Recently, Apple issued a confirmation regarding the new iOS 14 beta release going through requests for Google Safe Browsing via servers owned and controlled by Apple. This has been done to ensure the prevention of the data provided by users being sent back to Google.
A while back, Apple had stated that the Safari browser, which it owns, might opt for the Google Safe Browsing feature to find out if a website is genuine or is indulging in fraudulent practices. Now Apple has announced that it will redirect requests for Google Safe Browsing via proxy servers which it owns itself. This will come into effect with the launch of iOS 14.5. This is being implemented with the primary goal of controlling the amount of user data that Google can have access to.
As per a report by The 8-Bit, even before an individual goes about visiting a website, Apple sends across an encoded version of the website’s URL to Google Safe Browsing. The information sent by Apple is used to check whether the site a user is visiting at a particular point of time is one of the ‘fraudulent sites’ listed by Google.
After the launch of iOS 14.5, Apple aims to propel its plan forward in this direction. According to the previous system, Google had access to its users’ IP addresses. Now, Apple would pass on the requests put across by its users via its own internal servers. By doing this, it would manage to protect information relating to the origin of the request and work more actively towards protecting the privacy of its users.
Maciej Stachowiak, who heads WebKit at Apple, confirmed that the story published by The 8-Bit is indeed true. Acknowledging this development has definitely worked in favor of the global tech giant as it further assures its users that it is serious about its endeavors to protect the privacy of the information and data shared by them.
It must be noted that the mere inclusion of a new feature in an operating system does not ensure that it will get a public release. Having said that, the fact that it is being beta tested at the moment gives an indication of users coming across this feature in the soon to be launched iOS 14. The redirecting process will happen automatically but users will have the option of turning off the warning system, as and when they feel like it.