Report Alleges Google Tracks Online Browsing Behavior Through Certain Free Fonts
The Daily Mail reports that Google tracks user browsing behavior on devices by offering specific free fonts for download and installation. These complimentary typefaces, named Roboto, Open Sans, Lato, Montserrat, and Merriweather, can be employed to construct websites accessible on smartphones, tablets, or PCs, rendering the content visually comfortable while simultaneously tracing users’ internet IP addresses and associated browsing history.
The article alleges that Google has already enabled at least 60 million websites to utilize these free fonts, touting accelerated content loading speeds on mobile, tablet, or PC platforms. However, it concurrently compiles data on users’ device names, websites visited, dwell times on particular web pages, and relevant click behavior, systematically transmitting this information back to Google for targeted advertising purposes.
Although users can circumvent conventional tracking methods by adjusting cookie usage or employing VPN services, it is challenging to avoid Google’s tracking through free fonts employed in website construction using conventional means. Currently, the most straightforward method to prevent Google from monitoring one’s browsing activities is to avoid loading such free fonts during the browsing process. This can be achieved by selecting custom fonts in the Firefox browser or using browser extensions like StopTheFonts to prevent loading Google’s typefaces. Additionally, manually adjusting default privacy settings in the browser can restrict access to personal browsing behavior data and prompt more frequent clearing of individual browsing history.
