Naughty Meta Was Tracking Users
AI Summary
The video explains a controversial tracking method used by Meta (Facebook and Instagram) on Android devices called local host tracking, which bypasses typical privacy protections like VPNs, incognito mode, and cookie deletion by communicating between native apps and browsers using local sockets. This technique enables Meta to link web browsing activity to users’ real identities despite privacy efforts. The video also highlights that similar invasive tracking is done by Yandex apps. It details the technical workings of this tracking using WebRTC, UDP/TCP ports, and GraphQL mutations for data transmission. The potential impact includes massive fines under EU laws (GDPR, DMA, DSA), potentially up to 32 billion euros based on combined penalties tied to global revenue. The video discusses the ethical and regulatory challenges, the difficulty in consumer protection enforcement, and broader implications for privacy, ad tracking, and digital rights. It also reflects on the broader ecosystem with websites embedding tracking scripts seeking ad revenue, the complexity of regulatory fines, and the hope for improved consumer privacy rights rather than the downfall of companies. The content is delivered with technical details, humor, and a critical yet nuanced view of privacy and legal enforcement in the tech industry.