Trust google (chrome)?

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by Seven64, May 12, 2011.

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  1. Seven64

    Seven64 Guest

    Considering all the privacy concerns, is chrome something you would trust?
    I tried it, and it want to make so many UPD connections I took off, like Opera making all these strange outbound connections. This is a newly reformatted xp computer.
     
  2. Kyle1420

    Kyle1420 Registered Member

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    If your really worried about Chrome, then use Chromium... It's more or less the development version of Chrome which is open source.

    I trust and recommend chrome for it's speed and security.
     
  3. SweX

    SweX Registered Member

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    Where ?
     
  4. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Well i wouldn't, just because it's google :p

    Re - UDP, i presume that's what you meant, not UPD ;)

    Are you using Prevx by any chance ?
     
  5. Kernelwars

    Kernelwars Registered Member

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    lol.. I know where you going with it:D :D
     
  6. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Indeed :p Well ya never know, and if there's a connection it's worth "Exploring" ;)
     
  7. Kernelwars

    Kernelwars Registered Member

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    I agree with you my good friend..:thumb:
     
  8. carat

    carat Guest

    I wouldn't trust Google - don't forget the unique browser ID :doubt:
     
  9. Bigabe

    Bigabe Registered Member

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    The problem is that a lot of ppl have a lot of opinions but think about that:

    1.)
    Let's suggest you have a friend with a smartphone. It's an Android or an iPhone and he is using the thing with a Google Account. You probably have to have a Google account, to use all the cool features of Google maps, Google latitude, and so on.

    This person is using Gmail and syncs all his contacts with his account. You are one of his contacts, he has filled out everything possible, your bday, your adress, your shoe size.

    So Google already knows about you.

    The same happens if you know a person who saved you as contact into Facebook.
    Even if you don't have Facebook and you don't like it, they already know about you.


    2.)
    You are looking for sth. in the internet because you need it, what do you do? Yea, you use a search machine like Google. Or Bing. Or Yahoo.
    There is no difference, they are all the same. There are other searching machines but they aren't as good as Google.


    3.)
    Google already deactivated the unique browser ID and did lots of changes so they aren't as bad as they were some years ago.
    BTW: Other programs do the same, do you use MS Office? They already do save your data since years to improve their software, Apple does it also, and almost every other big company because they need it to improve their software.


    4.)
    other browsers:
    The one way or the other, they do the same. Mozilla earns a lot of money in making their Google Mozilla window as default home and a lot of ppl let it be as it is. A lot of Google haters don't even know that their kind of solution isn't any better. It is just cool at the moment to bash Google or Apple for their way of work, as it was cool some years ago to bash Microsoft.
    A lot of those open-source-we-are-holy-against-those-big-companys programs have the same way to get their user statistics or don't have any chance against bigger companys because only relying on forums feedback of some geeks who are geeky enough to sign into a forum and complain about sth doesn't bring the company any further.


    So keep your life easy and just don't think about it or try to protect your ID and live with the fact that maybe one of your friends already has saved you as a contact in his facebook or Google account.
    And I don't say that it isn't important to keep your private data save.
    But being paranoid isn't a good solution either and you have to ask yourself a simple question:

    Am I important enough or am I doing sth that nobody else should know?
    If you want to be the next US president and you are involved in illegal activities, maybe you shouldn't use Google because there is a chance that someone there is just a human and wants to sell critical information about you.

    If you are just an everyday normal guy like most of ppl then don't crash your brain in thinkin' about such things. Even if you want to keep your privacy it is very likeable that there are persons around you who don't care about it.

    And if you really mean it and care a lot about your privacy:
    Install Linux, install some of those hard-to-use-and-even-harder-to-understand browsers and use some of those searching indexers who never ever will get the usability of Bing, Google or Yahoo.
    Setup your own mail server and be careful to chose the right ISP. Besides that never ever sign to any discount cards in your supermarket or K-Mart and never never ever buy on Amazon, who also take your data to improve their service.
    And never never ever get an Android or Apple or Nokia smartphone. Read the news.

    Think about that. ;)
    I was thinking about your question some years ago and found this vid:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PsnxDQvQpw&feature=relmfu
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2011
  10. stevan4

    stevan4 Registered Member

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    VERY WELL SAID!
    Bravoooooo!

    I stand behind everithig that Bigabe said.
     
  11. hank07

    hank07 Registered Member

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    Those outbound connections are not 'strange'. Have you tried resolving the addresses?
    Since all browser have a cloud component these days (for instance Opera uses Opera Unite and Opera Link to sync your data) some persistent connections are to be expected.

    As for Chrome, well, Google is an advertising company (no, Google is not a search company) and the more information they have about you the better they can target you with their ads.
    So yes, expect a lot of background traffic that has nothing to do with your browsing when you are using Chrome (User Metrics and such).

    Google's strategy is to lock you in as a user (their terminology) by offering you 'free' and easy to use services that store your data in the Google cloud.

    Think of it, your mail, documents, calendar, RSS feeds, reading preferences, blogs, video's, photo's, search history etc, it's all there for Google's powerful algorithms to harvest (and I'm not even talking about services like Google Checkout and the Google DNS). Indeed, Google knows you better than your mother does.

    The Chrome browser (and soon the Chrome OS) is yet another part of this strategy to lock you in as a user.

    So would I trust Chrome-or Google in general- in terms of privacy? I think I've given the answer above.

    Of course you can adopt the 'I have nothing to hide' attitude, but personally I think that Google is becoming a bit too ubiquitous, and even though I use some of their services I try to limit my exposure to Google.

    This involves not using applications that lock you in from multiple vectors (like Chrome, the Google toolbar etc) and changing the browser search defaults (I personally use https://www.startpage.com/ or https://www.ixquick.com/ as it's known here in Europe) and blocking scripts on web pages that send user data to Google (such as Google Analytics).


    If you appreciate Chrome's speed, functionality and security you could consider using Chromium which is the (open) source on which Chrome is based without the branding and user metrics (and no, Chrome itself is not really open source software).

    It also lacks the updater (so no background connection for that part) which on Windows is a bit of a hassle since you will have to update manually (Ubuntu Linux-which is my primary OS- provides automatic updates).

    Of course Chromium still uses Google as a search default and other services that send your traffic to Google (like the prediction service, anti phishing and malware protection etc) so you will want to disable those.

    Also, for basic privacy and security I would advice installing the NotScript and AdBlock extensions and add the '-no-referrers' parameter to the shortcut/launcher to block HTTP referrers.

    Oh, and Google probably also knows your exact location (I'm talking street level!).
    Enter you MAC address here: http://samy.pl/androidmap/ and check it out yourself.
    It sure as hell worked in my case!

    More info here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/apr/25/google-router-map-exposed
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2011
  12. Bigabe

    Bigabe Registered Member

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    Yes, maybe it is, but did you read my post above?
    Even if you only use Google for a limited amount and even if you avoid to buy any Android smartphone or an iPhone or a Blackberry you won't be able to stay away from it.

    There is no such thing like "basic privacy" when it comes to the Internet. You cannot avoid being profiled by any big company such as Google or Facebook when there are others who give them your whole profile, including your birthday, your second name you probably tried to hide since your school days.

    And at the point where this person mails you with his/her Gmail account and you answer they can link your profile to your IP.

    Maybe the same happens with a friend of yours who is using facebook mail. And he/she is sending you private information. It isn't hard to link them together.
    And what email account do you use? Are you sure they don't scan your mails? And don't create profiles? The most free mail providers do use your information, actually.

    Sure, you can avoid using Google, using Yahoo, using Bing, using Amazon, Apple, and so on, and so on. This never stops.
    Fighting against it is possible, but it makes your life damn complicated. Why not using Andoid based phones when they make my life so much easier?
    Just to pretend to myself that I safe my privacy when there are others who share your private information including profiles in their mail accounts?

    And the best is, there are always companys you never thought they would, who share information of yours.
    Because there is a little sentence somewhere in the EULA which nobody reads or something like that.

    So whatelse do you want to hide? That you like prons?
    Who doesn't?
    Is it bad for my future? No.
    Do I want to work as politician someday? No.

    So, for me personally, there is no point in making my life harder as it already is in spending my hard earned leisure time trying to avoid things I cannot avoid if I want to keep my standard of usability in using the Internet, like buying at Amazon or Ebay, or using Skype, MSN, Bing or anything else that collects your data nowadays.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2011
  13. hank07

    hank07 Registered Member

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    I agree that you cannot avoid being profiled. I do think however, that it's possible to limit the amount and the type of data that is exposed to Google and other companies that are in the same business.
    (For instance, Google Health is not available here in Europe but I wouldn't want Google to have access to my medical history.)

    I also agree that it will take an enormous organised effort to achieve this.
    Changing your search preferences and blocking 3rd party cookies is hard enough for the average user and will not make much of a difference overall.

    Google's strategy is to lock you in from multiple vectors and the way they have set things up-as you have described-it's virtually impossible to escape being profiled.

    Oh well, maybe we should stop resisting-as it seems futile-and join the Dark Side.
    Personally, I haven't decided yet.
     
  14. Bigabe

    Bigabe Registered Member

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    I completely understand your points and appreciate that you seem to be a person who isn't one of those barking sth they read in newspapers without thinking a minute about it.
    I decided to "join the dark side" because I did spend a lot of time to stay away from Facebook when I noticed that more then 6 friends of mine synced my whole data with their smartphones to it, and even persons I don't know had access to their friend list and could see my mail adress and all.

    So when I read threads like this I have to laugh because most ppl don't understand how much work it is to really keep your data private and that this work does not begin with turning on your PC but with things like what data do I give to my closest friends.
    And most of them are stating that Google is evil and MS is good, or something like that which is complete bs.

    IMHO there is only some questions someone has to ask himself before caring about his privacy:
    Is it so important that it is worth the work I have to do to keep my data private?
    What can they do with my data in worst case?
    Could this data if abused by some person who has access to it damage me or my family or something I like?

    So when it comes to getting ads which are really useful or getting bling bling popups about wonder enlargement pills I prefer the first one.


    Btw, I don't want to have Google to have access to my medical data. And this I will try to protect as long as possible.
    But maybe there already is a doctor I visited who already syncs or is backing up his whole database to dropbox or any other company who likes to collect data. ;-)
     
  15. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    If you don't use your real name/info etc ANYWHERE online, including email, & don't post pictures of yourself etc or use FB etc, & if you must use google etc do it through an anonymiser, & have a dynamic IP, it will be Extremely hard for Them to track you.

    That's apart from also using browser etc tools to halt tracking.

    That's my solution & it works for me ;)
     
  16. Konata Izumi

    Konata Izumi Registered Member

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    that's what I'm trying to do right now... but before I knew all of this... I've had already shared alot of myself to google and facebook :(
    I wish I could erase everything I did on the internet right now.

    internet is a scary place T.T
     
  17. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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  18. Seven64

    Seven64 Guest

    I wont give in that easy, I don't use any smartphones only prepaid for automobile emergency, no friends use them either. Not a member of Facebook, don't even go to the site. I use Ixquick search (good enough for me), always have cookies and Java script disabled along with flash. Do not do online banking or anything that I could do using a land line phone. Use ad-muncher, VPN is hiding my address. I worry about privacy as much as hackers, both want to steal your personal information.
    I know even this is not enough to remain completely anonymous, but I am going to make it just as hard for them as they do for me.
    I am old school and don't understand why people don't care as much about privacy as they did in the olden days.:D
     
  19. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    Why not just get rid of your internet connection altogether?

    The reason people don't care as much is because we've never been given a reason to. Maybe one day Google will accumulate all of my data and stop data transactions from being anonymous to use it against me. But they haven't shown any reason to and they're one of the largest companies in the world without messing with my info... so again... why should I be worried?
     
  20. Boost

    Boost Registered Member

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    the paranoia never ends around here...

    Seriously,you dont like using it,tons of other browsers to choose from.
    Fact is,many people do use it,and never have the slightest issue.
     
  21. jmonge

    jmonge Registered Member

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    i personally use IE browser and i feel safe and secure:)
     
  22. Hungry Man

    Hungry Man Registered Member

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    IE9 is a great and secure browser. I personally think Chrome is more secure because of the fact that it sandboxes flash but IE9 is a very close second. I use it as my backup browser.

    And yes Boost =p I have somewhat over the top defenses but there are people on this site who use even more extreme methods. Personally, I don't think security should ever degrade system performance. Nothing I have installed does that.
     
  23. SweX

    SweX Registered Member

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    Then one can assume that you have never done and never will do any purchases of the Internet. It seems that you are too afraid of the Internet to even see the good things about it. And even your friends are as worried as you are. "no friends use them either". One can only wonder how you and your friends has come to this conclusion of trusting no one. :doubt:

    I care about privacy, but too much privacy can become very very annoying :)
     
  24. Kernelwars

    Kernelwars Registered Member

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    I use IE 9 too...but I have firefox just incase:)
     
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