Tag: chrome

Privacy

This Chrome AI tool submits all URLs and titles of open tabs to Google

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

It seems like some companies have entered into the “adding the most AI tools into products” competition. Microsoft seems to be winning, with its pushing of AI into lots of its products. The company introduced Copilot Toolbar for Android recently, and many future Windows devices will even feature a dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard.

Google launched Chrome 121 earlier this week and announced new AI tools that it included in the browser. These are limited to a small subset of users at the time but will roll out to more in the coming weeks and months.

One of the tools is called Tab Organizer. Google promises that the AI tool helps users bring order to their tabs. It does so by finding tabs suitable to be put into tab groups.

Tab groups is an excellent tab management feature. Open tabs may be placed into groups, or created there directly. A group can be collapsed, so that it occupies just a single tab on Chrome’s tab bar, even if it holds dozens or hundreds of tabs.

Tab Organizer

Tab Organizer

Google announced Tab Organizer on the official company blog The Keyword as part of three AI tools for Chrome.

Google writes: “With Tab Organizer, Chrome will automatically suggest and create tab groups based on your open tabs. This can be particularly helpful if you’re working on several tasks in Chrome at the same time, like planning a trip, researching a topic and shopping.”

The feature is available to a selection of users from the United States only at the time. These users need to be signed-in to Google Chrome and they need to enable the Tab Organizer feature first.

This is done by selecting Menu > Experimental AI > Try out experimental AI features > Tab Organizer and then selecting relaunch.

Tab Organizer is then accessible via the Tab Search icon in Chrome’s main toolbar, by right-clicking on tabs and selecting “Organize similar tabs”, or through the Chrome Menu.

Google’s AI will then suggest to put tabs into specific groups. Users may remove tabs from the list of suggestions and rename the tab group for better identification. A click on “create group” creates the tab group based on the selections.

The huge privacy issue

What Google’s announcement on The Keyword blog does not reveal is that Google collects all page titles and URLs when the feature is used.

This is confirmed on a Google Chrome Help page:

When you use Tab organizer, the page titles and URLs of open tabs in the active window and your feedback are collected. As described in our Google Privacy Policy, this information is used to improve this feature, which includes generative model research and machine learning technologies.

In other words, Google knows about any URL and page title open at the time. Since Tab Organizer requires to be signed-in, it could also link the information to the Google account.

Google says that human reviewers may look at the data as part of the review process.

A policy is available for Enterprise and Education users to block the data collecting from happening. No such option is provided for other users.

Closing Words

Most Chrome users may want to avoid the feature, unless they have no problems that it submits all URLs and page titles to Google.

While the feature can be useful, especially if hundreds of tabs need to get organized, it may be better in most cases to use the feature manually instead to avoid any leaks to Google.

With AI tools, it seems to become necessary to ask about privacy implications first before even considering using a tool.

Now You: what is your take on this?

This script deals with YouTube’s Adblock Popup and Ads

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

This year has seen a fundamental shift on YouTube regarding advertising and adblockers. Not only is YouTube showing popups to some users who use adblockers, to get them to uninstall them or buy YouTube Premium, Google is also working on making adblockers in Chrome less effective.

Without going into too many details. Chrome’s system for extensions will be updated in 2024 to only allow extensions that follow a new rule set. Called Manifest V3, Google claims that it improves privacy of users and combats rogue extensions. At the same time, it is also limiting legitimate extensions, many of which impact Google’s bottom line.

Most content blockers work fine right now. While you may get the “ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” popup message, it is easily dealt with by updating the filter list of the extension.

The change impacts other Chromium-based browsers to a degree. Some, like Brave or Vivaldi, include native adblockers that will continue to work.

2024 changes everything, or maybe not

Come 2024, things may not be as straightforward anymore. Extensions need to be updated by their developers to support the new rules set. Those that are not updated can’t be used anymore.

Those that are updated need to follow the new rules. Besides imposing certain limits on extensions, Google is also enforcing all updates through its Web Store.

Content blockers rely on frequent updates to deal with an ever changing advertising landscape. Advertisers may rename scripts or move them, and content blockers need to update filters before these are blocked.

Most content blockers rely on filter lists. These lists are updated directly at the moment. Once support for Manifest V2 is dropped, these updates need to be pushed through the Chrome Web Store.

One problem here is that updates take anywhere from a few hours to days or even weeks. Google is in control of these updates, and the situation will worsen only if everything is forced through the Web Store’s review process.

Imagine the following scenario: Advertiser A makes a change on the site. Filter lists are updated. Updates are pushed through the Chrome Web Store. The review takes hours or days. Until it passes the review, ads may be displayed on the advertisers property.

Now imagine an advertiser that constantly changes scripts and tactics.

Remove Adblock Thing

Remove Adblock Thing YouTube

Extensions are not the only option that users have to combat advertising and privacy invasions on the Internet. There are several other options, including DNS-based solutions and also userscripts.

Remove Adblock Thing is such a script. You need to install an extension in your browser of choice that supports scripts. A popular option is Tampermonkey, which is available for Chrome, Firefox and many other browsers.

The userscript blocks YouTube’s anti-adblocker popup. Besides that, it will also mute, skip or speed up ads on the site to improve its usability.

Here is how you install it:

  • Download Tampermonkey for your web browser. The official website has links to all stores.
  • Load https://github.com/TheRealJoelmatic/RemoveAdblockThing/blob/main/Youtube-Ad-blocker-Reminder-Remover.user.js next in your browser.
  • TamperMonkey should identify it immediately as a script and display its install option.
  • Select install to add it to the extension.

The script works automatically on YouTube and it includes an update URL as well.

Closing Words

The main benefit of the script is that it offers another option to skip or bypass ads on YouTube. Even if adblockers stop working temporarily or permanently, you may use Tampermoney with this script instead.

Now You: do you use adblockers or userscripts?

Is Google turning Chrome into its agent?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

What would you do, if you were in control of the world’s most used search engine and web browser, and also the world’s largest advertising company? Would you keep things strictly separate, even if it would mean leaving billions of Dollar on the table?

Google’s control of advertising, to a large degree at least, and the Chrome web browser is a problem. The company has made several attempts in the past to push technologies that favor it through Google Chrome.

The oddly named Privacy Sandbox is just one attempt. Google uses the name to portrait an image of improvement for users of the Chrome browser. While not totally wrong, as it is a better system in some regards than the currently used third-party cookie tracking system, it is not the Holy Grail of privacy efforts Google portraits it as.

See, privacy sandbox is still about tracking. What sets it apart from cookie-based tracking are two things: first, that users are associated with interest groups instead of individual interests. Chrome looks at the browsing history and assigns groups to the user. Browse lots of car, sports or knitting sites? Chrome picks these as your interests and advertisers may use the information to display advertisement that falls into the groups.

Second, because it puts Google at the center of control of the feature. Google controls Chromium by and large, and also Chrome. If the system is baked into the browser, Google is in control. It can make adjustments and other changes, and everyone has to play ball to avoid being shut out entirely from the system.

Manifest V3

Privacy Sandbox is not the only attempt that mixes Google’s core interests, advertising, with the development of Internet browsers.

Manifest V3 is a new ruleset for extensions. Google had to postpone the release multiple times as protests sounded loud and clear throughout the Internet.

Apart from some technical issues, missing APIs and the like, Manifest V3 is clearly aimed at making content blockers and other privacy tools less useful. It would go too far to dive deep into technicalities, only this much.

Content blockers, such as uBlock Origin, reign freely under Manifest V2 rules. When they are active, they tell the browser what to do with certain requests. The browser then acts accordingly, for instance by blocking advertisement or allowing a video to play.

Under Manifest V3, that power moves to the browser. The browser controls the blocking and extensions may only make “declarations”. The extension would tell the browser to block or allow a certain element, and the browser would act accordingly.

Google’s explanation for this is improved privacy. Extensions are no longer able to access “potentially sensitive user data”, which in turn makes extensions safer to use.

The argument is flawed, as extensions still have access to the data. They may still use the old API, but only with read access. This means, that they can still access all the data, which in turn means that nothing is won or lost in regards to privacy.

Google announced this week that it will go forward with Manifest V3. Old extensions, those based on Manifest V2, will be disabled automatically for most Chrome users by mid-2024. Enterprise users may get a 1-year extension through a special policy.

Closing Words

There is a conflict of interest at work. Google depends on the advertising business and will go through great lengths to expand it and keep its dominance in the sector. To be fair, the vast majority of changes that are made to Chromium and Google Chrome have nothing to do with Google’s advertising business.

Still, some of the changes appear to favor the business over the interests of users of the browser.

It remains to be seen if the changes will lead to a mass exodus of Chrome users to other platforms. It is too early to tell, especially since the changes affect a sizeable but still relatively small part of the entire Chrome population.

Now You: do you use Google Chrome?

Everyone wants your browsing data

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

On today’s Internet, data is as precious as gold was in the Ancient world. Browsing data is data that is created automatically when you browse the Internet.

Whenever you visit a website, lots of things happen in the background. Requests are made, cookies and site data may be saved to the local system, and the cache is filled with data. The browser adds a record to its browsing history and maybe to other logs, e.g., when files get downloaded.

Data stored on third-party servers is not considered browsing data, but it may be generated as well.

This browsing data reveals a lot about you. What you like or your interests. It may reveal how old you are, if you are ill or looking for companionship. It may reveal what you plan to buy next or have bought, what you may need or needed.

Browsing data is personal data. This makes it desirable for nearly everyone on today’s Internet.

Who wants it and why: advertising

Google Chrome Privacy Sandbox

When asked, most Internet users would probably mention advertising first. Today’s advertising on the Internet relies to a large degree on information. The more information about a user, the better the chance to display targeted adverts and produce sales.

Tracking plays a large role in this. Most Internet users would probably disallow tracking if there was an easy switch integrated in browsers. There is none.

Google would be in an excellent position to create such a switch: it controls Chromium, the world’s most widely used browser source and Chrome,, the world’s most widely used browser. It also operates some of the world’s most visited websites.

Google is, however, an advertising company. Most of its revenue comes from advertising, which means that it benefits from the system that is in place.

But Google is ending third-party cookies in 2024, I hear you say. This is true, but this is not done without introducing another system that works in its place beforehand.

Built-into Google Chrome directly, it analyzes the browsing history locally to assign interests groups to the user. Websites may also suggests interests based on your visits.

Sites and advertisers may use the information for displaying ads based on your interests.

Google calls these “Interests estimated by Chrome” and “sites you visit that define your interests”.

Granted, Google Chrome includes controls to turn all of this off. There is also a popup with information about this in Chrome.

As is often the case in life, the wording matters. Google calls this Privacy Sandbox, which is an euphemistic term. It may be better than tracking via third-party cookies, but it is still tracking in the end. By the way, you can already disable third-party cookies in your browser, no need to wait for Google to do so in 2024.

Quick Tip: disabling Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox

Disable Chrome's Privacy Sandbox

All you have to do is the following:

  1. Load chrome://settings/privacySandbox in the Chrome address bar.
  2. Disable “Trials” on the page that opens.

Note that this page is not final and that Google will likely make changes to it. You may also want to click on every option there to expand it and make sure it is turned off as well.

These are at the time of writing:

  • Browser-based ad personalization
  • Ad measurement
  • Spam & fraud protection.

AI wants it, too

AI has taken a big leap in 2023. New products release on a weekly basis. All of these have in common that they require data, lots of data.

It is used for training for the most part. A current trend is the integration of AI services into browsers and other programs. Even Windows 11 has its own AI integration, called Windows Copilot now.

These work best if they got access to user data. Personal data usually requires giving consent in these cases, for instance when the request comes from a user.

Microsoft is testing a new option in Edge Canary currently that gives Bing Chat Microsoft access to all page content. It is disabled by default, as it sends all browsing data to Microsoft “to make AI-generated answers and suggestions more relevant on Copilot”.

Not all AI products require access to personal data. The basic chat AI tools act on user input. Personalization, on the other hand, gets better with data. If an AI knows your interests, it may be of better service.

Take holiday planning as an example. If you ask AI for 5 sights in Barcelona, it may look like this: Gothic Quarter, Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller and Park Güell.

If the AI knew more about your interests or personal information, it may have suggested different sights. Say, you love football or are travelling with young children or dislike crowds.

Users who like this may opt-in and maybe improve their experience with the AI. Whether that is also giving Microsoft more information and also better options to display targeted ads should be clear from the previous paragraphs.

Closing Words

Browsing data is valuable and it should be protected. Not everything is opt-in in today’s world and that is a problem. An upcoming tutorial will provide guidance on protecting browsing data.

What about you? Do you allow services to use your browsing data?

Don’t wait for Google to end third-party cookies

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google plans to eliminate third-party cookies in its Chrome web browser. An updated schedule, published on Wednesday, confirms that testing begins in the first quarter of 2024.

A total of 1% of Chrome users will join the test, which disables third-party cookies in their browsers. Google plans to push the change to the entire Chrome population by the third quarter of 2024.

The main purpose of this type of cookies is tracking on today’s Internet. While it is up for debate whether the disabling will have a positive effect on tracking, it is clear that it does eliminate a widely used form of tracking.

Google, being an advertising company first and foremost, has already created a system that it believes is better for the privacy of Internet users. Called Privacy Sandbox, it integrates the tracking directly into the Chrome browser.

Chrome analyzes the browsing data and assigns the user to interests groups. Websites and web advertising companies may use the information to display targeted ads. There is also an option for websites to assign certain interests to users. The system runs in the local browser, which, Google believes, is reason enough to use the term privacy to describe it.

You can disable these ad systems in Chrome for desktop systems and on Android; check out the linked guides to find out how.

Disable third-party cookies in Chrome

Block third-party cookies in Google Chrome

Most Internet users have no benefit from keeping third-party cookies enabled in their browsers. Very few may use services that require third-party cookies for functionality. The vast majority of websites and services works fine without third-party cookies.

It is therefore a good idea to test disabling third-party cookies in the web browser. If you run into problems, you can still enable the feature again to resolve it, or create exceptions for these rare cases.

Here is how that is done in Chrome:

  1. Load this page in Chrome’s address bar: chrome://settings/cookies. It opens the Cookies and other site data preferences.
  2. Select “block third-party cookies” under general. Chrome displays information about this when the option is set.

It states:

Sites can use cookies to improve your browsing experience, for example, to keep you signed in or to remember items in your shopping cart

Sites can’t use your cookies to see your browsing activity across different sites, for example, to personalize ads. Features on some sites may not work.

This is all that is required to block the use of cookies for tracking across different sites. Note that the change does not affect first-party cookies, which remain supported. These serve an important purpose, as they are often used to keep user’s signed in among other things.

All major browsers support options to turn off cookies entirely or only third-party ones. Most Internet users may want to block these cookies or configure their browsers to delete them regularly to limit tracking. Firefox users may want to check out this cookie banners article, as it explains how to do so in the browser.

Closing Words

Google’s crusade against cookies is self-preserving. The company makes most of its money from advertising and a lot of that money relies on tracking. The euphemistically called Privacy Sandbox is a continuation of that, albeit under different conditions.

The main danger of Privacy Sandbox is not that it continues to track users using a different system, but that it is an advertising system that is now integrated into a web browser. Google controls this web browser and also the open source core Chromium. Several developers of Chromium-based browsers announced that they won’t go along with Google, which is good for users of these browsers.

Problem is, Chrome has a commanding usage share and that means that the majority of Internet users will be enrolled automatically into the new system.

Now You: how do you handle third-party cookies on your devices?