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Tracker blocking
Note
This feature is available only on Android devices.
What are trackers?
Cookies can be proprietary and third-party (these are called trackers).
Proprietary cookies are small text files that the browser uses to record data about the sites you've visited. Sites use cookies to recognize users. For example, to avoid asking for their username and password every time they visit the site.
Trackers (third-party cookies) are small fragments of website software code. When you open a website, the tracker loads automatically, collects information (such as your location, device type, or IP address), and sends it back to its owner. Trackers can be placed by the site administrator and its partners. For example, the site that you're viewing has an ad banner from http://www.example.org. This banner saves a cookie in the app that stores information about your activity on the site. If you visit another site with an ad banner from http://www.example.org, the ad network makes a connection between these visits.
There are different ways the tracker owner can use this information:
Fair use
- Site owners can use trackers to estimate how many users visit their site, where they're from, and what devices they use. This data may help them optimize the site for their audience's needs.
- Trackers enable you to use the same login or social network widget on multiple sites.
Trackers from sites that you visited yourself (such as social networks) are most likely used fairly.
Malicious use
Malicious tracker owners may collect the personal data that you enter on a website, such as your phone number or email address, and sell it to third parties. As a result, you may receive emails with unwanted ads or annoying calls from advertisers you never gave your phone number to.
We believe that malicious use of data by trackers is a violation of your privacy. To protect you, Yandex has developed a special YTP technology that is part of the Neuroprotect security system.
What is YTP?
Your Tracking Protection (YTP) is a technology that restricts third-party cookies. Using it, you can choose which resources to trust with your data.
YTP is based on a simple rule: only sites that you've visited before are allowed to run trackers. Only these sites can send your data from site to site, show you relevant ads, and use other cross-site interaction features. If you haven't visited the site for 45 days, the browser starts blocking its trackers.
Ads mean site owners can afford to keep their sites free, so Yandex aims to find a balance between free services and useful unobtrusive ads.
This way, you can continue using the internet in a way that's convenient for you (for example, use the same login on different sites), while site owners can support themselves financially without using irrelevant ads that annoy their visitors.
Pages where trackers are blocked load much faster.
You can also use the YTP technology to find out what trackers are running on a page, and block the ones that you don't trust.
Blocking trackers for a site
Once a page loads, you can find out how many trackers are blocked on it. To do this:
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Tap → About the site.
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The Tracker blocking option will show the number of trackers blocked.
Block until visiting the site
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Tap → About the site → Tracker blocking.
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To the right of the tracker, tap → Block.
The tracker will be blocked until the next time you visit the site it belongs to.
Block permanently
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Tap → About the site → Tracker blocking.
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To the right of the tracker, tap → Block permanently.
The tracker remains blocked until you unblock it.
Unblock
If a tracker is blocked, you can unblock it until visiting the site next time or permanently:
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Tap → About the site → Tracker blocking.
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To the right of the tracker, tap and select Unblock or Unblock permanently.
If the tracker is unblocked, the Revoke permission option will block it until you visit its domain next time.
If a site doesn't work
Some sites need third-party cookies to work correctly. If a site doesn't work, try disabling tracker blocking completely:
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While on the site page, tap to the right of the SmartBox.
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Select Tracker blocking.
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Tap Site not working?
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In the window that opens, tap Allow third-party cookies.
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Tap Refresh to reload the page.
To re-enable tracking protection:
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While on the site page, tap to the right of the SmartBox.
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Select Tracker blocking.
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Tap the Enable blocking link.
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Tap Refresh to reload the page.