We’re pretty used to seeing security updates for Safari, Mail, QuickTime and the like, but Apple has released an update to Garage Band, it’s music-making software, which includes a security fix. It turns out that – for some reason – Garage Band uses web cookies, and changes Safari’s cookie security settings. As Apple says in its notes:
When GarageBand is opened, Safari’s preferences are changed to always accept cookies. The default preference is to accept cookies only for the sites being visited. The altered setting may allow third parties and advertisers to track a user’s web activity. This update addresses the issue by not changing the preference setting. Users who have run previous versions of GarageBand should confirm that their Safari preferences are set as desired.
Note that last sentence: you should check your Safari preferences, on the Security tab, and see what the current settings are for cookies.
There are three options: always accepts all cookies from all domains, never accepts none (making surfing on some websites difficult), and the third setting, Only from sites I visit, prevents third-party sites from tracking your web activity. Often, advertising companies will use cookies on one site to link your profile to other sites you visit. If you value your privacy, you should check this option. However, in our experience, even this prevents some sites from working correctly.
