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A new feature in the latest version of Google Chrome that connects users to the browser when they connect to a Google site has been criticized.
Until recently, it was the user's choice to connect to the browser. Now, every time you sign in to a Google site in Chrome 69 – like Google Search, Gmail, or YouTube – Chrome also connects you.
But the change left users unclear as to why "functionality" was imposed on them. Many security officials have already realized that these unwanted behaviors are a violation of their privacy. Some users had good reasons for not wanting to be connected to Chrome, but now, Chrome seems to be making this decision away from the user.
Matthew Green, a cryptography professor at Johns Hopkins, reiterated the move in a blog article over the weekend, arguing that the new "forced connection" feature is blurring the barrier once between "never connected" and "connected" . User confidence.
"Where Facebook will regularly change its privacy settings and apologize later, Google has adopted clear privacy policies that do not change regularly," said Mr. Green. "Of course, during the collection, it collects data, but in the case where Google explicitly takes into account the security of the users and the promises of confidentiality, it tends to preserve them".
"It seems to be changing," he said.
Google staff defended the change on Twitter, said there was nothing to worry about – that the change was only intended to alert the user. that they were connectedand that the browser does not synchronize its bookmarks, browsing history, and passwords on unauthorized devices.
Green conceded that although Google does not synchronize data from the beginning, the UI makes it difficult to know if browser data is shared with Google once a user is logged on. The "dark model" of the browser's connected user interface now makes it possible to fool a user to enable synchronization by mistake. Once your data is shared, the user can not do much. Without giving his explicit consent for his data to be synchronized in the future, he said that Google could decide later, as with the "forced login" feature, to enable the browser sync feature without tell anyone.
"Simply violating my privacy does not add a massive new violation," he said.
Other security experts have agreed with Green, some promising to change browser.
Trust is a fickle thing. Chrome is not only considered safe and reliable, but many view it as neutral, said Mr Green, a free and open source tool, rather than an extension of Google's other core business. By breaking down this "sacred wall" in between, users slammed – and some wanted to change Chrome completely.
What may be useful on paper to prevent users from accidentally using someone else's account on a shared computer has exploded on Google – and it's not because of the decision, but because that users have no choice.
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