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency, this option allows users to reclaim control with minimal effort—if they know where to look and turn it on.