Hakgok is designed to be both secure and speedy. We provide you control over your browser settings while also giving sensible defaults to ensure that things work well for the average user. You could think that every browser does the same thing, but they all have distinct goals. Ours is to make sure you don't have to worry about what's going on within your browser.
Do I have to pay Hakgok for extra services?
No, Hakgok will always be free to use; you will not be charged to block adverts or trackers.
Will Hakgok sell user data to third parties?
We do not have access to personally identifying information. We do gather anonymised aggregated ad campaign data for accounting and reporting purposes, however this data cannot be linked back to devices or user identities in any way.
How do you relieve concerns that you are spyware?
We utilize only open source software, and we welcome assistance in auditing our code and certifying our Debian Linux binaries (verified binaries probably derive from a given version of open source). We'll need partners to believe in our anonymous ad attribution and conversion confirmation mechanism beyond these lower-level audits. More on this as we go toward Hakgok 1.0 in near-term milestones.
Are all ads blocked or can users allow some or all?
Tracking scripts (trackers) and ads that depend on them are blocked by default. You can allow ads and trackers in the Shields settings globally and for each site.
Why build a browser and not extensions for top browsers?
API and performance constraints apply to extensions. Furthermore, major extension stores frequently house harmful counterfeit extensions that have infected millions of users. We can put our best foot forward in terms of speed and privacy by creating our own browser. If our users frequently use other browsers, we may develop extensions for them
Will Hakgok standardize its intent-casting protocol?
We hope to do so once several partners from various locations have contributed to the process. Premature standardization is a major mistake, so we must first invent, deploy, and learn.
How are ads targeted based on browser-side intent signals?
As previously stated, your browser is aware of practically everything you do. It knows what websites you visit, how long you spend on them, what you look at, what is visible "above the fold" and not obscured by opaque layers, what searches you conduct, what tab groups you open while researching significant purchases, and so on. After HTTPS is terminated and secure pages are decoded, only the browser has all of your personal information needed to determine user intent. This intent data on the client device is protected by our auditable open source browser code. Our server does not have access to this data in plaintext or decryption keys. A MitM proxy or VPN service is not provided by us.
We provide signals to the browser to assist it in determining which preferences and intent signals to expose in order to optimize the value of the user, publisher, and advertiser. To avoid "fingerprinting" the user by a potentially unique set of tags, each ad request is anonymous and exposes just a tiny part of the user's preferences and intent signals.
Why doesn’t Hakgok block ads on search engine result pages?
We block third-party cookies if you don't have a first-party relationship with the cookie's domain, but we don't block first-party cookies by default. The Hakgok user, on the other hand, will be able to selectively block/enable cookies on a global or site-by-site basis. Google will be able to track you just within their own domain and will not be able to use that information to target you outside of google.com.
