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Zubair Shafiq

@zubair-shafiq.bsky.social
163 followers 140 following 13 posts

prof @ucdavis; privacy + measurement researcher; outdoor enthusiast; anda-shami lover

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Reposted by Zubair Shafiq
Yash Vekaria @yash-vekaria.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
What really happens after you provide your personal information when filling out online “quotes”? This week, I presented my research on data collection, brokerage, and spam in lead marketing ecosystem (w/ Nurullah Demir, @kollnig.net, @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social) to FTC in Washington DC.
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Yash Vekaria @yash-vekaria.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
The same tracking pixel on two websites can be configured completely differently to track varying user details. 🚨In our @acm-imc.bsky.social 2026 paper (w/ @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social), we perform longitudinal measurement of Meta pixel to study its tracking configurations employed by websites.
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Yash Vekaria @yash-vekaria.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Excited to share that my research (w/ @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social, @kollnig.net, Nurullah) on "Understanding Data Collection, Brokerage, and Spam in the Lead Marketing Ecosystem" has been accepted for presentation at the 3rd FTC Conference on Marketing and Public Policy 2026 in Washington D.C.
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Yash Vekaria @yash-vekaria.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
My research (w/ @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social) on Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) was cited in complaints filed today by Attorney General Ken Paxton against 5 major smart TV brands—LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL, and Hisense—alleged for spying on Texans via ACR. texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/release...
texasattorneygeneral.gov
Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Including Some with Ties to the CCP, for Spying on Texans
Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against five major television companies for spying on Texans by secretly recording what consumers watch in their own homes.
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Julia Angwin @juliaangwin.com · 25/10/2025
Come work with me! I'm hiring a data scientist to join me at @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @shorensteinctr.bsky.social careers.harvard.edu/job/senior-d...
careers.harvard.edu
Senior Data and Network Scientist
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MADWeb Workshop @madwebwork.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
🌟 Want to help shape #MADWeb 2026? Nominate yourself for the Program Committee! Deadline: Oct 31, 2025 ⏰ Consider applying even if you don't have extensive reviewing experience! forms.gle/UovLWS78aa3t...
forms.gle
MADWeb 2026 PC Nomination Form
The web connects billions of devices, running a plethora of clients, and serves billions of users every day. To cope with such a widespread adoption, the web constantly changes. This is evident by som...
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Braedon @braedon.dev · 17/10/2025
Privacy Sandbox is dead. privacysandbox.com/news/update-...
privacysandbox.com
Update on Plans for Privacy Sandbox Technologies
In this October 2025 announcement, the Privacy Sandbox team shares updates on plans for Privacy Sandbox technologies.
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John Wilander @wilander.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
The source they link to says: "Springer had argued, among other things, that the DOM node tree generated by the browser from the HTML code when rendering a website and the CSS structures are forms of expression of the user's own programming and are therefore protected by copyright." 2/2
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
@yash-vekaria.bsky.social is presenting his research "Big Help or Big Brother?" at the 2025 USENIX Security Symposium this week. The paper shows tracking and profiling risks in GenAI browser assistants. #USENIXSecurity engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/big-hel...
engineering.ucdavis.edu
Big Help or Big Brother? UC Davis Study Reveals Alarming Browser Tracking
A new UC Davis-led study reveals that GenAI browser assistants collect and share sensitive data without users’ knowledge, calling for stronger safeguards, transparency and awareness to protect user pr...
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PET Symposium @pet-symposium.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Thank you all for attending PETS 2025! Special shoutout to General Chair @adamaviv.bsky.social for hosting, to Program Chairs @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social and @ikben-robjansen.bsky.social , and stellar volunteers for making it a success. See you next time ✨ 📅 Submit to PETS 2026 Issue 2: Aug 31, 2025
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
@yash-vekaria.bsky.social's research on ACR-tracking by Smart TVs featured in @nytimes.com @nytwirecutter.bsky.social. Checkout the article: nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...
nytimes.com
Yes, Your TV Is Probably Spying on You. Your Fridge, Too. Here’s What They Know.
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Yash Vekaria @yash-vekaria.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
We systematize developments in web tracking and identify open problems in the field in our new work: arxiv.org/abs/2506.14057
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
.@yash-vekaria.bsky.social describing privacy risks of ACR-based smart TV tracking www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeq2...
youtube.com
Your TV Is Spying On You and Taking Screenshots
YouTube video by Naomi Brockwell TV
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
🚨 The @pet-symposium.bsky.social 2025 program is live! petsymposium.org/2025/program... Packed with 3 exciting keynotes, 150+ cutting-edge privacy papers, and a great lineup of co-located workshops. The early registration deadline is approaching. Join us in Washington DC or online.
petsymposium.org
Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium 2025
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Matthew Green @matthewdgreen.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
I just heard that a cryptography professor at Indiana University had his house raided and was fired. Don’t know much more. www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/l...
heraldtimesonline.com
FBI, Homeland Security agents search house on Xavier Court in Bloomington
FBI, Homeland Security provide no details about Friday's raid at Bloomington home involving at least a dozen agents
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MADWeb Workshop @madwebwork.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
With a record number of submissions, amazing discussions, and a fantastic community, #MADWeb 2025 was truly special. Huge thanks to all participants, speakers, PC members, and our hosts at @internetsociety.bsky.social for making it happen! Safe travels—see you next year! ✈️ Limin, Marco, Yinzhi
Group picture of MADWeb participants in front of a pool
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
Interview on RNE in the program "A hombro de gigantes" about our ACR study on Smart TVs.
rtve.es
Los televisores envían gran volúmenes de datoscada minuto sobre los usuarios
El Reconocimiento Automático de Contenido funciona como una especie de Shazam, tomando capturas de pantalla o audio para generar un perfil del espectador
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
State of privacy on the web almanac.httparchive.org/en/2024/priv...
almanac.httparchive.org
Privacy | 2024 | The Web Almanac by HTTP Archive
Privacy chapter of the 2024 Web Almanac covers the adoption and impact of online tracking, privacy preference signals, and browser initiatives for a privacy-friendlier web.
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
State of cookies on the web almanac.httparchive.org/en/2024/cook...
almanac.httparchive.org
Cookies | 2024 | The Web Almanac by HTTP Archive
Cookies chapter of the 2024 Web Almanac covering the prevalence and structure of cookies on the web.
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
www.ftc.gov/policy/advoc...
ftc.gov
Solving the Traveling Salesman Problem? Not quite, but here are more research questions from the Office of Technology
Earlier this year, the Office of Technology (OT) published a list of
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
www.ftc.gov/policy/advoc...
ftc.gov
Unpacking Real Time Bidding through FTC’s case on Mobilewalla
The FTC recently
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Lukasz Olejnik @lukaszolejnik.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
"OpenAI is discussing plans to introduce advertising to its artificial intelligence products, as it restructures as a for-profit company". www.ft.com/content/9350...
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Jason Kint @kint.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
I would argue Global Privacy Control is the best example of a valuable user feature which will get implemented if the Department of Justice succeeds in Court requiring Google divest its Chrome browser. cacm.acm.org/opinion/noti...
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Fall @ucdavis.bsky.social
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Frontend Dogma @frontenddogma.com · 02/12/2024
Third Parties, by @vekariayash@x.com and @zubair_shafiq@x.com (@httparchive@x.com):
almanac.httparchive.org
Third Parties
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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024
The work was led by the extremely bright and impressive Shaoor Munir. He's got a unique ability to write about and study legal topics, with a computer science angle. Do check out his profile and other work! @shaoormunir.bsky.social
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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024
Thanks for listening. The research wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of my co-authors. The full paper can be found here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... The slides here: docs.google.com/presentation... A general-audience blog article here: www.promarket.org/2024/08/08/c... 9/9
papers.ssrn.com
Google's Chrome Antitrust Paradox
<div> This article examines Google’s dominance of the browser market, highlighting how Google’s Chrome (“Chrome”) browser is playing a critical role in asserti
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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024
The US gov wants Google to sell Chrome to stop Google' monopoly in online search. But don't we all love Chrome? ❤️ Why then sell it ? Let me explain, having published the first in-depth research article about this with @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social and others, and recently given a talk about this. 🧵1/9
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Henri Helvetica 🧑🏾‍🚀🇭🇹 @henrihelvetica.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
🎙️ For those familiar w/ @httparchive.org's WEB ALMANAC, we're going to be live! Dec 10th with some of the authors in the 1st of a series of streams covering the 2024 edition. 17M sites, 83TB of data. Join us! 📆 Tuesday Dec 10th, 13h EST 🔗 RSVP here: bit.ly/web-almanac-2024 Spare a RT? ⚡️
an image w/ illustrations and the captions: 
Web Almanac
By HTTP Archive
THE WEB ALMANAC LIVE STREAM!
Web Insights, Live and Personal - From Project Origins to Chapter Highlights!
ONLINE
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10, TUESDAY
• time 13h EST, 10h PST, 19h CET.
• who the authors!
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Zubair Shafiq @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
I contributed to the 2024 Web Alamnac Chapter on Third Parties. Check it out almanac.httparchive.org/en/2024/thir...
almanac.httparchive.org
Third Parties | 2024 | The Web Almanac by HTTP Archive
Third Parties chapter of the 2024 Web Almanac covering data of what third parties are used on the web and an analysis of inclusion chains of third parties.
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