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Psst, Firefox and Internet Explorer are doing the same thing
So is Windows 10, and 7/8, if you've installed the updates that add that to them.
Which is why I'm seriously considering switching to Linux as the normal desktop OS.
And rarely browse with my phone, the screen is too small for that, in my opinion.
Google is far too invasive of your privacy, even with their browser, Chrome. I don't even want to think about what an OS of theirs might collect and send out. That's why I got an Apple for my smartphone, I didn't want Android, which is made by Google.
Apple's been promising to make their data collection opt-in... some time in the future iOS iterations. But that alone should tell you that they are currently collecting your data. If you research it, iOS collects information about your searches inside apps, words you add in your keyboard dictionary. They also allow third parties to collect your data (Safari searches are powered by Google) and collect data by proxy (for example, they bought a company called Topsy whose entire business is sucking tons of user data from Twitter).
Frankly, if someone's going to collect my data, I'd rather it be Google. Google doesn't sell your data, it just serves you contextual ads. On the other hand, Apple collects a whole lot of your money, to which I for one am a lot more sensitive.
Now, Chrome OS makes it pretty much impossible for anyone to actually directly harm you. The beauty of the thing is that you cannot install third-party apps at all on a Chromebook, so the vast majority of Internet malware can't touch you. Virtually the only way someone could insert you malware is in the form of a malicious Chrome extension - which is impossible to do by stealth without you being aware of it. AND the system checks its own integrity on every boot-up: the Windows equivalent would be Windows getting reinstalled from a clean slate every time you turn your laptop on. It's basically impossible to steal your passwords; even if malware is eventually produced that can insert itself into Chromebook firmware, it will be erased by Verified Boot. Cached information is erased etc. In fact, you can do your web browsing entirely in guest mode, which doesn't keep ANY of your browsing data and does not link it to your Google account. A Power-Washed Chromebook in guest mode connected through a VPN is the safest browsing experience possible under modern technology.
On top of all of it, you're missing one very important point: Chrome OS is a laptop system not a phone system. It is an alternative not to iOS but to Windows and OS X, both of which snoop on you without any shame.
If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions.- Abba Eban.
Unfortunately, advertisers are shooting themselves in the foot with their overly intrusive ads these days. If ads were simple unobtrusive banners and such, no one would bother blocking them, it's not worth the effort. But they are all taking the approach of the used car dealer ads... scream loud enough to irritate the potential customer, maybe if you tick him off, he'll buy your product.
It's gotten bad enough at times, one of the news sites i go to, i have had to send several nasty grams over the past year or so, cause of all the pop ups, and even some other issues, like one page had an add that kept coming IN, no matter how blocked they were, or how many times you clicked on dismissing it.. The only way to stop it coming back, was to leave the site and do a full history and cookie cleansing...
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