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General News 7/4/2019 at 03:00:35

Goodbye, Chrome: Google's web browser has become spy software

Quicklink Submitted By lila york (# of views) 13 comments

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Latest privacy experiment found Chrome ushered more than 11,000 tracker cookies into our browser — in a single week. Here’s why Firefox is better.

In a week of Web surfing on my desktop, I discovered 11,189 requests for tracker “cookies” that Chrome would have ushered right onto my computer but were automatically blocked by Firefox. These little files are the hooks that data firms, including Google itself, use to follow what websites you visit so they can build profiles of your interests, income and personality.

Chrome welcomed trackers even at websites you would think would be private. I watched Aetna and the Federal Student Aid website set cookies for Facebook and Google. They surreptitiously told the data giants every time I pulled up the insurance and loan service’s log-in pages.

Read the rest of the story HERE:

At www.washingtonpost.com

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Lila York is a choreographer and activist. "If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth." Julian Assange "The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." -- William Colby (Former CIA (more...)

Related Topic(s): Liberty; Liberty; Liberty; Liberty; Spying; Surveillance, Add Tags

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6 people are discussing this page, with 13 comments

Devil's Advocate

(Member since Nov 9, 2014), 9 fans, 2876 comments

Your linked material is blocked by a paywall. (WaPo, go figure.)

"In a week of Web surfing on my desktop, I discovered 11,189 requests for tracker "cookies" that Chrome would have ushered right onto my computer but were automatically blocked by Firefox."

For added effect, try installing something like Privacy Badger or UBlock (both are plug-ins). Then, look at how many trackers are constantly trying to shake hands with your computer, without your knowledge or permission.

Block these trackers, and you regain much more of your privacy and security. The whole Google-Facebook-Microsoft-Amazon-ad infinitum logging mechanism is broken for them on that computer, so they can't keep following you around the WWW, and recording everything you do.

Chrome has actually always been spyware. It was invented for the purpose. So was the whole Android OS platform being used in half the phones, tablets, TVs, TV set-top boxes, and other devices. Google has truly been "gathering it all" for a very long time.

The same is true for many other things, like Microsoft's XBox systems (games), and everything Apple.

(And we're all supposed to be worried about Huawei.)

Submitted on Thursday, Jul 4, 2019 at 3:16:07 PM

(5+)

lila york

(Member since Feb 18, 2008), 98 fans, 70 articles, 113 quicklinks, 2657 comments

Reply to Devil's Advocate:

I have read that Huawei is the only phone that does not have an NSA back door - the real reason they want to ban it. If you must own a smart phone ( I do not) it is the only one to own. I just stumbled on this - Alexa keeps all of your recordings forever. click here

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Submitted on Thursday, Jul 4, 2019 at 3:53:22 PM

(3+)

Devil's Advocate

(Member since Nov 9, 2014), 9 fans, 2876 comments

Reply to lila york:

Indeed, you've hit the nail there. Huawei has interfered with their wish to subvert all world tech. The same way alternate news has interfered with their mission to control the message. All the rest is simply theater.

Yeah, the whole IoT (Internet of Things) theme is creepy to me. Everything wants voice interaction, and everything gathers data. Nobody can ask what is being recorded, or what the retention time is (any answer you get wouldn't be truthful anyway).

The people who buy into this crap are f'n stupid.

Submitted on Thursday, Jul 4, 2019 at 5:21:59 PM

(5+)

nelswight

(Member since Sep 3, 2006), 311 comments

Reply to lila york:

God, you're SUPER, Lila.

Have a great Fourth.

Submitted on Thursday, Jul 4, 2019 at 6:41:03 PM

(0+)

nelswight

(Member since Sep 3, 2006), 311 comments

I'm stickin with Firefox, have been for years.

Submitted on Thursday, Jul 4, 2019 at 6:46:55 PM

(0+)

Lois Gagnon

(Member since Mar 21, 2011), 38 fans, 1 articles, 13 quicklinks, 5201 comments

And yet I've had a lot of trouble on this site with Firefox in the comments. Not being able to up vote or comment. I've been using Chrome only for this site for that reason.

Anyone know if that glitch has been fixed? I use Firefox for everything else.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 12:24:19 AM

(1+)

lila york

(Member since Feb 18, 2008), 98 fans, 70 articles, 113 quicklinks, 2657 comments

Reply to Lois Gagnon:

Try Freenet or Epic. no tracking, private and seem to work.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 2:02:16 AM

(1+)

Devil's Advocate

(Member since Nov 9, 2014), 9 fans, 2876 comments

Reply to lila york:

If you use Epic, you might want to "keep an eye on it". That one's been made from Chromium source code. Doesn't mean there's anything to worry about, at this time, but down the road.... who knows.

Just a thought. I haven't had a chance to get acquainted with Epic that well yet, but having Google's code in the mix waves a red flag for me.

Freenet, on the other hand, is part of the decentralized stuff I've been talking about here for a while. Sounds like a much better idea.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 6:10:36 AM

(1+)

lila york

(Member since Feb 18, 2008), 98 fans, 70 articles, 113 quicklinks, 2657 comments

Reply to Devil's Advocate:

good to know. thanks

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 12:07:17 PM

(1+)

Devil's Advocate

(Member since Nov 9, 2014), 9 fans, 2876 comments

Reply to Lois Gagnon:

If you're referring to the "reply to this" function not working and/or the format bar not being available, the problem is with this site not cooperating with ad blockers.

If you're using AdBlock Plus or similar, try turning it off for this site, and see if anything changes.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 6:06:37 AM

(1+)

nelswight

(Member since Sep 3, 2006), 311 comments

Reply to Lois Gagnon:

I know that I have had to employ the patience of Job in order to stick with Firefox

this long, but here in Maine service is always slow and irregular. We're not yet

civilized and up-to-date. I do believe now here in the province we exceed rhe

population of Mass. Bay Colony's grand city although spread over 30,000 sq.mi.

Lois, you and John Lawrence and Shad can have your luxurious living. Cheers for

la joie de vivre.

Remember Bastille Day soon.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 12:31:40 PM

(0+)

Mrs. Fuxit

(Member since Mar 18, 2017), 1 fan, 1 quicklinks, 405 comments, 1 diaries

Google is in business to maximize profits returned to shareholders. Do Google's shareholders not get spied on?

Submitted on Friday, Jul 5, 2019 at 12:37:45 PM

(1+)

Stephen Fox

(Member since Jan 21, 2007), 33 fans, 434 articles, 568 quicklinks, 3223 comments, 14 diaries

Lila, thanks to you and this article, I switched to Foxfire. Too many weird things were going on with Google, and I mean UNPRECEDENTED weird things.

Submitted on Tuesday, Jul 9, 2019 at 1:56:29 AM

(0+)

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