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submitted 9 months ago by wolf@lemmy.zip to c/technology@lemmy.world

Google enables advertisers a look into your browsing history...

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[-] 1984@lemmy.today 211 points 9 months ago

It's disgusting. Users browser history is private, just like their search history. Fuck Google.

[-] TWeaK@lemm.ee 71 points 9 months ago

Exactly. If Google wants to collect user data and use it for their products, they should be paying users. You can't build and sell cars without paying for the nuts and bolts, yet Google has been taking their materials for free.

[-] TheEntity@kbin.social 42 points 9 months ago

Not for free, for a browser. This doesn't make it any less evil.

[-] TWeaK@lemm.ee 43 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

That's not the deal though. It's not an exchange of data for the use of the product, like you would exchange money for a product or service. The product is offered free of charge, and alongside that they collect whatever they can get away with. There's no consideration, there's no proportionality, it doesn't meet the basic tenets of contract law.

Data companies thrive in this hazy grey zone where regulations haven't been made. However, when you compare what they do to anything else, it's clearly unreasonable. If I invite you into my home, that doesn't mean I give you permission to take the strawberries from my garden. If you invite me into your home, that doesn't mean you get permission to go through my wallet and take photos of everything inside.

It's getting worse, look at Microsoft now. You pay them for the software and they still take your data.

Data needs to be regulated, such that users are fairly compensated and more properly in control of it. Either that, or it must be completely open - Google can collect the data, but their raw database must be freely available to everyone. Lobbying has proven effective for Google et al, however there is some small hope because law makers themselves are also the victims - everyone is. They just need to realise the true value of what's being taken from them.

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[-] cyd@lemmy.world 174 points 9 months ago

"Enhanced Ad Privacy." That's the technology that, unless switched off, allows websites to target the user with adverts tuned to their online activities

That's some Orwellian shit right there.

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[-] bappity@lemmy.world 137 points 9 months ago

every day I'm glad I switched to firefox

[-] glad_cat@lemmy.sdf.org 33 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I may be cursed but I have never experienced any slowdown with Firefox. I never noticed the appeal of Chrome, but have I only used it twice in my life…

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[-] igorlogius@lemmy.world 114 points 9 months ago
[-] kaitco@lemmy.world 33 points 9 months ago

I’ve never left Firefox. Through their redesigns and restructure of available add-ons, Firefox has always been the better option because they’ve always been focused on user options and user privacy.

"I don’t want my browser keeping track of my browsing history to help serve me ads, and I definitely don’t want my browser sharing any function of my browsing history with every random website I visit.”

Then why were you using Chrome in the first place?? This feels very much like “‘I never thought the leopards would eat my face,’ says the head of the Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party.”

Every single product offered by Google is meant as an ad delivery method to increase their balance sheet. I’m honestly shocked by the people who are shocked when Google takes steps that are meant to increase ad delivery when that’s always been Google’s ultimate goal.

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[-] mojo@lemm.ee 100 points 9 months ago

This was overwhelming rejected by everyone, including Microsoft, Mozilla, Safari, and others. It's universally disliked, and Google knows this, but they intentionally know they're abusing their monopoly to push anti-consumer bullshit.

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[-] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 99 points 9 months ago

Why not just use Firefox (while you still can ...)

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[-] radioactiveradio@lemm.ee 92 points 9 months ago

"don't be evil" days have been over since forever ago.

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[-] Carion@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz 78 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

2056

  • Plug DNA access into pc

  • Google sync my brain chip with my browser page

  • Start searching new brain plague of 2043

  • Google show ad pop-up in my eyes, try to close them, but the ads are projected on the optic nerve.

  • New ideia

  • scan anti-ad chip that my friend gave me

  • It works, I'm free

  • anyway, try to order food

  • Error the system is not autenticated please install chrome chiplinx 3.8 to continue.

  • Receive fine of half my salary, new policy under anti-piracy order

[-] superduperenigma@lemmy.world 51 points 9 months ago

Please drink verification can

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[-] squirrelwithnut@lemmy.world 72 points 9 months ago

That's fine. I'll continue to use Firefox.

[-] UdeRecife@lemmy.sdfeu.org 60 points 9 months ago

It's crazy to think that this level of intrusion is considered fair game. The way these behaviors are normalized is completely dystopian.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.ml 22 points 9 months ago

It's absolutely insane that this is legal. This type of spying is explicitly forbidden in the constitution of the United States of America, but since it's a private corporation it's suddenly okay? The FBI has been known to purchase information about consumers from private corporations. This is a back door around the 4th amendment. Actually since corporations are essentially governing by proxy, buying laws and legislatures, this is a constitutional violation.

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[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 51 points 9 months ago
[-] dulce_3t_decorum_3st@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago

I assumed this was happening for years

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[-] CummandoX@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago

So glad I moved to Firefox, fu Google

[-] IDontHavePantsOn@lemm.ee 24 points 9 months ago

Mobile has extensions too. Ublock on Firefox mobile is a god send.

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 47 points 9 months ago

I think I'll just invite Google to come get my dna, set up cameras everywhere, and install a microchip in my brain. Then I can be done with this slow-walk of privacy invasion.

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[-] stormblessed@lemmy.dbzer0.com 44 points 9 months ago

Yet the simps still won’t use Firefox

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[-] thehatfox@lemmy.world 39 points 9 months ago

Well that's what to expect from a web browser created by an advertising company.

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[-] dan1101@lemm.ee 35 points 9 months ago

Chrome is like Facebook, zero respect for privacy. Anything you do with Chrome can and will be used. From day one Chrome has fed all your browsing activity to their index bot. After your browsed a URL, shortly after googlebot crawled that site.

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[-] CookieJarObserver@sh.itjust.works 34 points 9 months ago

How about not using Chrome? Firefox Gang!

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[-] kn100@sh.itjust.works 34 points 9 months ago

And yet Firefox marketshare will keep dwindling. Drives me mad!

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[-] treefrog@lemm.ee 32 points 9 months ago

Not my browser history. I use private browsing... and Firefox!

[-] halfempty@kbin.social 31 points 9 months ago

A few years ago, I switched from Firefox to Chrome. A few months ago, I switched back to Firefox. Chrome is rolling out changes which are completely unacceptable, such as making adblockers impossible, and using my private browsing history for their own ads.

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[-] Texas_Hangover@lemm.ee 31 points 9 months ago

Got this today, I have to use chrome for a couple things every month, and they conveniently turned on all their tracking and ads and bullshit. Had to turn all that crap off again. Not that they'd glean any useful information from my paltry chrome usage, but it still pisses me off.

[-] treefrog@lemm.ee 24 points 9 months ago
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[-] vapeloki@lemmy.world 30 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Let me get this straight:

Until now, Google and other advertisers stored cookies on your device and tracked your browsing history on their servers.

Know, everything happens locally and this is somewhat worse then the old way to do it?

How?

[-] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 22 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

No. Now Google straight up monopolizes your browser history instead of trying to guess your interests.

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[-] philodendron 30 points 9 months ago

In Chrome, start at the three dots in the upper-right corner and go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Ad privacy. (Or just type chrome://settings/adPrivacy into your address field.) The ad privacy page lets you turn off Chrome's targeted ads.

As per The Verge

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[-] BeefDaddySupreme@lemmy.world 29 points 9 months ago

I figured they did this already just without saying it out loud

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[-] Cyo@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago

I'm glad I stopped using chrome / chromium a long time ago.

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[-] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 9 months ago

Damn advertisers are finally gonna realize how fucking lonely I am is keeping me from being a better consumer and has me resenting capitalism and they'll work to change my sad life, right? Privatize the profits, socialize the losses, isolate the losers. Got it.

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[-] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 22 points 9 months ago

Interesting tidbit: I've been watching "the big bang theory" a lot these past few weeks on my own hosted jellyfin install.

I don't use google search anywhere, I don't type tbbt anywhere. Yet, on my Android phone I have this obligatory Google news thing when I swipe left (HATE that) and all of the sudden that thing got chock full of chatgpt written TBBT articles... I don't really go there (usually end up there by accident swiping left once too many) and I don't read those articles but it really obviously switched to TBBT articles when I switched to watching TBBT.

This really kinda freaks me out and makes me wonder WTF more google is monitoring. I use a Google Chromecast, I guess google monitors that?

[-] squirrelwithnut@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

That and your phone's microphone and other sensors.

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[-] Wahots@pawb.social 21 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

It should always be opt in, not opt out. Leave chrome in favor of a non-chrome browser, such as firefox.

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[-] art@lemmy.world 21 points 9 months ago

Who knew that using a browser made by an ad agency would result in ads?!
shockedpikachuface.webp

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this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
1370 points (98.3% liked)

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