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Fake Chrome Web Browser Extension Unwittingly Installed by 37,000 Users

JosephAW said:
Good thing the majority of Mac users don't touch chrome with a 10 foot pole.
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I'd say the opposite, most people do use chrome. I've switched from Safari about a year ago and I wouldn't dare touch anything else but found chrome works with many, many more sites without issue.
Sometimes Safari has had trouble even loading some websites
 
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That's a bit disconcerting someone could upload a fudge of that Plugin (its one of the biggest). Probably no reason they couldn't do that for other browser's as well. Chrome is the Windows (marketshare wise) of browsers, so it'd be a big target. I have it installed with no plugins just for Facebook and LinkedIn sites - use Safari, Firefox and Vivaldi for daily driver chores.

NIKKG said:
I am not the biggest fan of Chrome, but I only like it because I can sync all my bookmarks and settings on my different PC's when I sign in and its easy to install extensions. ...I wish Microsoft's Edge browser gets better, I'm starting to hate Google, they are becoming too evil. I hope a YouTube competitor comes along too as Google is starting to censor people with different viewpoints. Time for Antitrust charges and have this company split up.
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FYI, If you want to get away from Chrome as a daily driver, but want to auto-sync everything between all your browsers including Android / iOS and PC's / Mac's then Firefox will do that - without the monitoring. You're right though, once you start using that you don't want to not have it.
 
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*Personally* I feel like Chrome can easily become the next Firefox: it'll bloat itself with crap trying to have an edge over competitors and a new, sleeker, and light browser will eventually spring up to steal the crowd away (probably produced by Google, because they like to take 3-4 stabs at something, even successful).

Anyway, F that browser and its lack of ability to correctly convert color spaces.
 
Sasparilla said:
That's a bit disconcerting someone could upload a fudge of that Plugin (its one of the biggest). Probably no reason they couldn't do that for other browser's as well. Chrome is the Windows (marketshare wise) of browsers, so it'd be a big target. I have it installed with no plugins just for Facebook and LinkedIn sites - use Safari, Firefox and Vivaldi for daily driver chores.



FYI, If you want to get away from Chrome as a daily driver, but want to auto-sync everything between all your browsers including Android / iOS and PC's / Mac's then Firefox will do that - without the monitoring. You're right though, once you start using that you don't want to not have it.
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Yeah I forgot about Firefox, I might try that again, got too used to Chrome as my main browser, but really, I barely use a computer anymore other than for work reasons. Its either my ipad or Note 8 when i'm at home or out and about. Computers are pretty much dead if your not in a school or work setting.
 
I rarely use it on my laptop. On my iPad it is a memory hog.when I cleared it,it had some 4GB to it. The. I figured there’s nothing I can’t do using Safari
 
DNichter said:
I just see it too often with their services. I don't see why someone wouldn't value security/privacy, but I guess a lot don't.
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I'm not critical of valuing security and privacy. I'm critical of the meme-level logic used by those who make that observation based on misinformation or errant interpretations of what Google actually does. It is entirely possible to value security/privacy and use Google services. With very few exceptions, Google and Apple collect and use the same data for the same purposes. They both tell you that.
 
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Traverse said:
I don’t know. I think many casual Mac users and extreme power users probably use Chrome
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Extensions are one of the reasons to use it. Safari is great as an everyday browser, but the extension selection is nowhere near Chrome. Part of that is because of Apple's high price to develop extensions (for developers who don't already have Mac or iOS apps), but also the strict review process, relatively small user base.

For Chrome, all it takes is a $5 one-time fee and the restrictions are fairly relaxed by comparison (which could be why this made it onto the store). Just be careful what you download from Chrome store or anywhere else, and know the uninstall/report procedure for extensions.
 
JosephAW said:
Good thing the majority of Mac users don't touch chrome with a 10 foot pole.
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Chrome is a solid browser, despite Google's goals and design of the other apps.

I use Safari, Chrome, Vivaldi and Firefox side-by-side in my development work, each assigned different tasks. They are separate applications, after all, so they work great as separate web-app wrappers.
 
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69Mustang said:
I'm not critical of valuing security and privacy. I'm critical of the meme-level logic used by those who make that observation based on misinformation or errant interpretations of what Google actually does. It is entirely possible to value security/privacy and use Google services. With very few exceptions, Google and Apple collect and use the same data for the same purposes. They both tell you that.
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I am not sure I agree. You don't hear about constant security issues with iOS, with Android you do. Maybe I am just naive, but I don't think Apple takes my data and uses it to sell advertisements, Google does. This is what I am referring to. There is probably some truth to your point, but I know who I would trust more with my information/data.
 
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I have used Chrome and this extension issue happened to me a few years ago. No idea what was happening at the time. I'd open regular news sites like usual. click on a link and and a new tab would open about "Flash Player out of Date" and it would download some DMG file automatically. Or I'd have to completely shut down the browser. Quite a few others had the problem and NO ONE on Google forums knew what was happening, no admins chimed in.

It was a random post on Reedit that narrowed it down and it was a plug in named "AdBlockSuper" Some junk rogue extension that reeked havoc. Extension that appeared legit but it was far from safe. I figured Google would have learned from that, but guess not. I still have the regular AdBlock on Chrome, it works! I simply do not add any more extensions to the browser.
 
DNichter said:
I am not sure I agree. You don't hear about constant security issues with iOS, with Android you do. Maybe I am just naive, but I don't think Apple takes my data and uses it to sell advertisements, Google does. This is what I am referring to. There is probably some truth to your point, but I know who I would trust more with my information/data.
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Why do you think Apple doesn't use your data for advertisements when Apple explicitly tells you they do this? Are you somehow confused by or conflating this: "We do not sell your personal data" with something it doesn't mean? Not attacking, genuinely curious about your position.
 
69Mustang said:
Why do you think Apple doesn't use your data for advertisements when Apple explicitly tells you they do this? Are you somehow confused by or conflating this: "We do not sell your personal data" with something it doesn't mean? Not attacking, genuinely curious about your position.
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Maybe I am missing something, but Apple has explicitly said that they use my personal data to sell to advertisers?
 
I don't think I've ever really used Browser Extensions. The few times I've tried they seem to slow everything down so I removed them within a few days of installing.
 
There was something posted about the addon "Startup crash with RelevantKnowledge adware installed." with the latest update of FireFox. Be careful what you add to your browsers, even Safari.
 
johannnn said:
Relevant rant. I really wish Apple drops the $99 developer price. There are so many small nifty apps and Safari extensions that are not hosted by Apple because the developer don't want to pay $99 per year. Which means I have to trust 1) their code, and 2) their servers. Would be much better if Apple vetted everything (stuff can sneak through, as seen in this article, but at least there is a vetting process).
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Apple should consider requiring any dev that has an iOS app and a Mac app to release the Mac app thru the Mac store.
 
-puts tinfoil hat on-
A coincidence the one malicious extension Google lets through is a copy of an ad-blocker? Mighty convenient the evil-doer is now associated with something that blocks a major source of income for Google.
 
That's what Google gives you. The only Google product I use is the old GMail and sometimes I even think of give up… but I keep it, it's my all things trash mail box.
If for any reason someone asks me to use Chrome I always install Chromium, away from Google eyes. Of course this is not about the browser itself, it's about extensions but is a platform fault. Google. The same happens with Android.
There are also some interfaces that just run on Chrome, again, Chromium for the rescue or even better, Vivaldi.
Just my 2 cents.
 
DNichter said:
Maybe I am missing something, but Apple has explicitly said that they use my personal data to sell to advertisers?
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I'm very happy you phrased your quote that way. It illustrates my point perfectly. "Personal data" is the key phrase. It's the key phrase that's most often conflated to mean something it doesn't. Note that I never said in any quote that Apple uses your personal data to sell to advertisers. I said that Apple uses your data. According to Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc., you DNichter and me 69 Mustang have two types of data. Personal and non-personal. Personal data can identify us as individuals. Personal data includes name, mailing address, phone number, email address, contact preferences, and credit card information. So when Apple says they don't sell your personal data, they're being truthful. They're also being contextually deceitful. We don't sell your personal data, but... others?
What they do use to, among other things, sell to advertisers? Your non-personal data. What's non-personal? Stuff like occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, referrer URL, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used. Question is, do you consider any of that personal? I don't want to bog you down with data. ust go here and see for yourself what Apple actually does
 
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