Every web browser has a browsing mode designed to be more private; in Chrome, it is Incognito Mode. But while switching to this mode can help with improving privacy at a local level, it is not flawless when it comes to blocking external privacy invasions.
Tackling the problem of websites using invisible images to track visitors who have cookies disabled, Google is currently testing a new method of making Incognito Mode more secure and private.
Currently undergoing testing in the Canary builds of Chrome, Google is working on a feature currently referred to as “blocking canvas readbacks”. When enabled, this option – currently accessible via a hidden flag in Chrome – will prevent sites from using scripts and hidden images to fingerprint and track users across the web when Incognito Mode is used.
As noted by Windows Report, the latest Canary build of Google Chrome includes a flag titled “Enable blocking canvas readbacks in Incognito”.
Found at #enable-block-canvas-readback, the flag has the description:
Enable throwing an exception when the contents of a canvas are read back by a script.
This is a cross-platform feature, so it is something that will benefit people using Chrome on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android alike.
The feature that looks likely to become native to Chrome is near-identical to the privacy-boosting techniques used by browser extensions such as AdBlock or uBlock Origin. Eliminating the need to have a third-party tool installed to improve privacy is something that will be welcomed by many users.
Given the way Google works, it is hard to say when this privacy-boost will break out of the Canary builds of Chrome and make its way to more people. But – unless the implementation proves to be flawed – feedback for the feature is likely to be positive so Google will be compelled to work quickly to bring it to more people.
Is this a feature you will use? Are you happy to see that Google is taking steps to improve security and privacy?
Image credit: Juan Roballo / Dreamstime.com
