Wanted: an assessment of tactics against privacy-invasions by Chrome browser

Chrome may be fast but it has a reputation of invading privacy and possibly not doing what a browser is supposed to do but also spying on user data.

Maybe linux could do a better job of limiting what chrome can do. But in old hardware I am forced to use windows xp and chrome browser as nothing else works satisfactorily fast.

As a first layer of defence shadow defender plus sandboxie were introduced as recommended here against a wide range of threats. These also protect a truecrypt container where most data is kept, and this container is only accessed in fresh windows sessions that have no internet access.

One idea against Chrome spying is to set up a firewall or gateway that intercepts all internet access and prompts before connecting to anything. So if an unexpected suspicious connection is attempted, you say on and block it and the spying is harder. Does anything like this exist? Is it practical?

Another idea is to use a slow but trusted browser for google searching and manually copy the url of any slow site to Chrome. Maybe an opera or firefox addon for this exists?

What other tactics can one use to defend against spying by Chrome?

 

You can block all of the ''spying'' in Chrome just by unchecking a few things http://www.insanitybit.com/2012/06/02/the-definitive-guide-for-securing-chrome/

 

Untick everything in the privacy section other than "Send a 'Do not track' request", leave that on. You can enable the anti-malware list in AdBlockPlus instead of using the Google feature. I'm unaware of any "spying tactics" other than speculation.

 

As I understand Chrome is spying on your online activity. I doubt that they are searching for local files on your drives and then send that data to Google. Using firewall to filter internet traffic on per-IP basis would be impractical. You can setup your Chrome as suggested above and add some extensions like Adblock Plus or Ghostery to your setup.

hqsec

 

They do not ''spy'' on you unless you use the default options you can follow this guide to completely disable the ''spying'' http://www.insanitybit.com/2012/06/02/the-definitive-guide-for-securing-chrome/

 

Most "spying" activities of browsers are just for your convenience (i.e: suggest you new sites based on your activity, advertisment, etc...); i don't think they have much to gain from you.

 

Yes exactly.

 

I think the Chrome Privacy Policy (https://www.google.com/intl/en-US/chrome/browser/privacy/) should be one source of information that is kept up to date and will help identify behaviors of interest.

 

I'm surprised with you guys, Chrome is accused of being spyware and you recommend telling Chrome "please do not spy on me"? This is like asking the wolf to look after the sheep. And the wolf says "sure, you can count on me. just pull my tail a little and that will disable wolf mode".

What can be done to contain the wolf against its will? Just addons? No filtering gateways (private or public)? No robust restrictions on data access in windows xp?

 

I wouldn't use a browser for which I would have to do all that, just to feel safe using it. I would use other browser even if it was slower than Chrome.

hqsec

 

Use Chromium.

Disable anything in the settings which can create unwanted net traffic. See Google Chrome Privacy Notice for these settings.

Use `--disable-component-extensions-with-background-pages` switch to prevent built-in extensions (it appears this took care of this "Hangout Services" which has been showing in the Task Manager in the latest versions).

There are many other switches which seems of interests and which are worth exploring, I didn't get to that yet. Of interest, the `--host-rules` switch, need to experiment.

Edit: Regarding:

Not sure if you are talking about an add-on here, or something at OS level. If add-on, then definitely HTTP Switchboard for Chromium ("HTTPSB"). Adblock Plus and Ghostery, suggested above, do not work in deny default mode, and do not inform you about all the net traffic.

 

Most of the above tips do one thing very well - they cripple the Internet. All you got left is a blank screen. SMDH.

 

Are you SYDH at your own over-the-top silly hyperbole?

 

HTTP Switchboard looks promising. It remains to be seen how much "noise" has to be manually dealt with in actual usage.

Got an idea that should completely stop tracking with a little help from sandboxie: instead of clicking on a link, you copy and paste the url onto a prompt line produced by a batch file, which then closes the browser and starts a fresh instance of the browser that loads the required link. Because the instances are sandboxed, there can be no tracking from the old instance to the new one. No ever-cookie can survive sandboxie's cleaning. Then the internet is fully functional (all javascript, java, flash is allowed) except nothing can track you.

To speed this up, hopefully the batch file can always preload the next instance so that no instance can see anything from the other instance, can this be done with portable versions of chrome under sandboxie?

 

What is silly is disabling the Internet, after all, isn't the purpose of surfing to actually see stuff? Post a screenshot of your usual page views and show us what you've disabled and can't see, or do you just surf with your screen turned off?
Also, all your feeble efforts are for nought re: NSA.
There IS NO privacy on the Internet!

 

If you use Google, they will see everything they want to about you. Your ISP sees everything you do, as well.

 

You should probably stop before you risk hurting your brain further lol.

 

Thanks for zero answer - just a personal insult.

 

And how do you know google searches is everything they want to see about me?

But my ISP is not in collusion with anyone but police, or you know better than that?

 

Here's all your privacy questions answered:
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thre...ems-for-user-data-secret-files-reveal.348308/
You have no privacy.

 

Isn't it obvious I do not seek privacy from the NSA or the police but only private firms and especially Chrome's owner google?

 

You fear Google over Big Brother?? lol You can sue Google - try suing the federal government. The government can also put you in jail, Google, un naw, unless you steal something from them. Enjoy your "privacy." Bty - you are posting all this on a public website.

 

The sad part is you clearly didn't read through the thread you're linking to. Edward Snowden is living proof you can have privacy on the internet. All you keep coming back to is uneducated nonsense about crippling the Internet. Yeah clearly disabling a bunch of features in Chrome is crippling the Internet, ugh...

 

But I am not a threat to Big Brother, whereas Google is trying to make money out of my data and that can be challenged.

When you have an answer about tactics against Chrome drop us a line. Till then, parroting about the invincible Big Brother is off topic, we know what Big Brother can do, thank you very much.

 

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Bty Funkster - the Feds know where Snowden is, but not everyone has Putin to protect them, and you don't know what the NSA has in their possession.
Ulysses - almost every website you visit has Google Analytics, Yandex Analytics, Qihoo Analytics on it looking at your browsing habits. If you owned a web blocking service like, oh, Adblock+ and Google came to you with an offer of $__________ fill in the blank to stop blocking their stuff, (but continue to say you block everything) what would you do?