Aloha Browser Crushes Cookies and Restores User Control to Protect Privacy with Industry-First Browser-Level Solution

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Dec 04, 2024, 02:00 ET

Aloha released a groundbreaking "one and done" feature that eliminates cookie banners while allowing users to make conscious decisions on what data they share with websites.
Aloha's approach is the first to allow users to set cookie preferences at the browser level, and automatically applies them across all websites. Unlike solutions that simply "turn off" cookie banners, which allow each website to decide what data to collect, Aloha gives users control of their personal data.
The solution demonstrates how the new consent management standard the company advocates for can be implemented, inviting industry leaders to develop their own implementations and unite in creating a more private, user-friendly internet for everyone.

LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Privacy-first Aloha Browser today released a new Cookie Consent Management feature to eliminate the hassle of "annoying cookie banners," improving the browsing experience while protecting user privacy. This new feature eradicates the constant barrage of cookie pop-ups by allowing users to set their cookie preferences just once, at the browser level. The company launches it today for all iOS users worldwide, with an Android release expected in early 2025.

The overwhelming number and complexity of cookie requests often lead users to make quick decisions, with nearly 70% either disregarding cookie banners or closing them. This leads to more data collection than they might prefer if given a less frequent, more meaningful choice. The current implementation of GDPR cookies consent management, intended to protect privacy, is leading to more data collection, rather than less. Cookie banners disrupt the browsing experience, causing many users to resort to ad-blockers, which remove the banners but may expose them to unwanted data collection.

"How the industry manages cookie consent is backward and has actually backfired. It's time to give users the ability to manage their privacy preferences across the web without being constantly interrupted by cookie pop-ups," said Andrew Frost Moroz, the Founder of Aloha Browser. "Many solutions on the market block cookie pop-up banners, causing them to disappear from the browser, but this creates a misleading illusion of privacy. We aim to fix that by giving users the chance to make informed decisions about the data they choose to share with websites."

The reality is websites begin collecting user's information by default as soon as a person visits them. Simply ignoring, closing or blocking cookie pop-up banners does not mean the user is opting out. Other existing solutions do not send any refusal to the website, meaning it continues collecting all user data by default.

To address this challenge, Aloha's created Cookie Consent Management, a groundbreaking solution that gives users the power to set their cookie preferences at the browser level. These preferences are then automatically applied to every website visited, eliminating the need for per-site pop-ups. This approach reduces interruptions and ensures that user privacy decisions are meaningful and informed.

The solution offers comprehensive consent options, allowing users to 'Allow all' cookies, 'Reject all' cookies, create custom settings for different cookie categories, or customize preferences for specific websites, just once, at the browser level. The browser securely stores these preferences and uses a standardized API for websites to query the user's consent status.

Aloha's unique approach enhances the effectiveness of current cookie consent management practices while complying with GDPR and other privacy regulations. The revolutionary approach was presented at W3C's annual conference TPAC 2024 earlier this year, where it garnered initial industry support.

Here's how Aloha Browser users can try the new Cookie Consent Management feature:

Open Aloha Browser and go to the settings menu.
Navigate to the AdBlock section within settings.
Locate and select the GDPR Consent option.
From here, you can set your cookie preferences, such as enabling or disabling cookies, and customize the settings to match your preferences for different websites.
Once set, these preferences will automatically apply to every website you visit, eliminating the need for cookie banners to appear repeatedly.

To learn more about Aloha's cookie consent management solution, visit Aloha Browser.

The specifications for Aloha's solution, alongside an example of its implementation, are in Aloha's public GitHub repository.

Press releases in German, French, and Italian along with infographics and images that illustrate our approach are available here.

About Aloha Browser

Since 2015, Cyprus-based Aloha Browser has set out to make digital freedom and digital privacy accessible to everyone. Through its privacy-first web browser and Private AI Assistant, Aloha offers a seamless and intuitive user experience while providing unparalleled data protection, security and easy access to online content anytime, anywhere.

The company has adhered to the principle of safeguarding user data. It refrains from any collection, storage, or monetization of user data and derives its revenue from its premium services. Aloha verifies the safety of its open-source engine daily, creates and designs all other browser elements and features in-house. Aloha's core product is its private and secure web browser, which includes a free encrypted and unlimited VPN with no logs, built-in AdBlock, enhanced privacy features like biometrics-locked tabs, a powerful file manager and a media player with native VR video support. Aloha Browser is currently available for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPad and Android platforms, with millions of users worldwide. Find out more at https://alohabrowser.com/

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