Google Chrome has become surveillance software

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Sideface

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#251378 22-Jun-2019 13:48

Here is an interesting "Consumer Tech Review" from The Washington Post.

The Washington Post - Google Chrome has become surveillance software. It’s time to switch.

By Geoffrey A. Fowler*

June 21 at 8:00 AM

Our latest privacy experiment found Chrome ushered more than 11,000 tracker cookies into our browser - in a single week. Here’s why Firefox is better.

You open your browser to look at the Web. Do you know who is looking back at you?

Over a recent week of Web surfing, I peered under the hood of Google Chrome and found it brought along a few thousand friends. Shopping, news and even government sites quietly tagged my browser to let ad and data companies ride shotgun while I clicked around the Web.

This was made possible by the Web’s biggest snoop of all: Google. Seen from the inside, its Chrome browser looks a lot like surveillance software.

Lately I’ve been investigating the secret life of my data, running experiments to see what technology really gets up to under the cover of privacy policies that nobody reads. It turns out, having the world’s biggest advertising company make the most popular Web browser was about as smart as letting kids run a candy shop.

Chrome welcomed trackers even at websites you would think would be private. I watched Aetna and the Federal Student Aid website set cookies for Facebook and Google. They surreptitiously told the data giants every time I pulled up the insurance and loan service’s log-in pages.

And that’s not the half of it.

Look in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser. See a picture or a name in the circle? If so, you’re logged in to the browser, and Google might be tapping into your Web activity to target ads. Don’t recall signing in? I didn’t, either. Chrome recently started doing that automatically when you use Gmail.

* Geoffrey A. Fowler is The Washington Post’s technology columnist based in San Francisco. He joined The Post in 2017 after 16 years with the Wall Street Journal writing about consumer technology, Silicon Valley, national affairs and China.

[Mod edit (MF): please do not copy entire articles]

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#2262548 22-Jun-2019 16:04

I mentioned some stuff about the chrome browser auto sign in last year...

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumId=50&topicId=240808

The first thing I do when installing a new PC and chrome, is to disable the browser auto sign-in.

Chrome now runs permanently in the background regardless of whether you have the browser open or not. Google is likely collecting vast amounts of information in order to target and profile you. All of which can be sold to 3rd parties.

I bet even google didn't realise it would go this far when they first released chrome. But, it is a natural evolution when governments don't stop them from doing this. Politicians are so ignorant too.

chevrolux

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#2262549 22-Jun-2019 16:17

Being signed in to Chrome has soooo many benefits that frankly I don't care what they track. Don't get me wrong, it is terrifying how much Google knows about us, but they make daily tasks that much more bearable it's worth it.

I've never understood why people are against targeted ads either. I would rather see ads about stuff I'm interested in than just some random ad about women's clothing, for example.

And blocking cookies? Pain in the ass!!! I want sites to remember me, dont keep asking me the same stupid question you asked last time - just check my cookies!! Give me all the cookies!!!

Rikkitic

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#2262631 22-Jun-2019 16:47

chevrolux:

Being signed in to Chrome has soooo many benefits that frankly I don't care what they track. Don't get me wrong, it is terrifying how much Google knows about us, but they make daily tasks that much more bearable it's worth it.

I've never understood why people are against targeted ads either. I would rather see ads about stuff I'm interested in than just some random ad about women's clothing, for example.

And blocking cookies? Pain in the ass!!! I want sites to remember me, dont keep asking me the same stupid question you asked last time - just check my cookies!! Give me all the cookies!!!

That is one perspective. I never sign into Chrome. I don't miss the 'benefits' at all. Nor do I find my daily tasks so unbearable that I'm prepared to sell my privacy over them. It definitely is not worth it.

I don't block all cookies, just third party ones. And I regularly clean out ones I don't need. It is possible to be a little selective about this.

I hate all advertising, not just the targeted variety, not that I have ever seen a single targeted ad. For that matter, I rarely see any ad. Ublock Origin and Javascript switcher make sure of that.

I don't use Chrome itself, but I do use Chrome browsers like Dragon and Opera. There are Chrome features I like, such as Chromecast. I also don't use Google as a rule. DuckDuckGo and Startpage are usually more than sufficient. I only have Gmail for backup and I only access it via popmail. Result: Almost no ads and hardly ever any spam. I don't miss it at all.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

billgates

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#2262691 22-Jun-2019 18:59

I switched to the new Microsoft Edge that is based on Chromium and even works with all the existing Chrome extensions minus any google tracking which Microsoft removed from their version. I am on the Dev channel so weekly updates are nice to have.

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/download

Do whatever you want to do man.

MikeB4

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#2262695 22-Jun-2019 19:46

The Chromium Edge is very good and I use it on my iMac .With Google seemingly interested in being evil I am migrating back to be fully in the Apple ecosystem. I will be replacing my laptops with MacBooks and my OnePlus with an iPhone.

DarthKermit

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#2262754 22-Jun-2019 23:04

I wonder why google's algorithms think I'd be interested in some competitor to uber? I keep getting ads for it on youtube.

MikeB4

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#2262774 23-Jun-2019 08:28

I thought Huawei was the evil ones.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

kiwibob1

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#2262778 23-Jun-2019 08:56

Sideface:
Here is an interesting "Consumer Tech Review" from The Washington Post.

Thank you for posting this. A good read.

Many will not have read Orwell’s 1984 (now in the public domain in many countries). I’d recommend it for those who think that surveillance in society is a “good thing”. You might also try Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

Firefox and Apple with no FB for me. Far from a complete solution but I feel obliged to try.

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#2262780 23-Jun-2019 09:32

kiwibob1:
Sideface:

Here is an interesting "Consumer Tech Review" from The Washington Post.

Thank you for posting this. A good read.

Many will not have read Orwell’s 1984 (now in the public domain in many countries). I’d recommend it for those who think that surveillance in society is a “good thing”. ...

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ben28

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#2262784 23-Jun-2019 09:53

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/113704282/google-tracks-us-like-the-webs-biggest-snoop-so-i-ditched-chrome

Heres the article along with an amusing video that would get the message through to a non techie

Geektastic

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#2263223 24-Jun-2019 09:27

Does this make Android or Chrome OS surveillance suites?

surfisup1000

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#2263224 24-Jun-2019 09:28

MikeB4:

I thought Huawei was the evil ones.

there is no monopoly on evil.

waikariboy

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#2263228 24-Jun-2019 09:35

DarthKermit:

I wonder why google's algorithms think I'd be interested in some competitor to uber? I keep getting ads for it on youtube.

i pay 2.80 a month for youtube prem. no more ads!

Balm its gone!

1101

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#2263244 24-Jun-2019 10:17

What really surprises me is that people are surprised by this :-)

This is a company that drove around stealing data from unsecured wifi AP's , then when caught said it was a mistake & they didnt intend to do that (despite setting up systems to do it)
So they do stuff that you or I would get arrested for ......

Joe public just allows this sort of behavior & accepts it. We dont collectively make a stand & shout, thats it , no more .
Everything is collecting data on what we're up to, even your new TV .

There was once a time we called this spyware & adware & would go to great lengths to remove it from PC's

dt

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#2263245 24-Jun-2019 10:28

I've been using Brave on all of my devices for a few months now and cannot fault it

It's written in Chromium and is founded by the co founder of Mozilla with the goal of natively protecting your online privacy.

check it out

https://brave.com/

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