12 ms·
Probably so that they may track which searches people are performing on DuckDuckGo
by ppeetteerr 8y ago
Probably so that they may track which searches people are performing on DuckDuckGo
- marpstar 8y agosad but true. I'd be interested to know if this data (i.e. non-Google search engine queries) is sent to Google. I'm assuming it is.
- snaky 8y agoIs there a Chrome extension that shows to the user what information exactly Chrome is sending home?
- misterman0 8y agoImagine that the only thing that is reported to the Chrome backend is a client ID and a URL, which would be the only thing needed to render this app: https://myactivity.google.com https://myactivity.google.com Would you think of Google as trustworthy because they only gave their backend two pieces of data? I myself would not, because I'm pretty sure the actual request and response messages are looked up by client ID (in their Google Analytics data store).
- auslander 8y agoGive Google some privacy of what is being sent home :) Chrome (and Chromium) creates at start and maintains SSL connections to Google. It is not easy to sniff what is being sent. Even if you MITM it, like in enterprise transparent proxies, Chrome will throw an error because of cert pinning. google domains should be whitelisted: "we recommend that you avoid the use of transparent proxies." https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3504942?hl=en https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3504942?hl=en
- snaky 8y agoSeems like patching that out of binary would be trivial task. But I doubt the Chrome extension that would do that patching could stay at Chrome store.
- close04 8y agoChrome has the all powerful "omnibox" that still sends stuff to Google. Since searches or URLs go through the omnibox there's a good chance Google gets (some of) the data.
- ProAm 8y agoAnything you do in Chrome is reported to google. Not necessarily the data, but the meta-data.
- misterman0 8y ago>> Not necessarily the data Yes the data. The whole request and the whole response. They need it in order to properly train their ad-network. </speculation>
- reitanqild 8y ago> They need it in order to properly train their ad-network. Given that they scoop up all this data I'd appreciate if their ad-network actually improved. Just the other day the dating site scams where back. "We'll try not to show it again" they say. Well for vacuuming the market for the best and brightest they either don't try very hard or they are very dysfunctional because they fail as a group.
- markstos 8y agoYou mean if you opt-in (or haven't opted out), right? I was under the impression this was optional.
- gregknicholson 8y agoBut you're an honest, decent citizen with nothing to hide, right? Why would you want to opt out? And anyway, it's “to improve your experience”, so you can't opt out. It's for your own good. Remember, Big Brother loves you.
- rum3 8y agoGoogle has a very different definition of optional.
- mtgx 8y agoYes, see how they still tracked Android users' location, despite location setting being turned off.
- misterman0 8y ago>> I'd be interested to know if this data (i.e. non-Google search engine queries) is sent to Google. Because Chrome keeps a log of all your activity, your DDG searches are easy to find here: https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity So if you're web based (like me) then activities such as sending an email, checking out YT, reading HN, watching Twitch, and jerking off, all end up as entries in that log file.
- stcredzero 8y agoSo if you're web based (like me) then activities such as sending an email, checking out YT, reading HN, watching Twitch, and jerking off, all end up as entries in that log file. Do you really think Google would have trained an AI to determine that last activity? How would they have trained the AI?
- ori_b 8y agoPresumably you aren't visiting porn sites for the articles. Voila, no AI needed.
- stcredzero 8y agoPresumably you aren't visiting porn sites for the articles. Voila, no AI needed. Sloppy. How do they know I'm not preparing for actual intercourse? How do they know I'm not downloading porn for later? I could also be watching gun videos, since they've been hosted there. Granted, it's probably 95% accurate.
- misterman0 8y agoSince I've already outed myself as a porn consumer I might as well get this off my chest: the recommendation engines of the video sites I visit (all the big ones) have poor, very poor AI. It's like they don't know me as a customer. I'm out here busting my balls to find "The Perfect Clip" but it's a jungle and they are not making it easy on me.
- 8y ago
- thekyle 8y agoI don't see how doing this helps them track DuckDuckGo searches any better than they already could in Google Chrome. EDIT: Added italicized text for clarity.
- snaky 8y agoMaybe most of the DuckDuckGo users use Firefox and other non-Chrome browsers.
- thekyle 8y agoRight, I've edited my comment to clarify it.
- ppeetteerr 8y agoIt's probably not as sinister as I make it out to be but I can think of a few items of data that differ between using DDG's native UI and that of the Chrome search bar: the headers Chrome sends to DDG are different, and the autocomplete results that come back from DDG can now be monitored
- thekyle 8y agoGood point, I hadn't thought of the auto complete. I figured you were more referring to the actual query itself which Chrome already sends home to Google via it's cloud synced web history. In which case it does not matter whether you use the omnibar or visit the website directly as long as you have history sync enabled.
- sidcool 8y agoGenuine question, if I configure DuckDuckGo as my default search engine, would my key strokes still be sent to Google?
- Liquix 8y agoYes. URL prediction & malware blacklisting "services" send keystrokes regardless of chosen search engine.
- skoskie 8y agoAlso check your DNS config for 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, .... I’m not typing the IPv6.
- chrisweekly 8y agoCheck it, then switch to 1.1.1.1; Cloudflare's service is free and excellent.
- newscracker 8y agoOr Quad9 (the easy to remember IPv4 address 9.9.9.9).
- FabHK 8y agoCan anyone explain the downvotes? Any issues with Cloudflare's DNS? (I'd prefer it over Google, and 1.1.1.1 is just as easy to remember as 8.8.8.8)
- r3bl 8y ago> malware blacklisting "services" If you're thinking of Google Safe Browsing (used by both Chrome and Firefox), you're wrong. It works the other way around: Google sends you the list of undesired domains, and your client prevents you from visiting domains found on that list. Nothing needs to be shared with a third party for that functionality.