this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Google enables advertisers a look into your browsing history...

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[–] 1984@lemmy.today 188 points 1 year ago (8 children)

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

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 61 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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 41 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

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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[–] southbayrideshare@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

It seems to me that we need some software that intercepts the data being sent to Google, replaces all proper nouns with "Sundar Pichai," all numbers with a 10 followed by 100 zeroes, and randomizes everything else before sending. The data they receive would look like it was smuggled out of a Being John Malkovich parallel universe.

Or we could just use Firefox. Or Lynx.

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[–] cyd@lemmy.world 151 points 1 year ago (13 children)

"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 123 points 1 year ago (11 children)

every day I'm glad I switched to firefox

[–] glad_cat@lemmy.sdf.org 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

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 106 points 1 year ago (5 children)
[–] kaitco@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year 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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[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 84 points 1 year ago (9 children)

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

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[–] radioactiveradio@lemm.ee 75 points 1 year ago (6 children)

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

[–] mojo@lemm.ee 66 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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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[–] UdeRecife@lemmy.sdfeu.org 52 points 1 year ago (7 children)

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 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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 1 year ago
[–] dulce_3t_decorum_3st@lemmy.world 47 points 1 year ago (7 children)

I assumed this was happening for years

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[–] stormblessed@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Yet the simps still won’t use Firefox

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[–] CummandoX@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago (6 children)

So glad I moved to Firefox, fu Google

[–] IDontHavePantsOn@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

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

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[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Carion@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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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[–] CookieJarObserver@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 year ago (7 children)

How about not using Chrome? Firefox Gang!

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[–] BeefDaddySupreme@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

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[–] halfempty@kbin.social 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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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[–] treefrog@lemm.ee 27 points 1 year ago

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

[–] kn100@sh.itjust.works 26 points 1 year ago (13 children)

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

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[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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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[–] philodendron@lemdro.id 22 points 1 year ago (7 children)

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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[–] Wahots@pawb.social 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

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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[–] squirrelwithnut@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

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

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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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[–] art@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (4 children)

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

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[–] bobman@unilem.org 17 points 1 year ago

Glad I switched to firefox when it became apparent google wants to take away control to shove more ads in our faces.

[–] icepuncher69@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 year ago

I thought they already did that.

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