Google Chrome - Snooping?

Factual Questions
1

Since someone has started a thread on likes/dislikes for Chrome, I am tempted to ask the following;

Is there any indication that Google is or could be using Chrome to track user’s browsing habits?

I have absolutely no data to support such a question, but I think it is fair to ask. Maybe others already have?

Google has the ability to track searching patterns for anyone using their search engine. Chrome opens up the possibility for them to track any web activity.

2

Well, it’s open-source. I’d imagine somebody would’ve known by now.

3

Google has installed a so-called Omnibox in the browser, where a user can type in either a Web page address or a search query. Google spokesman Steve Langdon said that as long as the “suggest” feature is left on, and a user has Google set as their default search engine, the company will capture 2% of the information placed in the Omnibox for its own records. Source

4

:dubious:

I should add this dubious face means my faith in Chrome’s open sourcedness has been shaken. So, will it mine data? Or won’t it?

5

Chrome is open-source now. you can go download the source code to find out for sure:

http://code.google.com/chromium/

I would guess that Google sends your typing to Google so that it can figure out what matching queries to show, just like what happens when you use Google from www.google.com.

I haven’t use Chrome, though, so maybe it doesn’t show those kinds of suggestions at all.

6

Do we know that what gets installed is the same as what’s posted as Open Source?

7

I don’t think you can know for certain. Even if you used the exact same version of the code they did, and the exact same compiler, and the exact same options, I think OS and machine differences may produce a slightly different executable.

If you are paranoid, you can either build yourself (after verifying the code is sane), or wait for someone else to do so, or capture the network traffic and analyze it (which is probably the easiest thing to do).

I’m not sure if what you find would scare you or not. What specifically is worrying you?

8

You do realize, don’t you, that if you are using the Google search engine, Google is already collecting your user habits.

9

In Spanner | Options, look at the Under The Hood tab. There’s a check-box to allow Google to collect usage statistics.