Mike Peterson
Apple's new Safari Privacy Report feature in macOS Big Sur shows that the browser now blocks Google Analytics from tracking users on websites.
At its WWDC 2020 keynote on Monday, Apple announced a suite of new privacy features in the macOS Big Sur version of Safari that included a new Privacy Report showing which trackers are blocked on a site.
As technology analyst Benedict Evans pointed out in a tweet, that Privacy Report indicates that Apple's Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention 2.0 is now officially blocking Google Analytics.
Yes, Apple is now blocking Google Analytics entirely, even with anonymised IP. pic.twitter.com/Ypnk5T4VAn
— Benedict Evans (@benedictevans) June 22, 2020
It isn't clear if anything in Safari for macOS Big Sur is specifically blocking Google Analytics, or if the new Privacy Report is just showing that it has been. Apple's features macOS page doesn't offer any clarity.
Google Analytics is one of the most popular web tracking and analysis services used by millions of popular websites.
The Privacy Report and blocking of Google Analytics are just two parts of a broader push toward privacy by Apple. According to a report from December 2019, Apple's Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature has resulted in a 60% decrease in pricing for targeted Safari ads.
Update: As more information has surfaced, it appears that Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in Safari 14 is not completely blocking Google Analytics. Instead, it's blocking third-party tracking cookies and cross-site scripting requests on Google Analytics from loading. The Privacy Report feature just reflects that. It looks like first-party Google Analytics cookies aren't blocked, so it'll still function as an analytics platform.
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20 Comments
Yeah, saw this during the keynote. Must have caused some indigestion at Google. But what the heck, they can buy a cheap bottle of wine and commiserate with Intel on the curb outside of Apple’s spaceship campus. Welcome the the club of hangers-on who’ve overstayed their welcome due to bad behavior or ineptitude.
Great news. Weaning oneself off Google entirely is very difficult -- even on a Mac -- but much needed. Thanks Apple, and the fall can't come soon enough!
Agreed - I'm sure Google will turn around and figure out a way around the blocking. So goes the game...
Well, I just hope Safari will work on my Bank's Bill Pay site. It does not now, unless I Turn Off "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking". FireFox works. I guess the Bill Pay and the Bank want to have a relationship with me, the customer.
This feature should be made available now. Why wait?