[buttersbrian]

> If this were true, why doesn't Google, Facebook, and others give us straight-forward ways to opt out?

I don't think anyone expected them to just flip the switch and do that without a reasonable (maybe to just them?) alternative I can say, the idea of using 'cohorts' as discussed by this FLOC approach, from what I can tell, is positive progress. Is it far enough? Perhaps not.

> why exactly is Facebook trying so damned hard to prevent Apple from giving people a simple opt out?

Good question. I am not aware of that issue.

I also Question Apple as they take payment from Google to the tune of billions of dollars for search, pushing 'beacons' etc, while promoting themselves a bastion of privacy and security. None of it is as simple as it seems.

[ogre_codes]

> I don't think anyone expected them to just flip the switch and do that without a reasonable (maybe to just them?)

No more than anyone expects a heroin addict to stop cold turkey. The problem is Google isn't stopping or giving people the option to opt out, they are just changing tactics slightly.

This also doesn't really talk about how this data gets integrated into the rest of the profile Google has built and will continue to build on users (without their permission) based on their search history, mapping, email, etc.

Google isn't

[buttersbrian]

> "Google isn't"

Did you accidently clip the rest of your message?

[ogre_codes]

I think I started a paragraph then started it again and forgot to crop the dead end.