MacOS Mojave 10.14: 3 Ways the New OS Safeguards Privacy
Apple doing its part to stop data trackers.
by Oscar GonzalezOne of Apple’s big announcements from the WorldWide Developer’s Conference was the new macOS 10.14 release, and how it will protect Mac users from a variety of security threats.
During Monday’s WWDC 2018 keynote, the new macOS, called Mojave, made its official debut although proof of its existence was leaked the day before. The new operating system will include a multitude of app redesigns, a new dark mode, and desktop versions of multiple iOS apps. One focus of the new OS is security and privacy. Mac users will now be a bit safer online thanks to these three changes coming to Mojave.
Blocking Social Media Widjets
When visiting a website, it’s likely there will be a multiple social media buttons all over the site. These icons allow those browsing the page to quickly share content over Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, but they can also track users. In Mojave, these social media widgets will be blocked from the get go and it’s up to the user to allow these icons to appear or not. This option, however, is only through Safari and not Chrome or Firefox.
More Checking In for Access
When installing a new app on a Mac, if the app needs certain permissions to get a user’s locations, contacts, photos, and other sensitive material, a pop-up message comes up asking if this is allowed. Mojave will expand on when that message will appear. Apps that need access to the webcam, microphone, and certain folders such as message history, backups, or mail database will now need a user’s approval.
Fingerprinting
This is not the finger kind of fingerprinting. “Fingerprinting” is way to track users done by data companies by recognizing certain characteristics of the user’s browser such as fonts or plug-ins. Web pages in Mojave will have simplified configurations, built-in fonts, and no more legacy plug-ins making it harder for data companies to track down users.
Developers can get their hands on Mojave starting Monday while users will have to wait until the fall to check out all the new features.
