8 ms·

I've configured Chrome to not send my address bar to Google and to encrypt my sync with a custom passphrase. What data does Google own?

CaptSpify 10y ago
Have you done any network monitoring to see if Chrome is sending anything back to Google?
- witty_username 10y ago
  No. But I use Chromium so the source code is open. I mean if we're going to go to this level of paranoid; then we might as well look at attacks on Firefox (which have been suspected to be used by the NSA against Tor Browser).
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - CaptSpify 10y ago
    I'm curious as to why you think checking network connections is paranoia. As a sysadmin, I routinely log and check many of my network connections, though I have not done that for my browser.
    - witty_username 10y ago
      No, I meant that suspecting Chrome of covertly sending data to Google (without telling us) is paranoia. Especially since the source code is open.
      - CaptSpify 10y ago
        I would disagree. I'd genuinely be surprised if google made it that easy to not send anything back to them. Additionally, I'd be genuinely surprised if FF made it that simple to avoid sending things back to Mozilla. It's less about being covert, and more about having multiple settings to send different types of data back.
- mda 10y ago
  Have you? So what does it send back?
  - reitanqild 10y ago
    I think GPs point was the uncertainty, which I think is a valid point either way.
    - lorenzhs 10y ago
      Well, "I haven't bothered to check so for all I know it could be doing tons of bad things" isn't really a valid argument.
      - rickycook 10y ago
        it is if your mistrust for google outweighs your time to check these things... maybe in that case you shouldn't say "for sure google is doing bad things" but you can mistrust and not use a product for fear of the company that produces it without current evidence
      - CaptSpify 10y ago
        who is making that argument?
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - DavideNL 10y ago
    For example, I noticed a while back that the Chrome/Chromium browsers send the dns lookup of every website you visit to Google's own dns servers - even though i have NOT configured them in my OS. (You can easily check this with an app like Little Snitch, look for the browser connecting to IPs 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4)
    - konart 10y ago
      Which is why I can't use chrome at work at all. Google's services and DNS are blocked by admins, so when you try to open any site you get DNS_LOOKUP_FAILED error.
- justinschuh 10y ago
  There's no reason for FUD. We've always listed all potential data transmission or collection in this regularly updated whitepaper: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/whitepaper.html https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/whitepaper.htm...
  - nailer 10y ago
    That's an excellent resource but the poster you're replying to simply asked if he'd done a tcpdump, accusing them of spreading FUD isn't necessary.
  - CaptSpify 10y ago
    What did I say that was FUD? I'm legitimately curious if he's checked and seen any data being sent to google *edit: I'd genuinely be surprised if google made it that easy to not send anything back to them. Additionally, I'd be genuinely surprised if FF made it that simple to avoid sending things back to Mozilla.
akerro 10y ago
> I've configured Chrome to not send my address bar to Google and to encrypt my sync with a custom passphrase. Remove physical microphone from your computer, Chome will turn it on randomly and send recordings to Google.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  [citation needed]
  - akerro 10y ago
    https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=786909 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=786909 this history is long, search on your own for more.
    - justinschuh 10y ago
      Please don't spread misinformation. Here are the facts: 1. While the Hotword module was downloaded at startup, the feature was not activated without the user explicitly enabling it via the settings menu. <https://crbug.com/500922#c6> https://crbug.com/500922#c6> 2. Downloading the module in Chromium was a bug, and it was fixed after being reported. <https://crbug.com/50922#30> https://crbug.com/50922#30> 3. The Hotword feature was dropped from Chrome not too long after, because it was an experiment that never really panned out (and was enabled by very few people).

CaptSpify 10y ago

Have you done any network monitoring to see if Chrome is sending anything back to Google?

witty_username 10y ago
No. But I use Chromium so the source code is open. I mean if we're going to go to this level of paranoid; then we might as well look at attacks on Firefox (which have been suspected to be used by the NSA against Tor Browser).
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- CaptSpify 10y ago
  I'm curious as to why you think checking network connections is paranoia. As a sysadmin, I routinely log and check many of my network connections, though I have not done that for my browser.
  - witty_username 10y ago
    No, I meant that suspecting Chrome of covertly sending data to Google (without telling us) is paranoia. Especially since the source code is open.
    - CaptSpify 10y ago
      I would disagree. I'd genuinely be surprised if google made it that easy to not send anything back to them. Additionally, I'd be genuinely surprised if FF made it that simple to avoid sending things back to Mozilla. It's less about being covert, and more about having multiple settings to send different types of data back.
mda 10y ago
Have you? So what does it send back?
- reitanqild 10y ago
  I think GPs point was the uncertainty, which I think is a valid point either way.
  - lorenzhs 10y ago
    Well, "I haven't bothered to check so for all I know it could be doing tons of bad things" isn't really a valid argument.
    - rickycook 10y ago
      it is if your mistrust for google outweighs your time to check these things... maybe in that case you shouldn't say "for sure google is doing bad things" but you can mistrust and not use a product for fear of the company that produces it without current evidence
    - CaptSpify 10y ago
      who is making that argument?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- DavideNL 10y ago
  For example, I noticed a while back that the Chrome/Chromium browsers send the dns lookup of every website you visit to Google's own dns servers - even though i have NOT configured them in my OS. (You can easily check this with an app like Little Snitch, look for the browser connecting to IPs 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4)
  - konart 10y ago
    Which is why I can't use chrome at work at all. Google's services and DNS are blocked by admins, so when you try to open any site you get DNS_LOOKUP_FAILED error.
justinschuh 10y ago
There's no reason for FUD. We've always listed all potential data transmission or collection in this regularly updated whitepaper: https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/whitepaper.html https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/whitepaper.htm...
- nailer 10y ago
  That's an excellent resource but the poster you're replying to simply asked if he'd done a tcpdump, accusing them of spreading FUD isn't necessary.
- CaptSpify 10y ago
  What did I say that was FUD? I'm legitimately curious if he's checked and seen any data being sent to google *edit: I'd genuinely be surprised if google made it that easy to not send anything back to them. Additionally, I'd be genuinely surprised if FF made it that simple to avoid sending things back to Mozilla.

akerro 10y ago

> I've configured Chrome to not send my address bar to Google and to encrypt my sync with a custom passphrase. Remove physical microphone from your computer, Chome will turn it on randomly and send recordings to Google.

TeMPOraL 10y ago
[citation needed]
- akerro 10y ago
  https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=786909 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=786909 this history is long, search on your own for more.
  - justinschuh 10y ago
    Please don't spread misinformation. Here are the facts: 1. While the Hotword module was downloaded at startup, the feature was not activated without the user explicitly enabling it via the settings menu. <https://crbug.com/500922#c6> https://crbug.com/500922#c6> 2. Downloading the module in Chromium was a bug, and it was fixed after being reported. <https://crbug.com/50922#30> https://crbug.com/50922#30> 3. The Hotword feature was dropped from Chrome not too long after, because it was an experiment that never really panned out (and was enabled by very few people).