Premise

How many of us have not tried anonymous browsing at least once, believing we were in a safe context, free of more or less sneaky systems that allow us to profile, spy on, collect data, etc. etc.? And what if I told you that it is not a nerd, it is not a naughty application that we have installed that has allowed us to violate our privacy but: Facebook (Meta) and Yanadex (search engine)?

The news

An in-depth study by Ars Technica on 03/06/2025 click here found that Privacy has been breached: Meta (Facebook) and Yandex bypass Android protections to link anonymous web browsing to app users.

The technology

The common user underestimates the legal and illegal possibilities of computer systems in tracking and profiling users, a suggestion is to read the published article War on Trackers, lets defend ourselves from tracking elements.

You do not protect yourself by anonymizing your browsing, by not accepting cookies it is something deeper that passes through uniquely identifying your profile starting from the moment you install a SIM in your phone and activate a Google account and then the game is done the data is exchanged between sessions and interconnected devices.

This practice has allowed users to track their online activities even when they believe they are browsing anonymously. The communication protocols used, although legitimate, have been implemented in a way that bypasses privacy protection measures, allowing companies to collect sensitive data without the explicit consent of users.

Google, the maker of the Android operating system, has identified the abuse of certain features by developers, stressing that this is against Play Store policies and user privacy expectations. A Google spokesperson said: The developers in question are using features present in many browsers on iOS and Android in unintended ways, clearly violating our principles of security and privacy. The company has already taken some corrective measures and is continuing to investigate the matter.

Meta (Facebook) has temporarily suspended the offending feature and is in discussions with Google to resolve the issue. According to a statement from the company, We are in discussions with Google to address a potential misunderstanding regarding the enforcement of their policies. Once made aware of the concerns, we have decided to suspend the feature while we work with Google to find a resolution.

Finally, Yandex also announced that it was discontinuing this practice, stating that it never intended to compromise user data. The feature was introduced solely to improve personalization within its apps.

For a more technical read I recommend reading Disclosure: Convert Web-to-App Tracking via Localhost on Android, click here. .

How to protect yourself

Privacy requires commitment, time and additional costs

First elements to improve your privacy:

  • If you change your phone periodically, remember that the SIM card must also be changed, thus avoiding the association of previous data.
  • Use a privacy operating system with Google sandboxed features like GrapheneOS.
  • Use Open Source WiFi Router for your home network OpenWrt Project.
  • Switch to Linux as your operating system removes macOS and Windows from your home network.
  • Eliminate all software (such as Office, Adobe) and adopt only Open Source ones.
  • Reconsider all social software and progressively abandon them in favor of free and privacy-respecting platforms, read Metaverse, Fediverse and Realverse.