BACKGROUND:
I don’t know if Safari with iCloud Relay is the most recommended among privacy people here, but it seems like a good choice if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem and use their products. Although it has got some criticism, like apple could potentially correlate and tie browsing history back to the user because the the nodes are managed by Apple and it seems to log an unique ID, according to a researcher, but in general Apple ensure us of its benefits and many seem to trust it enough.
However, data brokers and others use sophisticated techniques to correlate and harvest data in order to build a profile of the user, potentially correlating app use and browsing because tracked data from both apps and websites are bought and sold. I think the private relay could be system-wide like 1.1.1.1 WARP, or chosen for some apps, otherwise the option to even have Safari as the default browser with iCloud Private Relay seems risky and counterproductive as a privacy tool due to correlation when opening links. Or maybe system-wide would be even worse when the apps stay the same while browsing fingerprint or IP changes but is correlated with the app use.
MY MISTAKE:
Now, the problem, or mistake I made, is that I chose Safari as my main browser. So when I switch between apps and open links it opens in Safari and uses a private relay. I have even put in my phone number and other personal details on some sites, linked from an app (or vice versa), mostly government or other trusted services. But then I use the same browser for googling/browsing sensitive topics like health and controversial subjects or personal matters which I don’t want to be correlated back to me of course.
MY QUESTION:
Have I just made a stupid mistake because I’m lazy and used iCloud Private Relay with Safari in the wrong way or am I misunderstanding something about the technology or how data is collected?
Thanks!
Probably won’t be recommended here since it isn’t open source. I think it’s fine and works great.
Are you concerned that your PII and internet searches will be linked to a single IP address?
You should be fine, since many users share an IP who use private relay. That’s where the privacy (or anonymity rather) comes in since we all look the same. That’s why some websites will hit you with captchas; there is a ton of traffic coming from one IP.
About iCloud Private Relay
This only works within Safari and is not system wide.
The funny thing about Private Relay, based on what I’ve seen, is that it’s designed to only use the closest server to you… So you’ll be geolocated to either the closest approximate region or, if you choose the wrong setting in iOS, within the nearest city.
I guess the problem comes when PII between apps and browsing is correlated, so the IP address change doesn’t help. For example, opening a link in an app, which then opens in Safari with a different IP, or opening a link in browser that launches the app, the tracker will know and include it in your profile and sell it. Soon they see patterns in how you use your device and what you are interested in, I imagine.
It is a compromise to strike a healthy balance between a high performance browsing experience and increased privacy. Depending on your threat model, this may or may not be a deal breaker.
I can’t speak on what the apps do with your data, but I think that could happen with any browser since you are leaving the confines and privacy/security of the browser.
Like if you were browsing Google and clicked on something to open that search result in the Google app (hypothetical) you have on your phone or computer. That could lead to some tracking since you are no longer in Safari, your IP would be exposed since you aren’t using iCloud private relay anymore and presumably not using a VPN.
The same thing happens when logging in to a website, tracking can be linked to your account you are logged into. Cookies can also be used by a website to save data.
You would have to not log into an account, clear cookies after browsing, or use different browser instances (profiles) to keep browsing separate. You can also look into a VPN to help with privacy.
Indeed, I understand. The profiles could be interesting, but I would have to change them manually and if I’m using multiple apps for different purposes when opening links and such it would quickly contaminate the profiles. Unless Safari makes containers automatically for different services or sites, which I don’t think is the case. I’m just thinking out loud here and I’m not a techie at all. I see compartmentalization as one of the few defenses we have against brokers and such but it’s rather inconvenient and difficult to understand if lacking knowledge about how the web and apps deal with data.
I think Firefox containers can do that. Safari doesn’t.
Yes it can use tabs, but I hope profiles can be enough as it seems to work in a similar fashion by separating sessions.
I learned this:
“Each profile has separate history, cookies, website data, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites.”
“By default, links from outside of Safari open in the profile used most recently. But you can make links to specific websites open in a specific profile.”
(support.apple.com)
So both can be set to open specific sites in set profile/container and I hope it’s integrated with the system. It’s macOS but assume it works on iOS too.