Safari in iOS sends some Safe Browsing data to Tencent

guest · Oct 13, 2019

Safari in iOS sends some Safe Browsing data to Tencent
You might not have to worry outside of China, but it's still a concern
October 13, 2019
https://www.engadget.com/2019/10/13/safari-in-ios-sends-safe-browsing-data-to-tencent/

Apple's Safari browser has long sent data to Google Safe Browsing to help protect against phishing scams using its Fraudulent Website Warning feature, but it now appears Chinese tech giant Tencent gets some information as well. Users have discovered that iOS 13 (and possibly versions starting from iOS 12.2) sends some data to Tencent Safe Browsing in addition to Google's system.

The concern, as you might imagine, revolves over what Tencent might do with that data. Both Google and Tencent may log IP addresses in order for their anti-phishing systems to work, but Tencent's frequent cooperation with the Chinese government raises concerns that its data could be used for surveillance or other nefarious ends. Johns Hopkins University professor Matthew Green noted that a malicious provider could theoretically use Google's Safe Browsing approach to de-anonymize someone by linking site requests.

You can turn Fraudulent Website Warning off (in Settings > Safari) as long as you're willing to accept less vigilance against sketchy pages. The issue is really that Apple activates the feature by default without alerting users, and that it doesn't specify just where Tencent operates.
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guest · Oct 14, 2019

Apple’s Tencent privacy controversy is more complicated than it looks
October 14, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/14...controversy-safe-browsing-blacklist-explainer

Apple’s problems are based on a mostly uncontroversial iOS feature: Safari’s “Fraudulent Website Warning” option. The Fraudulent Website Warning, as its name may suggest, warns users when they’re about to visit a known phishing or malware site. Safari identifies these sites by cross-checking users’ web traffic against an external blacklist.

But Apple’s partnership with Tencent has still sparked fears that the massive tech and media company could be abusing the system.
Apple has vehemently argued against this theory. In a statement to The Verge, it said that Tencent and Google aren’t getting lists of users’ web browsing history:

“Apple protects user privacy and safeguards your data with Safari Fraudulent Website Warning, [...] To accomplish this task, Safari receives a list of websites known to be malicious from Google, and for devices with their region code set to mainland China, it receives a list from Tencent. The actual URL of a website you visit is never shared with a safe browsing provider and the feature can be turned off.”
Apple offered ZDNet a further description of how the system works. It says Google and Tencent are “sending a copy of the database to a user’s browser and letting the browser check the URL against this local database,” so traffic never actually reaches those companies.
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But Green argued that these little pieces of information can still erode users’ anonymity as they browse the web day after day. If a safe browsing provider is actively trying to track people, that could be a problem. He didn’t conclude that Tencent is doing this, but it could be doing it.
Click to expand...

ZDNet: Apple responds to reports that it sends user traffic to China's Tencent

Apple explains how Safari's recent Safe Browsing update works -- following a slew of misleading media reports
Click to expand...

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