Chrome lets thousands of trackers spy on you. Is there a safe alternative?
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Many users already know that privacy on the internet is somewhat relative, but it seems that Chrome takes this to a whole new level.
“Google’s web browser has become spy software“, said a Washington Post journalist in a recent article.
Over a recent week of Web surfing, I peered under the hood of Google Chrome and found it brought along a few thousand friends. Shopping, news and even government sites quietly tagged my browser to let ad and data companies ride shotgun while I clicked around the Web.
This is hardly news for people, as one Reddit user said:
Sorry to tell you this but Google’s web browser has always been spy software.
Also, another Reddit user said that the browser‘s spying capabilities are nothing compared to an Android phone with Google Play. For example, Google knows your location when you search something on Chrome, even if your location sharing is disabled.
Moreover, Chrome is becoming more and more intelligent and it is known that Google unified users accounts to a single profile.
This attitude helps companies to predict your decisions, such as where will you go on a vacation or what will you buy.
Is there a better option?
Yes, there is. For example, Firefox still uses Google as the default search engine, but Mozilla doesn’t collect your data as Google does (at least from what we know).
Also, the privacy features that Firefox will soon receive indicate that Mozilla has an anti-tracking approach.
Fortunately, the web browsing world doesn’t stop at Chrome, Firefox, Opera One and others.
In terms of privacy, UR Browser is the safest browser out there. This is a lightweight and user-friendly browsing tool that comes with an entirely new notion of surfing the internet.
Not convinced about UR Browser? Read our comprehensive review to find out more about it!
So, if you’re worried about user data privacy while surfing the web, make sure to use a privacy-focused browser.
The good news in all this Chrome spying on users story is that Google started implementing new user data privacy features. For example, Chrome’s new Privacy Mode relies on DuckDuckGo to protect your data.
All in all, if users keep on switching to privacy-focused browsers, Google has no choice but to comply with users’ demands.
What’s your take on Chrome‘s spying capabilities? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you want to keep your data safe while browsing the internet, you may also want to check out these guides:
