Security experts say Chrome 69’s ‘forced login’ feature violates user privacy

techcrunch.com ^ | Zack Whittaker

[BenLurkin]

A new feature in the latest version of Google Chrome that logs users into the browser when they sign in to a Google site has come under fire.

Until recently, it was the user’s choice to log-in to the browser. Now, any time that you sign in to a Google site in Chrome 69 — like Google Search, Gmail or YouTube — Chrome will also log you in, too.

But the change has left users unclear why the “feature” was pushed on them in the first place. Many security folks have already panned the move as unwanted behavior, arguing it violates their privacy. Some users had good reasons not to want to be logged into Chrome, but now Chrome seems to takes that decision away from the user.

Matthew Green, a cryptography professor at Johns Hopkins, rebuked the move in a blog post over the weekend, arguing that the new “forced login” feature blurs the once-strong barrier between “never logged in” and “signed in” — and erodes user trust.

[cuban leaf]

I have six gmail accounts. Each has a function.

[C210N]

six?

Close friends/family
vendors likely to solicit later
political causes likely to fundraise
3 more?

[butlerweave]

Does opensource one Chromium do the same ?

[cuban leaf]

A twitter account attached to one.
A fake facebook account attached to one.
A Reddit account attached to one.

Etc.

The only place on the internet where I’m a “real and not annonymous person” is one of my facebook accounts.

If I was going to say anything on the internet really controversial I just use an account that I set up using one of those email addresses as it’s foundation.

[Mastador1]

Didn’t Microsoft get reamed for less than this?

[poinq]

Don’t use chrome. Don’t use google. Life gets better. Ads go way down. Then use an ad blocker as well.

[z3n]

Psh! At least google is being upfront about their desire to track your browsing activities. Just because you aren’t logged in doesn’t mean they aren’t still finding ways.

Trust me, the number one reason google has made their own browser is to track people’s browsing. You don’t think it’s some kind of benign beneficence, do you?

[phormer phrog phlyer]

Do not use Chrome, Google is evil, use Brave{Brandon Eich, who was canned from Mozilla for donating to pro traditional marriage group, created it}. Duckduckgo is good for search.

[MeganC]

I’m no longer using Chrome. I use Brave which is similar to Chrome but without all the spying crap from Google.

[Biggirl]

Also DogPile.

[bgill]

Did a 12 year old name it that?

[Biggirl]

Cannot wait for President Trump to break the back of the Google monopoly.

[minnesota_bound]

It is to track you like they do in China.

[TheNext]

Google is internet cancer.
Chrome & Android are infections.

[Paal Gulli]

Using ANYTHING with G**gle in the name is volunteering to have your privacy gang-raped. The Chromium browser is open-source, which means other developers are free to start with G**gle's creation and modify it to their want (within certain limits). So there are several non-G**gle Chromium-based alternatives, some of which have had all of G**gle's snoop superpowers disabled. My personal favorite is SRWare Iron.

[LostPassword]

> 3 more?

For me
* 2 personal accounts
* spam (when I have to give email to register and NEVER want to see an email from them)
* orders (when I want confirmation emails/etc but mostly spam so I only check after ordering something)
* 2 companies I have (email forwarded from my LLC email so I can easily read in a single gmail view with other email)
* a “family account” which I use for things our whole family uses (shared photos) and for various Alexa/IoT/DVR/etc devices around the house that need email to set up.
* an account for neighborhood communications.
* an account for bank accounts

In addition to that i use gmail “+” addresses on many of the google accounts. I realize I can do the same things with many fewer google accounts and more “+” addresses, but google accounts are easy to create. And I get separate logins for other google services and chrome when I want. I have probably 10 other google accounts I don’t remember because I just stopped caring about them when something ended (a job, a volunteer position, etc) and don’t need to worry about junk I may get in email.

[Paal Gulli]

Google to Allow Users to Opt Out of Automatic Chrome Sign-In Following Complaints

26 Sep 2018
Google will allow users to disable its Chrome browser’s recent automatic sign-in feature next month, following “angry” complaints.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/09/26/google-to-allow-users-to-opt-out-of-automatic-chrome-sign-in-following-complaints/