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Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

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Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#81

Post by mthoms »

Sylos wrote: post #72
oolongCat wrote: post #20

Whenever I see these things I wonder, are there any plugins or any automated tools that would help fuzz search results. So for example, send search requests to google randomly for items like "ducks", "fishing ponds", "banana leaves" etc, totally unrelated nonsense that will skew these tracking giants provided enough people install and run these tools.

I know of http://ruinmysearchhistory.com/ . That however searches more for things like "how to appear funny", "why are my thumbs uneven", "am i lack toast and tolerant" or also "your youre difference".

Friendly warning to others: Do not blindly click on the link above without first reading what it does. Relevant thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11880008 TL;DR It may put some undesirable things in your search history and/or temporarily block you from Google.

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#82

Post by blowski »

wyaeld wrote: post #74
arkadiyt wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google replaced "Don't be evil" with "Do the right thing": https://www.engadget.com/2015/10/02/alphabet-do-the-right-th...

Do the right thing for customers, or for shareholders?

Like all profit-making businesses, they try to balance the interests of both in the short term to maximise shareholder value in the long run.

A few Hacker News users being opposed to this doesn't make Google evil. A lot of people don't care, and I've met some who think it's a good idea.

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#83

Post by timothya »

dochtman wrote: post #79

Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key so that Mozilla can't even see your browsing history. Consider your choices.

To be fair, Chrome has exactly that feature to, and let's the user choose what they want.

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#84

Post by frankquist »

themartorana wrote: post #57
Brainix wrote: post #54

Dear 2016, You haven't figured it out yet, but we consider advertising unethical. Yours, 2066

I can't imagine this will be true. What's wrong with advertising? It's how I know about things! The depths to which advertisers go to with tracking feels rather unethical at times, however.

I am at a loss for alternatives, but I am skeptical about advertising. Not in a completely general sense, but what bothers me is that much of it is manipulative. It uses images, sounds and movies in certain progressions to influence me, sometimes in a covert or unconscious way. Now, certainly a lot of other communication efforts are aimed at persuasion, but then, you often have to consciously go and find them. It is easier to filter (I can choose not to visit the opinion pages of website or its comments section). Advertising on the other hand crawls into your life from all directions (billboards, video ads that suddenly start playing, popups, street vendors) and is sometimes impossible to avoid. Often it's slick but shallow. It's like, you enjoy eating good food but instead, everywhere you go, you are being force-fed hamburgers. I do not want an information diet that fills up my working memory, costs me energy, manipulates my emotions and yet leaves me unfulfilled.

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#85

Post by Oletros »

Dr_tldr wrote: post #66
sesutton wrote: post #25

The way the screenshot is cropped is misleading. The actual page makes it clear this feature is opt-in. If you're logged into a Google account and haven't already made a choice on the page you can see it at http://www.google.com/settings/ads .

It's explicitly not "opt-in" since the default setting is turned to "on" (tested with multiple accounts) without any prompting. Opt-out is better than nothing, but it's a pretty suspect move to say "oops, you were accidentally opted in to something that would make us money without your permission." I'd respect them a lot more if they came right out and said "let us sell your data or start paying for our services." Th…

> and I'd be happy(ish) to pay google 10 bucks a month if they promised not to sell my information on the side.

They don't have to do that because Google doesn't sell any data

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#87

Post by Sylos »

timothya wrote: post #83
dochtman wrote: post #79

Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key so that Mozilla can't even see your browsing history. Consider your choices.

To be fair, Chrome has exactly that feature to, and let's the user choose what they want.

Is Chrome's sync not a blob?

I tried to find information about it online, but the official documentation [0] is less than helpful to say the least. I'm guessing when they say "stuff", that's a euphemism for blob, but fuck if I know, maybe they are just trying to be hip in their documentation. After all, it's also business time, in case you didn't know.

Currently downloading the Chromium source code, to see if that's more helpful, but I kind of doubt it...

[0]: https://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/sync

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#88

Post by _Understated_ »

I thought Chrome allocated a unique identifier to each browser install anyway meaning that changing this setting still allows them to track you regardless.

Edit: Turns out that the Unique Id is an install-only thing and is gone after the first update [1] (look at "Identifiers in Chrome" section) but it appears they can conduct "Field Trials" without your knowledge (certainly appears to be without your knowledge from what I can see)

Edit 2: removed pointless text

[1] - https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/privacy/

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#89

Post by akerro »

dochtman wrote: post #79

Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key so that Mozilla can't even see your browsing history. Consider your choices.

> Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key

Didn't they drop it like 9months ago and moved to Firefox Sync?

Re: Google will use Chrome browsing data for ad tailoring

#90

Post by Sylos »

akerro wrote: post #89
dochtman wrote: post #79

Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key so that Mozilla can't even see your browsing history. Consider your choices.

> Meanwhile, Firefox Sync encrypts your data with a password-derived key Didn't they drop it like 9months ago and moved to Firefox Sync?

About 2 years ago they started moving from randomly generated keys to the e-mail+password approach. Do you mean that?

https://blog.mozilla.org/services/2014/02/07/a-better-firefo...

The new system is still end-to-end-encrypted, though...

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