VPN and Google Chrome

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by newbino, Mar 25, 2020.

  1. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    Hi, I use Google Chrome to connect to Gmail webmail, Calendar and a couple of other apps like Keep and Maps.
    What would be the effect of running a VPN and Chrome simultaneously from a privacy point of view?
    thanks
     
  2. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    No replies ... is this a stupid question?
     
  3. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

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    Perhaps you're not getting replies because the question is vague. Why would it matter whether or not you're using a VPN to access google? What are you wanting to know?
     
  4. imdb

    imdb Registered Member

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    i wouldn't trust most commercial vpn's for online banking and/or checking mail. that said, unless of course it's urgent and you're on a public hotspot.
    also, bear in mind that most, if not all, mail service providers do not like vpn connections/ip's. chances are your account will be suspended and/or you will be asked for your recovery mail or to do a phone verification.
     
  5. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    If you setup Google etc accounts without a VPN, there's no privacy advantage to using a VPN with them. Unless, as @imdb noted, you're seeking protection while using public WiFi. And then Google etc may freeze the accounts because of the IP address change, or perhaps the fact that it's a known VPN exit.
     
  6. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    thanks, I actually find it difficult to articulate my thoughts on this.
    Let's try again:
    I use an always-on VPN to maintain privacy
    I use Google Chrome specifically to access GMail, Calendar and the like - to do so I must log in to my account so Google does identify me in those cases, which is fine for me
    can Google then somehow track me while I am logged in in Chrome, even though I use other browsers (eg, Firefox) for my other browsing activities?

    As a side note, I have been using IVPN for several months with no ill effect - so far - on the various Google services. Possibly because I have two-factor identification set up to verify my log-ins?

    Thanks to all who have replied so far
     
  7. Stefan Froberg

    Stefan Froberg Registered Member

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    The last service I would use is gmail.
    It's well known fact that they, among other "free" e-mail provides (like the **** spying yahoo) rummage throught your e-mails.
    If you also use google searches and surf the Internet with the browser made by world biggest ad dealer then no hiding of your IP address will help.

    It's like: user X logged from this VPN IP(and this country) in that and that time, searched this and this on our search engine from this and this VPN IP and looked these and these webpages with our google analytics embedded in. And we saved that all into our own databases for later profiling and also into your browser cookie, and HTML5 storage.

    Hiding your IP helps you little in this case.
    Getting away from Google and using some sane browser with ad-blocker and other protections would help more
     
  8. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    @Stefan Froberg thanks for what you write about Gmail

    for clarity: I do use either Firefox or Brave + assorted ad-blockers and protections like DuckDuckGo for all my other browsing tasks (apart from the ones mentioned above), such as searches, banking, shopping, etc.
     
  9. trott3r

    trott3r Registered Member

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    Wasnt google supposed to stop scanning gmail for ad keywords at some point?

    Chrome ignores the system dns setting and just uses googles dns server thus i have 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.8.7 blocked in my firewall.
    It then defaults to system dns
     
  10. imdb

    imdb Registered Member

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    t, you need to disable doh under flags:
    chrome://flags/#dns-over-https
     
  11. trott3r

    trott3r Registered Member

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    And that stops chrome using its own DNS servers?
     
  12. imdb

    imdb Registered Member

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  13. trott3r

    trott3r Registered Member

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    imdb: thanks for the info
     
  14. imdb

    imdb Registered Member

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    no problem, t. :thumb:
     
  15. Stefan Froberg

    Stefan Froberg Registered Member

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  16. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    Thanks everybody for your contributions.
    I must admit I have not been able to answer my question, so let me try again one last time to see if I am more successful - I have done my best to further clarify the situation taking into account the comments above

    1.I use IVPN always-on for the general purpose of maintaining privacy
    2. I use either Firefox or Brave + assorted ad-blockers and protections for all my browsing tasks (with the exceptions mentioned below), such as searches (DuckDuckGo), banking, shopping, etc.
    3. I use Google Chrome only to access GMail, Calendar and the like - to do so I must log in to my account so Google does identify me in those cases, which is fine for me (accounts set up without VPN)
    4. Am aware of the Gmail privacy issue and use that account for the ease of synchronizing that and Calendar/Keep with my phone (Android), I have other non-Gmail accounts for other purposes

    Questions:
    If I am using another browser for whatever activity, can Google somehow track me if I am also simultaneously logged in in Chrome (without active use)?
    What are the overall privacy consequences?
     
  17. n8chavez

    n8chavez Registered Member

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    No, in that situation you cannot be tracked. Your browser sessions will not be linked together. The only that could happen is by cookie or IP address. If you are only logged in to google in Chrome and no where else, and your ip is not static, you're fine.
     
  18. newbino

    newbino Registered Member

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    thanks!
     
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