Multimedia Gallery
The Discovery FilesSweeten Your Privacy!
Websites rely on computer programming scripts that track browsing history and collect private data. Many people turn to privacy browsers and tools, which sometimes block privacy-harming scripts and break websites or sacrifice privacy and allow the sites to continue functioning. "SugarCoat" changes the game, integrating existing tools to replace privacy-threatening scripts with privacy-preserving versions. Learn more at NSF's "The Discovery Files."
Credit: National Science Foundation
Sweeten Your Privacy!
Hi! I'm Mo Barrow with The Discovery Files, from NSF -- the U.S. National Science Foundation.
You're just typing away, sending an email, browsing the web, posting on social media, while behind the scenes, your privacy is at risk.
Websites today rely on computer programming scripts that track your browsing history and collect private data.
To protect themselves, many people are turning to privacy browsers and tools.
But these tools sometimes have to either block privacy-harming scripts and break websites or sacrifice privacy and allow the sites to continue functioning.
With support in part from NSF, a research team led by computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego are working on a solution.
It's called "SugarCoat" and it integrates into existing tools to replace privacy-threatening scripts with privacy-preserving versions.
"SugarCoat" automatically figures out the right balance between privacy and invasiveness and automates the tedious manual process of producing replacement scripts.
This changes the game, keeping analytics companies away from your private data and protecting you!
Discover how the U.S. National Science Foundation is advancing research at nsf.gov.
"The discovery files" covers projects funded by the government's National Science Foundation. Federally sponsored research -- brought to you, by you! Learn more at nsf.gov or on our podcast.
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