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on a related note - I picked up a ten year old Mac laptop here in California, let the Chrome browser update itself so HTTPS will work, did a google search for a

on a related note - I picked up a ten year old Mac laptop here in California, let the Chrome browser update itself so HTTPS will work, did a google search for a research paper PDF, and at the bottom of the search page it clearly said -- CityName,ZipCode based on your last activity. Login (the city and zip where I live and sometimes use a Google chromebook for YouTube) this older Mac laptop is not a google computer, no google account active, not logged in. That is a profile indicator, adding to my "dossier." How is this OK now?

vladvasiliu 4y ago
It seems to me that's pretty much the "current" location, since it's the "last used location to call google", which you just did when you did your search.
- mistrial9 4y ago
  no, the "current location" was not listed
rblatz 4y ago
Isn't that just IP Geolocation? That has been common place for at least a decade.
paxys 4y ago
When you visit a website it gets your IP address. It can look up a geolocation database to narrow down the IP to a city/region. You can use an anonymous VPN if you want to prevent this.
- mistrial9 4y ago
  there is difference between "get the IP location now" and "keep every location in a history for this user without consent"
dont__panic 4y ago
If you're using Chrome, you shouldn't be complaining about surveillance. That browser literally identifies everything you do on the internet with a single ID, fed directly to Google. At that point I don't think your IP geolocation is the largest infringement of your personal privacy.
- mistrial9 4y ago
  agree - and, the startling part is that I am not signed in to an account.. I "use Chrome" but the behavior and records association is behaving like I am signed into an account
  - dont__panic 4y ago
    I believe Chrome uses a dark pattern where signing into a Google account also signs you into the Google account in Chrome. One of many reasons not to use it.

vladvasiliu 4y ago

It seems to me that's pretty much the "current" location, since it's the "last used location to call google", which you just did when you did your search.

mistrial9 4y ago
no, the "current location" was not listed

rblatz 4y ago

Isn't that just IP Geolocation? That has been common place for at least a decade.

paxys 4y ago

When you visit a website it gets your IP address. It can look up a geolocation database to narrow down the IP to a city/region. You can use an anonymous VPN if you want to prevent this.

mistrial9 4y ago
there is difference between "get the IP location now" and "keep every location in a history for this user without consent"

dont__panic 4y ago

If you're using Chrome, you shouldn't be complaining about surveillance. That browser literally identifies everything you do on the internet with a single ID, fed directly to Google. At that point I don't think your IP geolocation is the largest infringement of your personal privacy.

mistrial9 4y ago
agree - and, the startling part is that I am not signed in to an account.. I "use Chrome" but the behavior and records association is behaving like I am signed into an account
- dont__panic 4y ago
  I believe Chrome uses a dark pattern where signing into a Google account also signs you into the Google account in Chrome. One of many reasons not to use it.