The Scariest and Most Disturbing Privacy Issues of Google Chrome

big-google-is-watching-you*

When Google introduced its browser I wasn’t celebrating.

Chrome became the dominant browser on the Web.

Yet I was put off by a whole list of privacy concerns and annoyances.

It’s 2025 and many of those still apply to this day or more than ever!

Here are the most disturbing privacy and security issues Chrome still faces.



Google Update messes with the Windows Registry


To update Chrome behind the scenes GoogleUpdate.exe wants to mess with the Windows Registry.

It also wants to connect with the Internet without my permission. Spyware protection tool Spybot stopped that.

I download legit new applications frequently but registry changes are rarely the case.

Why does GoogleUpdate have to mess with my registry?

There is not even a way to opt out of GoogleUpdate.

You can stop it from accessing the web in your firewall.


The Chrome password manager is risky


I was just like “wow” when Google Chrome “imported” my passwords from Firefox.

Did I miss the “opt out” option again?

Good to know that Google builds actual “password import” utilities.

Many people prefer to use their own password manager tool anyway.

Also once some has access to your Gmail account (think lost smartphone) they can apparently access your Chrome passwords too!

So you may want to disable the password manager in Google Chrome.


Chrome Displays your “most visited” sites


Great, now my wife, children, employer can easily check out that…

I was mostly on smashcapitalism.tk, sexygays.xxx and Facebook.com instead of working.

Yes, you can disable that “feature” in case you are not proud of the sites you visit.

Also at the very least I strongly advise you to use incognito mode in such cases.

Incognito does not mean private though. It’s just less obvious.

Google knows what you did last summer though!


Chrome’s privacy policy is huge and only for experts


The privacy policy of Google Chrome has been the subject of harsh criticism from day one.

Initially there wasn’t even one. You just got a link to the general one for all Google services.

The current one is huge and has numerous items explaining what the browser sends to Google.

Even as an Internet veteran I do not understand half of them. Do you?



The default search engine is Google

Of course as Google owns Chrome and makes money through search or rather the ads there.

Thus they bundle Chrome with Google search by default.Yet you may want to use private search instead!

As a result of the many Google monopoly lawsuits Google had to simplify choosing another search engines.

One you know how you can also change it.

When I tested Chrome initially I added lesser known Google alternatives to my search engines list in Google Chrome. You won’t believe what happened next!

I had to find out that I can’t make them default search engine.

Only the 5 search engines Google has chosen for me could be made the default search.

I also tried to switch to DuckDuckGo later on but Chrome reverted to Google three times in a row. Bug or feature?


Are you too paranoid to use Chrome?

Now many of you will probably think that “I’m wearing a tinfoil hat” as they say about paranoid people.

To be honest I use at least a dozen of Google’s services in spite of their shortcomings and their privacy risks.

I use many Google services and tools for various reasons e.g.

  • Google search daily for work
  • Gmail also my mails are stored in the US and can be read by basically more or less 50 different law enforcement agencies
  • Google Search Console although I’m an evil SEO ;-)
  • Google Docs for writing blog posts although basically Google has the copyright for everything you write there

Are you using Google services for your work or private matters?

Or are you too paranoid already to give away your data the Internet giant?

Tell me in the comment section below!

 


Google spokespeople downplay privacy concerns

Historically Google spokespeople – even at CEO level – have downplayed legitimate privacy concerns in interviews and beyond.

It’s about the most basic privacy concerns plus the right to decide yourself what happens on your computer.

Google should take privacy more seriously.

Otherwise you might have to act yourself and keep Google and Chrome from collecting your data.

By 2025 they are again facing class action lawsuits due to their blatant disregard for user privacy.

Even leading publications advise you to ditch Google Chrome by now in the light of the antitrust lawsuit results.

 

* Creative Commons image by Elias Gayles

 

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