[NJTechDiv] Chrome 'bug' is collecting your data even when it’s not supposed to be

[Mario Brusco]

Chrome ‘bug’ is collecting your data even when it’s not supposed to be – 
Here’s the fix
https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/stop-google-tracking/760250/

BY JAMES GELINAS, KOMANDO.COM, OCTOBER 20, 2020.

It’s finally happened: The Department of Justice has filed a landmark 
antitrust suit against Google over its domination of the online search 
and ad industry.
DOJ claims Google’s corporate behavior is anticompetitive, and that its 
online practices threaten any alternative services from gaining a foothold.
This new case is the largest antitrust suit in years, and may even rival 
the historic antitrust case against Microsoft in 1998. Depending on the 
outcome, we may even see legal action — and potential breakups — of some 
of the biggest names in tech.
https://www.komando.com/money/facebook-class-action-settlement/755763/

Tap or click here to see the latest legal action taken against Facebook 
by a state government.


Beyond this game-changing lawsuit, Google has another big problem on its 
hands: Its Chrome browser was caught saving user data from searches and 
YouTube
after users changed settings to prevent this. This means no matter what 
privacy settings you put in place, Google was still able to track you. 
Here’s what you can do about it.

Google keeps on tracking — even when you tell it to stop:
A new report from The Register says Google exempts its own sites 
(Google.com and YouTube.com) from privacy settings related to ad tracking.
https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/19/google_cookie_wipe/

If you adjust your settings to delete cookies and site data 
automatically, Google outright ignores your choices and keeps on 
tracking you.
In response to the accusation, Google denied the problem was 
intentional. Instead, it claims the issue is related to a bug found in 
Chrome — one that would be fixed by an update in the coming days.
In recent years, Google has become increasingly dodgy with how it 
handles user data. It’s been sued by several groups for hanging on to 
user data despite claiming not to. The company was even caught storing 
Google Assistant recordings without permission.
Tap or click here to see what Google was doing with these recordings.
https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/google-assistant-is-listening-too/580472/

And if that wasn’t enough to make Google look fishy, the company 
famously dropped the phrase “Don’t be evil” from its code of conduct 
back in 2018.

Does that make them more honest or less?

How can I get Google to stop storing my search and YouTube data?

If Google is to be believed, an updated version of Chrome will soon be 
available that fixes the issue. But in the meantime, there is a 
workaround to get Google to stop tracking you on its own sites.
This fix, which involves blacklisting Google and YouTube from using 
cookies, was developed by programmer Jeff Johnson — who is credited for 
discovering the tracking bug in Chrome. Here’s how you can adjust your 
browser settings until the fix is available:

1. Open Chrome and click the three-dot icon  in the upper-right corner 
of your browser window.
2. Click Settings, followed by  Privacy and Security  from the left-hand 
sidebar.
3. Click Cookies and other site data  and scroll to the bottom of the 
menu until you reach Sites that can never use cookies.
4. Click Add and enter Google.com . Click the checkbox next to Including 
third-party cookies on this site.  Click Add  to save these settings.
5. Repeat the step above for YouTube.com .

Following these steps will prevent Google and YouTube from using any 
cookies whatsoever. This means you may need to log in again every time 
you visit, but it’s better than being tracked without your permission.

What does the DOJ lawsuit against Google mean for the Tech Industry?
Google is no stranger to legal drama, but between the landmark antitrust 
case and issues like the one mentioned above, it’s logical to conclude 
that its troubles are just beginning.
This antitrust case comes at a time of reckoning for the Tech Industry 
at large. Nearly every major company is dealing with some kind of legal 
action right now — including Amazon, which is accused of violating 
Illinois law when it records bystanders and children incidentally 
through Alexa.

What could all these lawsuits lead to?
Judging by history, we may see a first-of-its-kind breakup of many tech 
companies into smaller ones. Imagine if Google, YouTube and Nest were no 
longer part of the same gigantic company anymore, or if Facebook, 
Instagram and WhatsApp were no longer under the same umbrella.
A big breakup may reduce the power of some of these massive tech 
companies, and may leave more room for competitors to emerge. Still, the 
tech lobby is quite powerful — with deep pockets and industry-friendly 
politicians. It may be a while before we know the true outcome of this 
turning point in tech history.

But as of now, all eyes are on the Department of Justice as it makes its 
case for reducing Google’s dominance.