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October 27, 2011 @ 11:20 pm | Category: Android Phone, iPad, iPhone, Product Releases, Webzine | Tagged as: , , , , ,

Webzine Does Not Store User Data

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We would not be where we are today without the constant support and input of our users helping us to create the best mobile browsing out there. Over the past several days, we’ve been taking note of the common threads in comments on our blog and feedback from around the Web.Below you’ll find answers to the 5 most common user questions we’ve received about Dolphin security and privacy over the past week:

How do I know that Dolphin has not stored my browsing history to target advertising?

Webzine feature has never (and will never) be used to collect or store data for advertising. We are very conscientious of our users’ privacy and no intention to use personal data to monetize our app.

Has any data collected been deleted?

Since last week’s concerns came to light, we have cleared all associated server and have no trace of any URL history from any Dolphin user.

How do I know the issue is fixed? If the Android v7.0.1 release didn’t fix it, how do I know that v7.0.2 has fixed the problem?

From a technical standpoint, there are several ways to see that the “Toggle Webzine” has been disabled and the issue has been 100% fixed:

1. User interface – the screenshots below depicts the contrast between v7.0 and v7.0.2 where you’ll see that the button no longer exists in the address bar.

2. Android users can use a “packet sniffer” tool to see what data is being sent by any application on their phone. In the before/after screenshots below, you’ll see an outbound request to Webzine taking place in version 7.0, but no outbound requests occurring in the newest version (7.0.2).

Dolphin Browser HD v7.0

Dolphin Browser HD v7.0.2

Please also note the fix has been recognized and confirmed by the original XDA-developer post that called the issue to our attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will this feature be fixed in Dolphin Browser for iOS?


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, Toggle Webzine was also a feature included in Dolphin for iPhone and iPad. It has been disabled in the newest app store update version 2.0 which is live in the App Store.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


What steps are you taking to make the Toggle Webzine feature more secure in future releases?

We will do everything we can to protect our users’ privacy and security. This means that all futureversions of Dolphin will have an opt-in, not opt-out, process for Toggle Webzine with encrypted data.


 

 

What are the recent changes with the new version and what does this mean for my browsing history?

We have made speedy changes to protect your privacy. In the updated Android v7.1 and iPhone 2.0 versions we have fixed all issues and would like to reiterate that we do not forward the URL of any links, searches or pages you open in Dolphin Browser.

日本語 (お問い合わせ：[email protected])


 

 

Background:

A few days ago, it was called to our attention that our newest version of Dolphin HD for Android 7.0 relays browsing information to a Webzine-specific URL. This information was never stored on our servers, and no browsing information has been captured about our users.

Webzine simply performs an ancillary check if we can view current webpage in Webzine format . It is not critical and we have temporary removed this functionality in our latest update yesterday.As background, with Dolphin HD for Android 7.0 we rolled out a handful of updates to our popular Webzine feature. One of these is a “Toggle Webzine” button to view your current webpage as a Webzine. With roughly 300 Webzines supported at the moment, it was necessary for the client to check the current user URL against a database housing these 300 Webzine columns, which is what user Fnorder at XDA-Developers referred to. None of these URLs have ever been stored by Dolphin, instead being used to cross-index if a Webzine for the current site exists. If it does, the current site is immediately converted to Webzine format; if not, it remains the standard mobile site. Again, none of this process is stored on the backend of our servers and we are deeply sorry that this was not made clear to our users from the beginning. In terms of security, on a scale from one to ten, this is a zero. Dolphin does not store browsing history nor user personal information and we have never done so in the past.
While it has been immediately disabled, we do think that the “Toggle Webzine” feature is a useful one for exploring the Web and will be adding an “opt-in” feature in forthcoming releases to enable this function. The code and URL-checking process will be made very clear to users, and will only be enabled if a user wishes. Again, our update last night have temporary removed this functionality to avoid any confusion or concern you may have.
We are delighted that our user community is growing to new heights daily. We continue to learn from you, our users, and will always be responsive to your comments and suggestion.  Webzine is one of our favorite features, and we look forward to your continuous suggestion Please contact [email protected].
日本語 (お問い合わせ：[email protected])

Thanks,
Dolphin Team

Update: It’s come to our attention that the hot fix update we pushed out last night on Android Market (7.0.1) did not fix the issue. It has now been resolved and is live on the Android Market as Dolphin Browser HD v7.0.2. Again, user privacy is a huge priority for us and we thank you for your patience while this has been resolved.

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