A Safari update is coming soon that will help block third-party tracking tools used to target advertisements.
Apple made several product announcements and software updates during this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event and while many of us were focused on all the new updates for iPhone iOS 12, some people may have overlooked the new Safari update coming soon for iOS 12 and macOS Mojave.
According to Apple, it will beef privacy and security features in Safari, which will help prevent web tools and apps from tracking you online.
During the WWDC presentation, Apple vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said the new Safari privacy updates would make it “more difficult for data companies to identify and track you.” Apple said the Safari update will have features to prevent cookies from tracking you between browsing sessions.
Federighi explained the feature using web ads. If you’ve ever looked at a pair of shoes on a website and for some “magical” reason you see an advertisement for those same shoes when you visit different sites, your web activity is being tracked by cookies. Apple wants to change that with this update for iOS 12 and macOS Mojave.
According to Apple, it is using a system called Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP 2.0) which will first detect third-party cookies that are tracking your browsing activity and limit the amount of personal information tracked by the cookies.
Apple told CNET that the ITP 2.0 system will also work with Facebook comment fields. Websites that use Facebook’s commenting widget and other commenting platforms that force users to sign into, will soon be blocked from using cookies to target ads to viewers.
CNET reports that when Safari detects third-party cookies attempting to track your browsing activity, you will be notified with a pop-window asking if you want to allow the cookies to track you. While these popups can be frustrating at times, it’s good to know that Safari is strengthening its browser to make users feel safe when surfing the web.
macOS Mojave release date: When will we see the new Safari update?
Apple didn’t announce an official release date for macOS Mojave for consumers, but the operating system is currently available to developers looking to test its functionality and features. Apple will likely release Mojave in September or October 2018.
