Apple introduced iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma with its recent WWDC 23 event. With each new operating system, the company takes steps towards user security, and it will continue to do so with the next-generation systems. The new feature to be introduced to the Mail, Messages, and Safari applications is proof of this.

Safari will now better protect your personal data

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma say hello to a feature that provides users with increased privacy while browsing the internet. The new “Link Tracking Protection,” which is automatically enabled in private mode for Mail, Messages, and Safari, stands out as a new feature.

Link Tracking Protection automatically activates in private mode and detects user-defined tracking parameters in URLs, automatically removing them. This way, users will protect their personal data collected by advertisers and analytics companies.

Advertisers and analytics companies can track user activity on websites by adding tracking parameters to links. Instead of storing third-party identification information, simply adding a tracking identifier to the end of a page URL bypasses standard intelligent tracking prevention systems used by applications like Safari, which block cross-site identification and other session storage methods.

Apple aims to protect its users from these types of situations starting this year. With the new update, Safari will automatically detect which parts of a URL are identifiers and remove only those parts from the URL. This way, your personal data will be protected while you freely browse the web pages you want to visit.

The Safari app can perform this process automatically while in private mode. On the other hand, Apple shares aggregated data with advertisers to allow them to track campaign conversion metrics, but individual data remains private.

With the new update, Apple takes another significant step in privacy. What do you think about this privacy feature offered by Apple and the Safari app?