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The other large binary blob in the non-opensource builds, apart from DRM, is the wifi network detection module. It will look at what wifi networks are close to

The other large binary blob in the non-opensource builds, apart from DRM, is the wifi network detection module. It will look at what wifi networks are close to you, and Google finds out your physical location that way without your computer having a GPS chip or a cellphone network chip (Google has the full database of the center of gravity for every wifi network from the streetview cars, so the information of which network is how strong for your computer allows location by something like +- 10 meters).

millstone 7y ago
This is concerning; do you have any reference or sources?
- cracauer 7y ago
  strings /opt/google/chrome/chrome | grep -i wifi | grep -i loca ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider_linux.cc ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider.cc ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider_common.cc
- cracauer 7y ago
  Using wifi networks around a device is Google's standard, low-power way to determine a device's location. In a cellphone it is used so that you don't have to fire up the power-hungry GPS chip. Since they built the entire infrastructure and database of wifi access points and locations (by scanning from the streetview vehicles and syncing with GPS) they also use it for the desktop browsers. Which if you legitimately need the location of a "desktop" (which here includes Laptops) would be a nice way to go. It's just a bit of an unclear situation with regards to consent, especially informed consent. (this is not to be confused with Chrome's private API chrome.networkingPrivate, which is used by the device owner to be able to pick and configure wifi networks without leaving Chrome)
floatboth 7y ago
Why would the location service client be a blob? o_0 It's just a web API, there's no reason to not publish the client code, Mozilla's location service client is https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/dom/system/NetworkGeolocationProvider.jsm https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/dom/system/N...
- cracauer 7y ago
  I'm not sure what the status of publishing and disclosure is in Chrome right now. A few years back the location via Wifi was a feature of the binary builds only (like DRM) and wasn't in open source Chromium.

millstone 7y ago

This is concerning; do you have any reference or sources?

cracauer 7y ago
strings /opt/google/chrome/chrome | grep -i wifi | grep -i loca ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider_linux.cc ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider.cc ../../services/device/geolocation/wifi_data_provider_common.cc
cracauer 7y ago
Using wifi networks around a device is Google's standard, low-power way to determine a device's location. In a cellphone it is used so that you don't have to fire up the power-hungry GPS chip. Since they built the entire infrastructure and database of wifi access points and locations (by scanning from the streetview vehicles and syncing with GPS) they also use it for the desktop browsers. Which if you legitimately need the location of a "desktop" (which here includes Laptops) would be a nice way to go. It's just a bit of an unclear situation with regards to consent, especially informed consent. (this is not to be confused with Chrome's private API chrome.networkingPrivate, which is used by the device owner to be able to pick and configure wifi networks without leaving Chrome)

floatboth 7y ago

Why would the location service client be a blob? o_0 It's just a web API, there's no reason to not publish the client code, Mozilla's location service client is https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/dom/system/NetworkGeolocationProvider.jsm https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/dom/system/N...

cracauer 7y ago
I'm not sure what the status of publishing and disclosure is in Chrome right now. A few years back the location via Wifi was a feature of the binary builds only (like DRM) and wasn't in open source Chromium.