I treat extensions like they're all capable of privileged local code execution. My selection is very vetted and very small.
Same here, uBlock Origin and EFF's Privacy Badger are the only extensions I trust enough to install.
8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
21–30 of 261 posts
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you think Google wants to have the extensions system, given that this is how people block ads?
adblockers on chromium-based browsers were severely crippled by manifest V3. they're fine with extenisons (and apparently malware) as long as users can't effectively block their tracking/ads.
Adblockers are still working fine though? I’m on chrome with ublock and I’m not seeing any ads.
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#23I am surprised because google review team rejects half of my extensions and apps. Sometimes things don't make sense to me, like how "Uber Driver app access background location and there is no way to change that from settings" - https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/783227
I think what's going on there is that "While using" includes when a navigation app is running in the background, which is visible to the user (via e.g. a blue status bar pill). "Always" allows access even when it's not clear to the user that an app is running.
The developer documentation is actually pretty clear about this: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/ch...
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#24What is the economic value of all these AI chat logs? I can see it useful for developing advertising profile. But I wonder if it's also just sold as training data for people try to build their own models?
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#25The company behind this appears to be "real" and incorporated in Delaware. > Urban Cyber Security INC https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_de/5136044 https://www.urbancybersec.com/about-us/ I found two addresses: > 1007 North Orange Street 4th floor Wilmington, DE 19801 US > 510 5th Ave 3rd floor New York, NY 10036 United States and even a phone number: +1 917-690-8380 https://www.manhattan-nyc.com/businesses/urba…
https://www.manhattanvirtualoffice.com/
The NY address is a virtual office.
https://themillspace.com/wilmington/
The DE address is a virtual office plus coworking facility.
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
adblockers on chromium-based browsers were severely crippled by manifest V3. they're fine with extenisons (and apparently malware) as long as users can't effectively block their tracking/ads.
Adblockers are still working fine though? I’m on chrome with ublock and I’m not seeing any ads.
you're not using ublock, you're using ublock lite. it cannot do dynamic filtering, script blocking, or url parameter removal, among other limitations.
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#27Is the use of WebAssembly going to make spotting these malicious extensions harder?
Probably not. All side effects need to go through the js side. So you can alway see where http calls are made
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#28I thought manifest v3 was supposed to make chrome extensions secure?
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#29So much of what's aimed at nontechnical consumers these days is full of dishonesty and abuse. Microsoft kinda turned Windows into something like this, you need OneDrive "for your protection", new telemetry and ads with every update, etc.
In much of the physical world thankfully there's laws and pretty-effective enforcement against people clubbing you on the head and taking your stuff, retail stores selling fake products and empty boxes, etc.
But the tech world is this ever-boiling global cauldron of intangible software processes and code - hard to get a handle on what to even regulate. Wish people would just be decent to each other, and that that would be culturally valued over materialism and moneymaking by any possible means. Perhaps it'll make a comeback.
Re: 8M users' AI conversations sold for profit by "privacy" extensions
#30I am surprised because google review team rejects half of my extensions and apps. Sometimes things don't make sense to me, like how "Uber Driver app access background location and there is no way to change that from settings" - https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/783227
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