It’s no secret that Google and Apple don’t get along. Yet, many thought that the two companies could play nicely together via smartphone devices. Namely, iOS users could (and still can) access Google search through Apple devices. All seemed swimmingly well until recently when a Wall Street Journal reported uncovered a big and worrisome story. What is the story that’s bothering so many iOS users this morning?
As it turns out, Google has been bypassing Safari’s security standards in order to track the movements of iOS users. That’s right, if you have an iOS device and you use Google, the popular search giant has been spying on you, so to speak. Google has not yet commented on the situation, but Apple is working on preventing sites like Google from getting around Safari’s security settings. Needless to say, iOS users around the globe are none too thrilled to hear that Google has been tracking their every move.
How Google Got Around Safari
According to reports by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Google used a “special computer code” in order to trick Safari’s security settings. To Safari, Google was doing nothing wrong, though, clearly, this is not the case. It’s also not the first time that Google has come under fire regarding security. Google has been in trouble before regarding privacy concerns and other legalese, but the company has managed to continue operations. This time, it seems, Google might not get away with tricking iOS users.
Based on a recent Mashable article, Google has stated that the company did nothing wrong, and simply used Safari features to the company’s advantage. Google has also stated that all Google users were signed into Google at the time that data was collected. This signing in may or may not allow Google to collect information (depending on whether or not users were aware that the company was, in fact, collecting details). Google has also stated that no private or personal information was collected using the various advertising cookies that Google installed.
Google Is Not Alone
If you’re thinking that Google is the only big, bad, evil, company out there that collects information and bypasses known security tactics, you’re wrong. Mashable reports that various other advertising companies have been collecting iOS user details as well. All of this seems to be news to Apple’s ears, and the company has attempted to assure iOS users that Safari will be impenetrable once the company manages to prevent companies like Google from further hacking (after all, it is a form of hacking, is it not?).
If you have an iOS device, you might be worried about the safety of your personal details, and you are not alone. As much as Google is attempting to assure the public that the company has not collected any private data, this assurance feels somewhat thin. For now, iOS users can attempt to avoid using any Google products, though this might be hard to do. Otherwise, you’ll just have to sit back and see what Apple will do to rectify the situation and whether or not Google will be taken to task for its sneaky maneuvers.