Meta's WhatsApp app under certain network conditions will try to bypass Android VPN settings using Google Public DNS servers even when (a) the OS settings "Always-on VPN" and "Block connections without VPN" are enabled, (b) port 53 is forwarded to a local address,^1 (c) DNS settings under "Network details" for the router point to local addresses only and (d) "Mobile data" is disabled for the SIM and the phone has no access to cellular data (e.g., MMS will fail)
Even the Google pre-installed system apps don't do this
Meta's attempts to conduct surveillance go further than ignoring the sec-gpc header. Meta tries to bypass Android's built-in VPN and the system DNS settings
I use a computer I can reasonably control, i.e., one running an OS I compiled myself, as the gateway for the phone so traffic destined for 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 is blocked by the gateway's firewall. (TLS forward proxy on the gateway also adds sec-gpc header to all HTTP/HTTPS traffic^2)
1. For example, using PCAPDroid or NetGuard
2. In addition to HTTPS traffic, Meta's WhatsApp app sends some requests over unencrypted HTTP, too, e.g., destined for c.whatsapp.net
they have no fear of the current financial incentives, there has to a punitive quantity involved, and the mentality of any regulators has to catch up with present day.
fines that amount to a daily expenditure account, do nothing. fines have to have potential to do real damage to, or destroy noncompliants, if there is going to be any deterrent.
contempt, is obvious, the chance of jail should exist in actuality, rather than a vague possibility.
> fines that amount to a daily expenditure account, do nothing.
Even those relatively small fines rarely get paid. Companies can tie up the judgements in the courts for years without having to pay a single cent. [1]
> The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is owed more than €4 billion in fines that have not been collected or are subject to legal challenge. The DPC hit companies – including firms in Big Tech – with more than €530 million in fines last year. However, just €125,000 of that has been collected so far, according to data released under FOI laws. Over the past six years, the commission has levied an incredible €4.04 billion in fines, mostly on multinational technology companies. However, of that total, €4.02 billion remains uncollected and just €20 million has been paid in fines so far. In 2024, €652 million worth of fines was levied, of which €582,500 has been paid.
Hopefully they hold off until the financial straw breaks and then they leverage their owed fines to claim ownership of these shithole companies completely.
If you read the report this is why I say network traffic with a Sec-GPC: 1 (GPC opt-out) should return a 451 automatically instead of a cookie, and how the Meta Pixel code can wrap a GPC conditional around execution. That's why they are terrified - fines don't matter, code does.
yes that seems to be workable, but then its thier code, and house techs you have to preempt. the problem seems to be one of, effectively compelling a change of code and heuristics.
im wondering what would be more effective.
1] desist or existentially threatening fines, or indentureship will occur.
2] you have a problem with code maintainence, we will take code maintainence into receivership, until you have demonstrated that you can maintain code in a legal framework.
That's a terrible idea though. It means that anyone who selects the "Do not track me" option will find that they can't access the content at all, which will quickly train users to never select "Do not track me".
Instead of fines someone here recommended partial public ownership. This also dilutes share value so punishes the people who can effect change, stock holders. It would also give the government a better ability to hold companies accountable as the government is now on the inside and can make partial owner type demands, request internal numbers. It could also add significant other burdens. An egregious company would become publicly owned over time allowing a complete overhaul.
I always opt out if given the option and if not given the option I click x and close the site. However, unfortunately, I have assumed that they are already tracking me when the pop-up hits. This kinda confirms that is true.
We have 'get tough on X, Y, Z' things that don't impact me at all. You can dial 911 if someone assaults you in the US, but I don't know of a single resource to get law enforcement involved when I am digitally assaulted. I think that is a big part of the problem here. Nobody is actually taking the call to enforce this stuff.
The only reason I ever click reject is to open the devtools and count the ads cookies still set. I managed to turn that hobby into https://webxray.ai as a business.
There may be an opportunity here for a plugin that auto-reports violations in some way that can then be used in lawsuits against these companies. Obviously there are privacy concerns with something like this but there may be ways to anonymize the data or otherwise preserve privacy meaningfully. There is 'company X is doing bad thing' and 'company X did bad thing, provably, this many times to these people'.
For legal work you need a controlled forensic environment, this is evidence gathering in the same way a crime scene is. We've developed a lot of proprietary methods to ensure clean-room conditions.
That's not to say the idea isn't interesting, but in terms of legal proceedings, chain of custody with the forensic data is most important.
Hi, I'm Dr Tim Libert, founder of webXray who did this audit. Happy to answer questions from YC'ers. [Note, stepping away for some mental health exercise, stressful day!]
I also want to push back on Google telling the press our California Privacy Audit is "is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how [Google's] products work".
I'm the former head of Cookie Compliance at Google and I have the federal court filings that show their statements are not simply true, and Google knows it isn't true.
For the record, here are direct quotes from a federal court filing made by Google's "Data Protection Officer and Senior Director of Privacy", who stated that "If called to testify as a witness, [they] could and would testify competently to such facts under oath."
Here are those facts:
* "Due to Dr. Libert’s academic background focusing on cookies, he became one of the primary members of the team assisting with Google’s cookie compliance and governance efforts..."
* "Dr. Libert quickly assumed responsibility for aiding our in-house regulatory lawyers in addressing governmental investigations into cookies..."
* "Dr. Libert often worked under the guidance of in-house counsel to develop technical solutions to issues raised by privacy regulators..."
* "Dr. Libert was also responsible for the development of internal policies on
cookies and web storage. He drafted Google’s internal cookie guidelines in 2021 and early 2022, which applies to all cookies or cookies-like objects, and outlines processes on managing cookies, storing cookies, logging data associated with cookies, server protocols, policies on data collection, and data linkage..."
* "By developing the policy and conducting the audit, Dr. Libert gained insight into every Google-owned cookie deployed across Google’s web properties..."
* "Dr. Libert also proposed changes to how Google interprets specific definitions across its products’ various privacy policies. This included work on policies relating to analytics and advertising services used by third-party apps and websites..."
--
TLDR: Google can say what they want about me in public, but when they are under oath in a federal court of law, this is what they really say.
The GPC spec does not say "no cookies will be set" [1], and does not mention cookies at all. It merely provides a way for the user to indicate their preference that their information not be shared or tracked. The spec even says:
> In the absence of regulatory, legal, or other requirements, websites can interpret an expressed Global Privacy Control preference as they find most appropriate for the given person, particularly as considered in light of the person's privacy expectations, context, and cultural circumstances.
The CCPA [2] also never explicitly mentions cookies or forbids them from being set. The relevant passages about opting out on the sale of personal information are:
> a) A business shall provide two or more designated methods for submitting requests to opt-out, including an interactive form accessible via a clear and conspicuous link titled “Do Not Sell My Personal Information,” on the business’s website or mobile application. Other acceptable methods for submitting these requests include, but are not limited to, a toll-free phone number, a designated email address, a form submitted in person, a form submitted through the mail, and user-enabled global privacy controls, such as a browser plug-in or privacy setting, device setting, or other mechanism, that communicate or signal the
consumer’s choice to opt-out of the sale of their personal information
How would you respond to their claim that you are fundamentally misunderstanding GPC, and that the spec and the law do not mean you never set cookies, they mean that you must honor the preferences expressed by the header in backend processes that involve tracking or sale of personal information?
Thanks for speaking out publicly - especially as an Ex-Big Tech employee who knows the internal workings of these companies - and actually trying to do something about this.
I personally felt many times being tracked by Google or other big tech companies showing me something relevant to previous search queries even though they were made on different platforms and using adblock extensions (ublock origin). So their active tracking is definitely very elaborate.
Apologies in advance an excuse my ignorance as I am going on a hunch here and don't have much rather than perhaps frustration driving my comment, but it feels like this isn't the first and nor will be the last we find stuff like this.
I can't help but think they will pay the fines and go on continuing doing this, which makes it seem like it just evolved into a scheme where the government now takes their cut.
No questions to ask, just wanted to say thank you for your work. I'm sure it's not easy and definitely less stressful to just leave things be. Thank you.
These greedy corporations spy on us. Our data is valueable to them.
When someone spies on you, it means they do not trust you. That
means we should not trust them either.
It's not just merely these giant corporations though. I think the
whole business model is broken, if they need to spy on people in
order to milk out more profit. One big glaring weakness is ...
the browser. I think we need to find a solution here. Chrome is
a problem. Chromium can not offset this problem; Google still makes
most decisions. (You can adapt, but it is a constants wear-and-tear
race to do so, Google has more resources.)
I used to think that Ladybird could provide an alternative; then I
was banned from the project site, allegedly for "trolling" and
"insulting". I disagree with that but there is no real regulation
to protest. This unfortunately exemplifies a problem how the modern
www became too restrictive in general and alternatives stumble on
their own "morality", before they even produced a real competitor
here. (I still think there should be competitors to Google, so it
is good that Ladybird exists; I am just no longer attached in any
way as to whether they succeed or not, due to the ban.)
What we need is a real global movement. Everywhere. The whole www
model has to change. It should not be controllable by private
entities or state agencies - those who watch the age verification
process already know what's coming next.
Appends a source-url attribute at the end (404media).
I'm sure they're not doing anything nefarious with it, but it is a tiny bit ironic that there's a referral url like that associated with an organization that is speaking out about global privacy audits.
I'm glad they're doing this, and understand this is complex, but throwing out a "check the plank in thine eye before the sty in the others". I haven't really dealt with referral links like that, IIRC that's something 404 is sending as a referrer URL? Would it be prudent to reroute on the GPA sites such referral urls to strip them before sending back?
I don't think monetary fines are going to protect the rights of the people. The justice system must arrest the CEO's and put them into prison. I would like to know if there are less drastic measures, but there needs to be consequences such that these corporations won't try this again.
Is there still anyone competent that "doubt" so? As long as data transit through their infrastructure, in security, we must always assume that it's recorded (and later-on, eventually used), it has nothing to do with "settings".
Luckily almost all modern corporate tracking is done through javascript execution + cookies. The days of parsing actual webserver logs are over for the most part. After all, it's only the browsers that execute javascript code and provide profitable personal information about the human behind the browser that matter. People with JS off are not providing sellable information and therefore classified and treated as if they were bots.
Turning off JS by default and temp-whitelisting only mitigates most of this tracking.
I have no Meta or Amazon apps on my phone. It's been this way since I quit buying my phones through my carrier where all their crap and "partner" apps required jailbreaking to remove.
great works! hope this gets more attention soon. Unfortunately I do not care for the graphic at the top of article (that casual readers will be impressed by) since it conflates spiritual imagery with spying.. People with little education in either easily conflate the two.. People who are hostile to spiritual topics can quickly amplify the vilification of it.. so, please consider not using that kind of symbol in media campaigns and public outreach. thx
I mean duh, but also this seems like a fairly weak gotcha. Cookies != Tracking, they can track you just fine without cookies, and they can use cookies without tracking you.
Wait until you folks learn about the quantum panopticon. It sounds fake but governments everywhere are recording as much encrypted data as possible in hopes of decrypting it in the future w/ quantum computers: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11023-025-09723-2
97 comments
Even the Google pre-installed system apps don't do this
Meta's attempts to conduct surveillance go further than ignoring the sec-gpc header. Meta tries to bypass Android's built-in VPN and the system DNS settings
I use a computer I can reasonably control, i.e., one running an OS I compiled myself, as the gateway for the phone so traffic destined for 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 is blocked by the gateway's firewall. (TLS forward proxy on the gateway also adds sec-gpc header to all HTTP/HTTPS traffic^2)
1. For example, using PCAPDroid or NetGuard
2. In addition to HTTPS traffic, Meta's WhatsApp app sends some requests over unencrypted HTTP, too, e.g., destined for c.whatsapp.net
fines that amount to a daily expenditure account, do nothing. fines have to have potential to do real damage to, or destroy noncompliants, if there is going to be any deterrent.
contempt, is obvious, the chance of jail should exist in actuality, rather than a vague possibility.
> fines that amount to a daily expenditure account, do nothing.
Even those relatively small fines rarely get paid. Companies can tie up the judgements in the courts for years without having to pay a single cent. [1]
> The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is owed more than €4 billion in fines that have not been collected or are subject to legal challenge. The DPC hit companies – including firms in Big Tech – with more than €530 million in fines last year. However, just €125,000 of that has been collected so far, according to data released under FOI laws. Over the past six years, the commission has levied an incredible €4.04 billion in fines, mostly on multinational technology companies. However, of that total, €4.02 billion remains uncollected and just €20 million has been paid in fines so far. In 2024, €652 million worth of fines was levied, of which €582,500 has been paid.
[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/01/12/data-protecti...
I know I'm dreaming, but still.
" yes, havn the time of my life !"
"heres your bill."
"whaa aat ?!"
" oh, did you think it was all free, when everyone normal, pays ? "
im wondering what would be more effective.
1] desist or existentially threatening fines, or indentureship will occur.
2] you have a problem with code maintainence, we will take code maintainence into receivership, until you have demonstrated that you can maintain code in a legal framework.
We have 'get tough on X, Y, Z' things that don't impact me at all. You can dial 911 if someone assaults you in the US, but I don't know of a single resource to get law enforcement involved when I am digitally assaulted. I think that is a big part of the problem here. Nobody is actually taking the call to enforce this stuff.
That's not to say the idea isn't interesting, but in terms of legal proceedings, chain of custody with the forensic data is most important.
I also want to push back on Google telling the press our California Privacy Audit is "is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how [Google's] products work".
I'm the former head of Cookie Compliance at Google and I have the federal court filings that show their statements are not simply true, and Google knows it isn't true.
For the record, here are direct quotes from a federal court filing made by Google's "Data Protection Officer and Senior Director of Privacy", who stated that "If called to testify as a witness, [they] could and would testify competently to such facts under oath."
Here are those facts:
* "Due to Dr. Libert’s academic background focusing on cookies, he became one of the primary members of the team assisting with Google’s cookie compliance and governance efforts..."
* "Dr. Libert quickly assumed responsibility for aiding our in-house regulatory lawyers in addressing governmental investigations into cookies..."
* "Dr. Libert often worked under the guidance of in-house counsel to develop technical solutions to issues raised by privacy regulators..."
* "Dr. Libert was also responsible for the development of internal policies on cookies and web storage. He drafted Google’s internal cookie guidelines in 2021 and early 2022, which applies to all cookies or cookies-like objects, and outlines processes on managing cookies, storing cookies, logging data associated with cookies, server protocols, policies on data collection, and data linkage..."
* "By developing the policy and conducting the audit, Dr. Libert gained insight into every Google-owned cookie deployed across Google’s web properties..."
* "Dr. Libert also proposed changes to how Google interprets specific definitions across its products’ various privacy policies. This included work on policies relating to analytics and advertising services used by third-party apps and websites..."
--
TLDR: Google can say what they want about me in public, but when they are under oath in a federal court of law, this is what they really say.
> In the absence of regulatory, legal, or other requirements, websites can interpret an expressed Global Privacy Control preference as they find most appropriate for the given person, particularly as considered in light of the person's privacy expectations, context, and cultural circumstances.
The CCPA [2] also never explicitly mentions cookies or forbids them from being set. The relevant passages about opting out on the sale of personal information are:
> a) A business shall provide two or more designated methods for submitting requests to opt-out, including an interactive form accessible via a clear and conspicuous link titled “Do Not Sell My Personal Information,” on the business’s website or mobile application. Other acceptable methods for submitting these requests include, but are not limited to, a toll-free phone number, a designated email address, a form submitted in person, a form submitted through the mail, and user-enabled global privacy controls, such as a browser plug-in or privacy setting, device setting, or other mechanism, that communicate or signal the consumer’s choice to opt-out of the sale of their personal information
How would you respond to their claim that you are fundamentally misunderstanding GPC, and that the spec and the law do not mean you never set cookies, they mean that you must honor the preferences expressed by the header in backend processes that involve tracking or sale of personal information?
[1] https://w3c.github.io/gpc/
[2] https://www.oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/privacy/oa...?
> I'm the former head of Cookie Compliance
If the Internet didn't turn out the way it turned out, this could have been the greatest job ever.
I personally felt many times being tracked by Google or other big tech companies showing me something relevant to previous search queries even though they were made on different platforms and using adblock extensions (ublock origin). So their active tracking is definitely very elaborate.
I can't help but think they will pay the fines and go on continuing doing this, which makes it seem like it just evolved into a scheme where the government now takes their cut.
When someone spies on you, it means they do not trust you. That means we should not trust them either.
It's not just merely these giant corporations though. I think the whole business model is broken, if they need to spy on people in order to milk out more profit. One big glaring weakness is ... the browser. I think we need to find a solution here. Chrome is a problem. Chromium can not offset this problem; Google still makes most decisions. (You can adapt, but it is a constants wear-and-tear race to do so, Google has more resources.)
I used to think that Ladybird could provide an alternative; then I was banned from the project site, allegedly for "trolling" and "insulting". I disagree with that but there is no real regulation to protest. This unfortunately exemplifies a problem how the modern www became too restrictive in general and alternatives stumble on their own "morality", before they even produced a real competitor here. (I still think there should be competitors to Google, so it is good that Ladybird exists; I am just no longer attached in any way as to whether they succeed or not, due to the ban.)
What we need is a real global movement. Everywhere. The whole www model has to change. It should not be controllable by private entities or state agencies - those who watch the age verification process already know what's coming next.
Got your ID ready to access information yet, bud?
Appends a source-url attribute at the end (404media).
I'm sure they're not doing anything nefarious with it, but it is a tiny bit ironic that there's a referral url like that associated with an organization that is speaking out about global privacy audits.
I'm glad they're doing this, and understand this is complex, but throwing out a "check the plank in thine eye before the sty in the others". I haven't really dealt with referral links like that, IIRC that's something 404 is sending as a referrer URL? Would it be prudent to reroute on the GPA sites such referral urls to strip them before sending back?
Turning off JS by default and temp-whitelisting only mitigates most of this tracking.
This isn't perfect but I feel better.
Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic etc. etc.
sure... the contracts saying often there is no saving or learning from the AI API usage. But it's at the end like a "trust me bro" promise.
There is a saying on the internet:
The generation that refused cookies is now giving AI permission to read their emails, scan their local files, and manage their bank accounts.
It seems many have given up...