4 ms·

How is Chrome "privacy eviscerating"? Do you have any evidence or are you just paranoid because it's made by Google?

staunch 11y ago
Chrome calls home with all kinds of private data and it doesn't ask permission. https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/ https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/
- symlinkk 11y ago
  Which point on there specifically bothers you? All of those seem obvious to me - if you use Translate, it goes to Google. Also, a lot of that is disabled when you go to incognito mode; e.g. the search engine prediction in the omnibar. Plus, you can encrypt the data Chrome uses to sync -- see: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1181035?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1181035?hl=en
  - heroh 11y ago
    >a lot of that is disabled when you go to incognito mode ಠ_ಠ
    - witty_username 11y ago
      You can disable these things in the settings and they get automatically disabled in incognito mode.
- andrepd 11y ago
  Does this apply to Chromium as well? Because if not, there you have it.
  - XzetaU8 11y ago
    "Chromium calls home even in incognito mode with safe browsing turned off" https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=792580 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=792580
    - joonoro 11y ago
      There's more discussion if you follow the link to the relevant Chromium issue at the bottom of the page. In particular it doesn't seem malicious and actually it's only started on demand. https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=498272 https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=498272
meesterdude 11y ago
why do you think they pay for ads for people to install it? google makes money directly/indirectly from people using chrome, and they do it by collecting data from chrome.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- rgbrenner 11y ago
  They do collect data from chrome (see their privacy policy), but the point you're making isn't too convincing. Having people use Chrome has a number of benefits for google.. from saving money paying browsers to make google the default; to protecting Google from any anti-google moves Microsoft might make in the future using IE. Without Chrome, Google's business is very dependent on a third-party (the browser developer) who has no loyalty to Google. Long term, it's in google's interest to eliminate such variables in their business.
  - Senji 11y ago
    Vertical integration seems to be the name of the game.
- wutbrodo 11y ago
  > why do you think they pay for ads for people to install it? google makes money directly/indirectly from people using chrome, and they do it by collecting data from chrome. Products don't need to explicitly produce revenue to be worth developing (and advertising). It's shocking to me how this incredibly basic concept is so far beyond the understanding of so many, particularly on HN. Chrome is a particularly easy case, given that, from its inception, it's pushed people towards Google searches. I've lost count of how many times people have pointed out that Android is a failure for Google because they don't make any money off of it (yes really), completely ignoring the fact that a world in which iOS controlled ~100% of the mobile market would be an uncomfortable position for Google (given that internet activity was moving so heavily towards mobile).
  - 11y ago
dang 11y ago
Please avoid personal invective when commenting on HN, especially on controversial topics. This comment would be fine if shortened to simply the first question.

Chrome calls home with all kinds of private data and it doesn't ask permission. https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/ https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/

symlinkk 11y ago
Which point on there specifically bothers you? All of those seem obvious to me - if you use Translate, it goes to Google. Also, a lot of that is disabled when you go to incognito mode; e.g. the search engine prediction in the omnibar. Plus, you can encrypt the data Chrome uses to sync -- see: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1181035?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1181035?hl=en
- heroh 11y ago
  >a lot of that is disabled when you go to incognito mode ಠ_ಠ
  - witty_username 11y ago
    You can disable these things in the settings and they get automatically disabled in incognito mode.
andrepd 11y ago
Does this apply to Chromium as well? Because if not, there you have it.
- XzetaU8 11y ago
  "Chromium calls home even in incognito mode with safe browsing turned off" https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=792580 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=792580
  - joonoro 11y ago
    There's more discussion if you follow the link to the relevant Chromium issue at the bottom of the page. In particular it doesn't seem malicious and actually it's only started on demand. https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=498272 https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=498272

meesterdude 11y ago

why do you think they pay for ads for people to install it? google makes money directly/indirectly from people using chrome, and they do it by collecting data from chrome.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
rgbrenner 11y ago
They do collect data from chrome (see their privacy policy), but the point you're making isn't too convincing. Having people use Chrome has a number of benefits for google.. from saving money paying browsers to make google the default; to protecting Google from any anti-google moves Microsoft might make in the future using IE. Without Chrome, Google's business is very dependent on a third-party (the browser developer) who has no loyalty to Google. Long term, it's in google's interest to eliminate such variables in their business.
- Senji 11y ago
  Vertical integration seems to be the name of the game.
wutbrodo 11y ago
> why do you think they pay for ads for people to install it? google makes money directly/indirectly from people using chrome, and they do it by collecting data from chrome. Products don't need to explicitly produce revenue to be worth developing (and advertising). It's shocking to me how this incredibly basic concept is so far beyond the understanding of so many, particularly on HN. Chrome is a particularly easy case, given that, from its inception, it's pushed people towards Google searches. I've lost count of how many times people have pointed out that Android is a failure for Google because they don't make any money off of it (yes really), completely ignoring the fact that a world in which iOS controlled ~100% of the mobile market would be an uncomfortable position for Google (given that internet activity was moving so heavily towards mobile).
- 11y ago

dang 11y ago

Please avoid personal invective when commenting on HN, especially on controversial topics. This comment would be fine if shortened to simply the first question.