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Consumer Watchdog "Exposes" Google Chrome Privacy Issues

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
16 years ago3,255 views

For a good laugh, read this:

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporateering/articles/?storyId=23623

<<To protect user privacy Consumer Watchdog said Google should ... ensure that Incognito mode has the full meaning the word implies when users opt for it. Incognito mode should default to SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connections, provide an automatic IP anonymizing service, enforce a no-log policy on all Google servers including Google Analytics, as well as disable auto-saving, suggestions, and all other feature that use asynchronous event handlers other than button and link click. Incognito should disable all external calls to desktop applications and plug-ins whose applications fail to meet equivalent standards. >>

Google's response:

<< In response to Consumer Watchdog's complaint, Google said in an e-mailed statement that the organization has misunderstood its products and practices. Google said it only stores 2% of requests received through Google Suggest, that it anonymizes the IP address of received Suggest data within 24 hours, and that users can turn Suggest off by visiting the Chrome Options menu and clicking the Manage button.

Incognito, according to Google's statement, is intended to prevent information from being left on the user's computer. It is not, in other words, an anonymization service. Google also said that Incognito does not default to SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) "because these connections are provided by Web sites, not browsers, so it is technologically impossible for Google Chrome to behave this way." >>

http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/browsers/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=I3MBSMZ13TGSAQSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=212000284&pgno=2&queryText=&isPrev=

Tony Ruscoe [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

Meanwhile, the Consumer Watchdog Watchdog called for the Consumer Watchdog to STFU because they pose an unprecedented threat to consumers by not knowing what they're talking about!

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