<html><head></head><body><div class="ydp6a04d43dyahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div>Morning Kentice,</div><div><br></div><div>I didn't test Safari unfortunately, but my guess would be that it's less intrusive than Chrome given Apple's move in early 2019 to position itself as a pro-privacy company. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Brgds,</div><div>Patrick.<br></div><div><br></div>
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On Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 6:18:53 AM GMT+3, Kentice Tikolo via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
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<div><div dir="ltr">Thank you, Patrick.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Any insights on Safari?<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Best regards,<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Kentice.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Sent from my iPhone<br clear="none"><br clear="none">> On 7 Jun 2019, at 06:42, Barrack Otieno via kictanet <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> Good analysis Patrick,<br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> Provides interesting perspectives.<br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> Best Regards<br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> On 6/5/19, Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet<br clear="none">> <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br clear="none">>> I recently did a side-by-side comparison of several mainstream (and some<br clear="none">>> emerging browsers e.g. Brave) and found Firefox to be the least intrusive of<br clear="none">>> the better browsers.<br clear="none">>> Using a network traffic monitor, I peeked under the hood to see what the<br clear="none">>> browsers were secretly doing in the "background" and lo-and-behold, Chrome<br clear="none">>> was so aggressive that it looked like a data-harvesting malware, even with<br clear="none">>> add-ons and extensions disabled. I did some research on it and noted that<br clear="none">>> users who had raised similar issues (several years earlier) had apparently<br clear="none">>> been stonewalled for some reason. This led to a prompt and permanent<br clear="none">>> uninstall of Chrome on that device.<br clear="none">>> Surreptitious data harvesting is problematic because it enhances online<br clear="none">>> risks (e.g. risk of "spear phishing" attacks, as well as theft of business<br clear="none">>> trade secrets - including theft by inference). This should be of concern to<br clear="none">>> emloyees, enterpreneurs and government workers. So why aren't users<br clear="none">>> switching in droves to less intrusive browsers?<br clear="none">>> I have two hypotheses about this:<br clear="none">>> 1. Privacy awareness campaigns don't appear to be strategically<br clear="none">>> contextualized and/or targeted. For example, the word "privacy" has a<br clear="none">>> personal activity context connotation and may not trigger alarm bells in<br clear="none">>> official contexts. I think words like "spying" or "snooping" or "stealing"<br clear="none">>> need to be used a lot more as they convey, with far greater clarity, the<br clear="none">>> idea of surreptitious activity and/or motives, while instilling a sense of<br clear="none">>> urgent need for action.<br clear="none">>> 2. Alternative browsers have to overcome network effects (and build their<br clear="none">>> own). This requires long-game strategies that, on casual inspection, don't<br clear="none">>> appear connected to browser adoption / lock-in. The strategy has to align<br clear="none">>> with (and leverage) anthropological insights as well.<br clear="none">>> Let's use Chrome as an example:<br clear="none">>> Chrome users are locked-in to Google's strong network effects, which exist<br clear="none">>> at the Android ecosystem level (developers, tech support, advertisers and<br clear="none">>> end-users).<br clear="none">>> Google works hard to grow/maintain its dev community by offering a vast<br clear="none">>> array of tools as well as monetization opportunities. Google's secret value<br clear="none">>> proposition across all their products is... wait for it... "success".<br clear="none">>> Once onboarded, cool, proprietary (but apparently inconsequential) features<br clear="none">>> tempt devs to tailor their webapps towards Chrome as the "main" browser and,<br clear="none">>> slowly but surely, dev lock-in creeps in. The difference between Google and<br clear="none">>> Microsoft in terms of dev lock-in strategy is that Google's approach is more<br clear="none">>> subtle: it doesn't cause hard breaks in functionality on different browsers<br clear="none">>> (which would be a big no-no for devs - it only degrades it.. quietly passing<br clear="none">>> the UX pain to end users as "punishment" for using the "wrong" browser).<br clear="none">>> This leads to "works best on Chrome" advisories on millions of help pages /<br clear="none">>> documentation, which in turn *heavily* influences end-user (and tech<br clear="none">>> support's) preferences and more importantly, perceptions about quality and<br clear="none">>> performance advantage. It's like a massively viral reverse ad campaign where<br clear="none">>> the advertisers pay you to advertise *your* product.<br clear="none">>> Humans are creatures of habit and consistency. So the browser you use more<br clear="none">>> frequently (or at work) is likely the one you'll want to use on your<br clear="none">>> personal devices. Soon the user starts "advising" others on which browser is<br clear="none">>> "best" (more free marketing). This reinforces the user's own perception of<br clear="none">>> preferences, boosting perceived loyalty and making it even harder to switch<br clear="none">>> even when the browser has issues the user doesn't like (cognitive<br clear="none">>> dissonance).<br clear="none">>> I noticed this effect on myself when switching from IE (after almost two<br clear="none">>> decades) to Chrome, and a few years later, from Chrome to Firefox. Switching<br clear="none">>> is hard.<br clear="none">>> To get users to change their browser habits, it makes sense to target the<br clear="none">>> dev & support ecosystem agressively with a different value proposition (i.e.<br clear="none">>> "success"). This could mean being more flexible and pragmatic on certain<br clear="none">>> core philosophies like FOSS, which pushes poor/hungry/enterpreneurial<br clear="none">>> developers into the arms of monetized platforms. Food is no longer FOSS<br clear="none">>> (unfortunately)... people need money to eat, and bills have to be paid. FOSS<br clear="none">>> values are noble and important, but they become elitist when implemented as<br clear="none">>> universal dogma without regard to economic context (e.g. for devs in low<br clear="none">>> income countries).<br clear="none">>> Legal and policy tools have to be leveraged as well. Google rode on<br clear="none">>> antitrust regulations, for example, to penetrate Microsoft's IE moat and<br clear="none">>> give chrome a chance on the PC (they then cheekily went on to do what<br clear="none">>> Microsoft had been penalized for doing, with their inbuilt OS integrated<br clear="none">>> apps).<br clear="none">>> Slightly off-topic, but might be of interest to some.<br clear="none">>> Good day & brgds,<br clear="none">>> Patrick.<br clear="none">>> Patrick A. M. Maina[Cross-domain Innovator | Public Policy Analyst -<br clear="none">>> Indigenous Innovations]<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> On Wednesday, June 5, 2019, 5:40:42 AM GMT+3, Alice Munyua via kictanet<br clear="none">>> <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>> wrote:<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> <a shape="rect" href="https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/06/04/when-it-comes-to-privacy-default-settings-matter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2019/06/04/when-it-comes-to-privacy-default-settings-matter/</a><br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> What if I told you that on nearly every single website you visit, data about<br clear="none">>> you was transmitted to dozens or even hundreds of companies, all so that the<br clear="none">>> website could earn an additional $0.00008 per ad! This is a key finding from<br clear="none">>> a new study on behaviorally targeted advertisements from Carnegie Mellon<br clear="none">>> University and it should be a wake-up call to all of us. The status quo of<br clear="none">>> pervasive data collection in service of ad targeting is untenable. That is<br clear="none">>> why we’re announcing some key changes to Firefox.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> Today marks an important milestone in the history of Firefox and the web. As<br clear="none">>> of today, for new users who download and install Firefox for the first time,<br clear="none">>> Enhanced Tracking Protection will automatically be set on by default,<br clear="none">>> protecting our users from the pervasive tracking and collection of personal<br clear="none">>> data by ad networks and tech companies.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> It seems that each week a new tech company decides to decree that privacy is<br clear="none">>> a human right. They tout how their products provide people with “choices” to<br clear="none">>> change the settings if they wish to opt into a greater level of privacy<br clear="none">>> protection to exemplify how they are putting privacy first. That begs the<br clear="none">>> question — do people really want more complex settings to understand and<br clear="none">>> fiddle with or do they simply want products that respect their privacy and<br clear="none">>> align with their expectations to begin with?<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> Privacy shouldn’t be relegated to optional settings<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> When thinking about consumer privacy online, I’m reminded of the behavioral<br clear="none">>> economics studies which led to 401K plans (US retirement savings plans)<br clear="none">>> moving from voluntary enrollment to auto-enrollment. Not too long ago most<br clear="none">>> defined contribution retirement savings plans in the US required employees<br clear="none">>> to sign-up and volunteer to start participating. Participation rates were<br clear="none">>> very low. Why was that? Was it because people didn’t care about saving for<br clear="none">>> retirement? Not at all! There were simply too many barriers to aligning with<br clear="none">>> people’s expectations and desires and the benefits of saving for retirement<br clear="none">>> aren’t felt immediately.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> We are in a similar position with respect to software privacy settings.<br clear="none">>> Pervasive tracking is too opaque and potential privacy harms are never felt<br clear="none">>> immediately. The general argument from tech companies is that consumers can<br clear="none">>> always decide to dive into their browser settings and modify the defaults.<br clear="none">>> The reality is that most people will never do that. Yet, we know that people<br clear="none">>> are broadly opposed to the status quo of pervasive cross-site tracking and<br clear="none">>> data collection, particularly when they learn the details on how tracking<br clear="none">>> actually works.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> We also know that traditional privacy features such as Chrome’s Incognito<br clear="none">>> mode are failing to live up to consumer expectations. The feature might keep<br clear="none">>> your spouse from knowing what you’re thinking about getting them for your<br clear="none">>> anniversary by erasing your history, but it does not prevent third-party<br clear="none">>> tracking. Our research shows that Firefox users are seeking out privacy<br clear="none">>> protection, particularly through the use of Firefox’s Private Browsing mode.<br clear="none">>> In fact, nearly 25% of web page loads in Firefox take place in a Private<br clear="none">>> Browsing window. The good news for these users is that Firefox’s Private<br clear="none">>> Browsing mode has long put users first by blocking tracking. The bad news is<br clear="none">>> that this generally isn’t true for many popular browsers, which allow<br clear="none">>> tracking even in private browsing/incognito mode. A recent study found that<br clear="none">>> users don’t understand this and think their data is being protected, when it<br clear="none">>> is actually not.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> As was the case with retirement savings plans, what this shows us is that<br clear="none">>> the burden needs to shift from the consumers to the companies whereby the<br clear="none">>> complexity of privacy settings shouldn’t be placed on users to figure out.<br clear="none">>> The product defaults should simply align with consumer expectations. That is<br clear="none">>> the approach we are taking in Firefox.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> As stated above, new Firefox users will have strong privacy protection from<br clear="none">>> the moment they install. We also expect to deliver the same functionality to<br clear="none">>> existing users over the coming months. Because we are modifying the<br clear="none">>> fundamental way in which cookies and browser storage operate, we’ve been<br clear="none">>> very rigorous in our testing and roll-out plans to ensure our users are not<br clear="none">>> experiencing unforeseen usability issues. If you’re already using Firefox<br clear="none">>> and can’t wait, you can turn this feature on by clicking on the menu icon<br clear="none">>> marked by three horizontal lines at the top right of your browser, then<br clear="none">>> Content Blocking. Go to your privacy preferences and click on the Custom<br clear="none">>> option on the right side. Mark the Cookies checkbox and make sure that<br clear="none">>> “Third-party trackers” is selected. To learn more about our privacy and<br clear="none">>> security settings and get more detail on what each section — Standard,<br clear="none">>> Strict, and Custom — includes, visit here.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> For existing users, go to your privacy preferences and click on the Custom<br clear="none">>> option, ark the Cookies checkbox<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> If you are new to Firefox, we’d love for you to give it a try. Download the<br clear="none">>> latest version here.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> When it comes to privacy, default settings matter! We hope that the actions<br clear="none">>> we are taking can ultimately compel change in the industry. Afterall,<br clear="none">>> consumers deserve better.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> _______________________________________________<br clear="none">>> kictanet mailing list<br clear="none">>> <a shape="rect" href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br clear="none">>> <a shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br clear="none">>> Twitter: <a shape="rect" href="http://twitter.com/kictanet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/kictanet</a><br clear="none">>> Facebook: <a shape="rect" href="https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/</a><br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> Unsubscribe or change your options at<br clear="none">>> <a shape="rect" href="https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pmaina2000%40yahoo.com</a><br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for<br clear="none">>> people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and<br clear="none">>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT<br clear="none">>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and<br clear="none">>> development.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors<br clear="none">>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,<br clear="none">>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do<br clear="none">>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.<br clear="none">>> <br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> <br clear="none">> -- <br clear="none">> Barrack O. 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