Not all fixes need to be technical [LWN.net]

Not all fixes need to be technical

Posted Jun 12, 2025 10:17 UTC (Thu) by Funcan (guest, #44209)
Parent article: Covert web-to-app tracking via localhost on Android

While we should definitely consider technical fixes here, the European data protection folks fining every company serving such a cookie, and hitting meta and yandex with maximum fines (double digit percent of global revenue) will have much more effect.

Alter the risk-to-reward of serving advertising cookies and fewer sites will be happy serving up literally hundreds in every site visit

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Not all fixes need to be technical

Posted Jun 12, 2025 10:55 UTC (Thu) by Lyco (guest, #133637) [Link] (1 responses)

Exactly.

I am quite disappointed in the discussion here: several people suggest "fixes" like asking the user if application should be allowed to communicate, as if this is something that users are (or should be) able to decide, shifting the responsibility to the victims. We have enough mental issues in the world, let's not make paranoia mandatory to keep basic human rights.

Blaming users is completely backwards: it's Meta and Yandex who decided to spy on users to enrich themselves, and they should bear the responsibility instead. Put large fine on Meta and Yandex - large enough to erase all gains from this conduct - and send the executives responsible into a jail.

Not all fixes need to be technical

Posted Jun 12, 2025 11:43 UTC (Thu) by paulj (subscriber, #341) [Link]

Completely agreed. Meta should face some huge fines. Not some piddly little tens of millions either - that's just pocket fluff to Meta.