Posted 2 years ago | by Ben Armstrong


Has Google Betrayed the Trust of Chrome Browser Users?
A recent report from Reuters exposed that more than 100 Chrome Browser extensions had some sort of malware built into them. While this isn't great, what wasn't talked about is the fact that just about every major tech platform loves to collect the data of its users.
For what its worth, the above malware was downloaded more than 30 million times, and it could do a whole bunch of bad stuff, like record keystrokes, and boost security tokens that can be used to authenticate a user's credentials.
Like many things, the actual problem is much larger. Big tech might as well be a semi-private intelligence agency, given the amount of data the companies collect.
Chrome isn't Paying Attention to Your Security
People don't think about how much data they create on a daily basis. If you are online, using Chrome and Facebook, you are giving two big companies a lot of access to your personal habits and ideas.
As the Chrome malware situation shows, other actors are about to take advantage of the massive oversights that big tech has committed, and use data to whatever ends they desire.
People aren't able to monitor their online data footprint without a team of professionals on their side, which is why hackers are able to use platforms like Chrome with virtual impunity. Given the nature of the market, it would make sense to eliminate the data you produce to the largest degree possible.
The Manipulation Problem
The other side of the data that is being collected is what it can be used for, or who may buy it. Not only can online data be used to more effectively trap people in an online maze (never going to see new content), it can also be used to manipulate the way people think.
Needless to say, there should be better safeguards in place to protect a population that largely doesn't understand that sheer volume of personal data that is collected, or its potential.
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