Google Chrome - Spyware? Confirmed?
Written by Vygantas Lipskas on September 6, 2008
Now this is getting more and more interesting. Guys made a nice post on how Google Chrome is a spyware, indeed.
What was tested? Apparently, they have monitored Google Chrome behavior with network protocol analyzer tool and here are the results:
After typing Microsoft.com in the address field, all calls were addressed to IP 74.125.43.100 (host: bw-in-f100.google.com) which is Google’s for sure.
http://74.125.43.100/complete/search?client=chrome&output=chrome&hl=en-US&q=…
For example:
Session Protocol
----------------
GET /complete/search?client=chrome&output=chrome&hl=en-US&q=h
["h",["http://www.hm.com/","hotmail","home depot","hsbc"],["Hx26M","430,000,000 results","32,300,000 results","27,800,000 results"],[],{”google:suggesttype”:["NAVIGATION","QUERY","QUERY","QUERY"]}]GET /complete/search?client=chrome&output=chrome&hl=en-US&q=htt
["htt",["http://www.facebook.com/","httpservletrequest","httrack","http 500"],["Facebook","1,000,000 results","554,000 results","87,500,000 results"],[],{”google:suggesttype”:["NAVIGATION","QUERY","QUERY","QUERY"]}]
Post continues…
This shows nicely how each and every character, when entered in slow speed, gets transmitted to Google whereupon the Google system returns its suggestions that will not be modified further, the more complete your final address string becomes.
It is important to note that we are analyzing the browser’s address field here, not a Google query field
Conclusion? With its Chrome browser Google is actually monitoring your entire surfing behavior, not merely the searches you may conduct via their search engine
From Wikipedia:
… Software that secretly monitors the user’s behavior… Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habit, sites that have been visited…
Source: fantomaster
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That’s FUD you have there, not “research”
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/google-chrome-communication/
Yeah, FUD…
I’m not suprised by this. Chrome auto updates itself without my consent (although I did consent for it to autoupdate in the EULA :P ) and the installation is so force (like not being able to customize anything…). Things like that are usually signs that the company’s attitude towards the costumer is less that perfect.
Big corporations, that’s what you get. At least it’s open source, so it’ll probably fare well (if google doesn’t manage to tank the whole thing). It’s not like browsers that don’t have a operating system to support them have many chances in the market without open source…
When you install Chrome you are asked if you want Chrome to automatically send usage statistic reports to google. Isn’t it what it is all about??? you can disable this function. So where’s the problem ???? Are you suggesting that Chrome is sending informations to google even when you disable the auto report option???? Are suggesting that Google is lying???
I am quoting the source ;)
oops sorry…
It’s the Google suggest mechanism, which has been touted as one of Chromes main features… and if you read the link I posted you can find out how to disable it. It’s the same thing that is used for the (separate) search field in Firefox.
I don’t see anything bad with keeping your guard up when it comes to privacy and such, but this is really just misinformation
Also, could you please add some newlines to that wall of text you have there in the middle?
Stick to Firefox and you won’t have such problems. The speed difference is not that great and the upcoming Fx 3.1 shows that it’s even faster than Chrome.
I’ve never trusted a lot in Google.
OK guys, i tried it, but it is not spyware or something, it is just the functionality of the auto complete feature in the address bar, so while you are typing “www.micro”
the browser sends and auto complete request to Google to get most popular websites starting with “www.micro”.
Does this happen when you are browsing “incognito”?
I just started using Chrome about an hour ago, but it seems like in “incognito” mode it only suggests pages from your history, so I wonder if it is sending anything back to Google at the same time?
I don’t believe Chrome is spyware. You opt in when you install the software and you can disable any reporting via the Options > Under the Hood tab. It also goes back to Google for updates every day and also downloads malware and phishing sites throughout the day. That’s my take which is written up on my site. JMHO.
If you look for something in such paranoid fashion, you deserve what you get.—Doug
Someone obviously has no idea what “spyware” is. Spyware is software that is installed without the user’s consent and takes control of the user’s interaction with the computer.
Explain how Chrome is spyware.
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.
@Yuusha your a dumb ass its spy ware that monitors and its Add ware that takes control of a computer.
Someone just kicked his own ass it seems
Spyware secretly monitors the user.
Adware displays ads, some while the program is being used others pops up in, for example, a browser window. Some of them also download ads from a server.
What you’re thinking about, “kross”, is called “Malware” , or more specifically rootkit or a trojan horse.
IF all that info gets stored on a central server and gets processed, then yes you have something to worry about. Or let’s just say that Google will be making some money out of their open source browser ;)
It’s interesting to try and find if the same thing happens when surfing “incognito”, and if you can turn “incognito” always on, or if you can simply disable the autocomplete feature in the preferences. “Hacking” it away does not count, as most people would be able to complete the task.
Google also monitors Gmail, mind you, so I really don’t see what’s all the fuss about… Most of your (and mine) private data has already been compromised…
Long live 3ch3lon :P
*would be unable. not able. My bad :)
Personally I’m still sticking with Firefox, mainly because of all it’s addons. I like what I’ve seen of Google Chrome, and will probably give it another go once it is out of beta (All Google software comes out of beta eventually, doesn’t it? :P)
Ight look Yuushas right thts what spyware n personally id stay with firefox but its not only the speed that chrome has an advantage to. if you look at where it displays ur tabs it takes up much less space then firefox allowing more of the page to display. also, when chrome crashes u only closes that specific tab u dont have to close the whole window.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if google’s browser DOES Spy on us, after all, Google are a business..every1 forgets that.
Of course, Google would probably say that by Spying on us they will be in a position to give us results based on where we are, what we often look at etc but personally I’d prefer to search for 5 minutes than 30seconds if searching longer keeps my Privacy intact.
No thanks to Chrome. I feel much more comfortable with Flock or Firefox..–Doug
Let me guess. You expected Google to wake up one day, dole millions of dollars into a web browser and have it expect and accept absolutely nothing in return. Wake up! Googleplex does not house a collection of idiots. Google has to get a ROI somehow. Despite its support for open source, Google is not a charity!
idiot is anyone who installs this suspicious software, so be my guest.
1. Microsoft has “easter eggs” in their software. Look up Star Wars XP egg and you will see. Then ask yourself the following.
a. What the @#%# biz does MS have putting backdoors in software that is used throughout the government and biz community as well as for the rest of us.
b. Do they have a back door that can say, turn on your microphone or webcam or anything else for that matter? iPhone has a backdoor that can enable the microphone for the government and nobody seems to care about that.
c. what the heck is ms doing putting ANY easter eggs in their software. (why do you think Germany and China use Linux in their govermental offices).
2. Google is pure spyware. That is why they LOVE ajax. You type it, they got it. May as well be a keylogger. Oh, but don’t worry, they are not evil, lol.
As I listen to people casually give away not only THEIR information, but ANYONE WHO THEY CONNECT WITH, I can only laugh to myself and remember a sucker is born every second. Like Google cares a whoot about you? You deserve exactly what you get, but what isn’t fair is those you comprise when you email them. It is inconsiderate, selfish, and foolish. You trust Google? You trust MS? You trust the government? Have you learned anything?
I know, I know, if you aren’t doing anything wrong then why should you care right? Lol, who says what is right and wrong? Today’s right may be VERY wrong tomorrow. So you fools keep giving your privacy away and compromising others through your inconsiderate actions (emailing them from your gmail account with personal references to their lives that you DID NOT ask them to FEED TO THE GOOGLEMONSTER. And yes, you are being inconsiderate and IGNORANT to those who gave you the privlege of having their email).
Google is NOT JUST INTERESTED IN YOUR BROWSING HABITS so they can “serve you better”. I mean come on already and please wake up to how this game is played. At least just admit that you are ignorant, inconsiderate and blind and that is why you use gmail, chrome and whatever else. The bottom line is that you are lazy.
At least learn about the value of being able ot access the source code. And what about how they did a 180 on Firefox. That was pretty “evil” if you ask me. But you didn’t ask me did you….
Take off that tinfoil-hat and look at the sunshine!
(Next he’s going to tell us to stop using the internet completely because our ISPs have access to Everything we do…)
You need to stop staring at the sun too much as it is causing you to go blind ;-)
I know a thing or two about ISPs. Info is for sale from any router monkey at the major telecom/ISPs.
If you don’t believe datamining is happening to get an edge on the stock market and the like, then you are naive. You don’t think Google insiders have an edge as to when a stock will move based on chatter? What about the RIMM insiders? How many VC and banking firms carry a BB?
Wake up and loose the dissmissive rhetoric and standard tinfoil hate reply (you can’t even come up with your own line, you have to clone what everyone else who holds your position would say. Huh hum, see what I mean? You are a follower. A lemming. A mind controlled and conditioned servant.) Learn to come up with your own lines and don’t assume you can be dissmissive because you are too lazy to actually reply with counter points. (hence proving that you are indeed lazy and fitting the stereotype of a googlette lemming).
Anyway, thanks for proving my points in regards to my opinion. You didn’t let us down ;-)
I am a novice compared to you guys. I can tell you when I attempted to download google earth, I could not not, understandably, without also downloading google chrome. Each attempt I received a warning of “trojan horse” and the option to exclude it. Doing so, I was able to complete the installation of chrome though not of google earth. Deleted chrome, and don’t trust them after reading these post. Thanks for the feedback here…very helpful. Valerie
Once money starts slipping out of my bank account, then I will be worried.
For now, they are just seeing what porn I look at…
Hey
I Was using Firefox after years of bugs and horses from IE.
At least 1 and 1/2 year bug free with Firefox.
Installed Chrome last week and since then Im busy to clean my cmp.
After 1 week Chrome I had a horse which was capable to block all google search for requests for anti malware or topics about that horse.
Ran more programs and had as Result: 5 Trojan and some malware.
(was expecting my anti virus would protect)
As for the idiot somewhere up the page who said spyware isn’t installed with the users consent… I bet you have lots running on your pc right now. Almost every virus/trojan/worm/spy/adware is attached to a program the user tries to install.
Yes microsoft, probably mac, and every other commercial OS will have backdoors…
Quite frankly they don’t even need them any more, laws have been passed so now not only is any government in the US, EU, russia/china ect able to read your internet usage, they record it for 12 months or more, and its even admissible as evidence in court, without any warrant. (http://www.internationalfreepresssociety.org/2009/04/eu-directive-internet-records-to-be-stored-for-a-year/)
When we look at google we see that selling the locations of Christians to the Chinese government makes them very untrustworthy…
If the Chinese government ever falls google will be charged with communism, accessory to torture and accessory to mass murder. But it probably won’t so they will just sell addresses to government death squads in the meantime…
Honestly, the safest bet would be to write your own OS but that might be more painful than the torture, your choice ;)
Hey Guys,
I read all good arguments regarding the G C,one thing you guys must remember always,when you don’t like the product please uninstall it simple solution?,I’m using it and I have set up my G C browser with all the add ons b locked and it works fine.don’t just click the “next” button without reading the contents.hey I’m not a pro but it works fine for me.