Since I have a Mac and an Android phone, I'm not sure what to do for cross-platform sync. If I pick Chrome, I don't have to download any new browser on my Android device. However, I also need privacy.
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Chrome privacy
- Thread starter BloxUnskilleden
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Adblocker can improve your privacy against websites but not against Chrome’s own tracking of your usage.
Google is to privacy as a sieve is to water.
In all honesty (and I don't mean to sound harsh) but it probably doesn't matter what you use, with your mac, simply because you're using android, and Google's business model is to collect user data and sell it. You using android already means that any action you take on your mac is immaterial because google is already collecting it off your phone
The issue with chromium is there is no sync. And if I want to start with installing and using Chromium, I'd go for ungoogled-chromium. Both have no sync, and ungoogled is more private. People keep recommending Proton Pass and a bookmarks manager, but what about history? I am willing to go for ungoogled-chromium on my Mac and Cromite on android if I can get the sync ready. Can you help with that please?
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You're using google services, and software. You are the product
No, any step towards privacy matters. Don’t be influenced by ‘all or nothing’ mentality. Use what phone you have, not everyone can or has to use iPhone.
As mentioned before, adblocker can improve web browsing but if my memory serves well, Android chrome doesn’t have extension. So you’ll have to use either Firefox with adblocker or Brave with built-in adblocker. Both Firefox and Brave can sync. Brave is Chromium by the way.
Does it? The biggest benefit of ad blocking is that I don't see ads, I don't believe it's going to improve one's privacy all that much.
Here's just some of what is getting shared when using an android phone. I'm not saying that the iPhone is pure as the driven snow, but I am pointing out how "leaky" android is. Google's entire business model is collecting user data for advertisements.
As you can see, ad blockers will have very little impact on the list below.
GPS / Wi-Fi / cell tower triangulation (even if GPS is off, rough location may still be logged).
Background location pings for Google Location Services and emergency location sharing.
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth scanning data (nearby SSIDs, BSSIDs, beacons).
Google Play Store activity: apps installed, updated, removed, ratings, search queries.
App usage stats: how long apps are used, foreground/background activity.
Crash/ANR reporting from apps (if enabled in developer options or Play Services).
Advertising ID
Interest categories inferred from browsing, app usage, purchases.
Attribution data (which ads led to app installs or clicks).
IP address logs (reveals approximate location and ISP).
Carrier & SIM details (MCC, MNC, roaming status).
Wi-Fi connection logs (SSID, signal strength, MAC addresses).
Google Account Data (if signed in)
Contacts sync (names, numbers, emails, sometimes metadata like last contacted).
Calendar sync (events, reminders).
Gmail / Drive metadata
Photos backup metadata
Usage & Diagnostics (optional but often on by default): performance metrics, battery usage, latency, heat.
Experiments/feature flags (data about whether new features are being tested on your device).
I literally deleted my advertising ID. I opted out of usage data on android and also turned off some Motorola data collection stuff.
Even if we use a rocket ship operating system authorities can see our SIM details and IMEI. It's time-consuming to flash my Motorola phone to GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or even postmarketOS only to see that it hasn't worked too. A new OS also isn't a security solution as I need to unlock the bootloader. In that case, I may as well consider it worse than Android.
And I'm not just focusing on AdBlockers, surely there must be a way to switch off some of the data-harvesting settings in the phone, if not most or all.
Even if we use a rocket ship operating system authorities can see our SIM details and IMEI. It's time-consuming to flash my Motorola phone to GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or even postmarketOS only to see that it hasn't worked too. A new OS also isn't a security solution as I need to unlock the bootloader. In that case, I may as well consider it worse than Android.
And I'm not just focusing on AdBlockers, surely there must be a way to switch off some of the data-harvesting settings in the phone, if not most or all.
If you use Chrome and sync your browsing history then tracking protection is useless as far as Google is concerned as all your browsing history goes to Google.
That's the reason why I have one Chrome profile without sync.
What comes to third-party tracking then EFF's Privacy Badger is one of most handy tools...
I use Firefox, but there are some sites that simply do not work in that browser. In those cases I have chrome, but its not logged in, nothing to sync. I also don't use any of their services.
Deleting the advertising ID removes the uniqueness that apps can use to track you across different apps and services, however, data is still being sent and Apps may still use other elements such as IP address, device model, or installed apps) to identify your device indirectly (“fingerprinting”).
Also opting out of usage data, just stops the phone from sending crash reports and such. What still gets sent to the mother shop is:
- Device & network information: model, build number, OS version, IP, mobile network info, Wi-Fi SSID/BSSID
- Google Play services activity: checking for app and system updates, Play Protect scans
- Security data: SafetyNet/Play Integrity checks, malware scan results
- Location signals (if location is on): nearby Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS info
- Account-related data (if signed into a Google account): Gmail sync, Drive, Calendar, Play Store usage, push notification tokens, etc.
Can't I use a sync passphrase? I heard even google cannot see your sync if I use a passphrase.
Good but better have other browser as main or backup. Android chromium has a history of short-lived development like Kiwi, Bromite.
"Chrome privacy" ??
From what I understand, there isn't much.
I believe there are a few other browsers out there using the Chrome "engine", but which have been "de-clawed" of the google talons that seek to snag and retain the user's personal data.
Some that come to mind are:
- Brave
- Epic
- Dissenter (now gone, I think)
I'm sure there are one or two others.
From what I understand, there isn't much.
I believe there are a few other browsers out there using the Chrome "engine", but which have been "de-clawed" of the google talons that seek to snag and retain the user's personal data.
Some that come to mind are:
- Brave
- Epic
- Dissenter (now gone, I think)
I'm sure there are one or two others.
"Chrome experiments with blocking canvas fingerprinting in Incognito"
https://windowsreport.com/google-chromes-incognito-mode-isnt-so-easy-to-track-anymore/
"What the Hell is Fingerprinting?"
https://windscribe.com/blog/introducing-anti-fingerprinting/
https://windowsreport.com/google-chromes-incognito-mode-isnt-so-easy-to-track-anymore/
"What the Hell is Fingerprinting?"
https://windscribe.com/blog/introducing-anti-fingerprinting/
I've decided to start using edge. I should've established this first, but when I meant I needed privacy, I meant I needed privacy that is equal to Safari, and Chrome just doesn't offer anything like that, even with configured settings. Edge is better because it offers an actual tracking protection by name and by nature. I tested it, and it blocked a tracker on MSN. And I work with Microsoft services, not Google services. I'm going to incorporate Edge and Bing across all my devices now.
Vivaldi also has syncing across platforms via their Vivaldi account system. I use it on iOS, iPadOS and macOS.
Vivaldi on iOS also has content blocking - ad blocking which is an added bonus.
Vivaldi on iOS also has content blocking - ad blocking which is an added bonus.
yeah and in fact if you look at the brave documentation, you can see just how much google tracking stuff they removed from chromium.
https://contrachrome.com/ a webcomic explains how Google Chrome has changed over the years. Basically, everything you do, everything you don’t do, every pause in what you do gets sent to Google.
Type something into Chrome and erase it - what you typed gets sent to Google. You don’t even have to press the enter key.
Type something into Chrome and erase it - what you typed gets sent to Google. You don’t even have to press the enter key.