Matt Green, whom Irreal has mentioned many times (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), is a cryptographer at Johns Hopkins with an interest in user privacy. He’s also a long-time Google Chrome user. But now Green is giving up Chrome for reasons he explains in this long blog post.
The TL;DR is that Google squandered his trust with their recent decision to (surreptitiously) log Chrome into the user’s Google account whenever they log into any Google application. Green’s post explains why this matters and why he can no longer trust Chrome. It’s an important post and should definitely be read by every Chrome user.
Green is not a Google hater nor is he one of those folks who see spies lurking in every corner. He specifically says that there’s no reason Google can’t behave responsibly, like it has for the last 10 years of Chrome’s life. If anything, Green seems too trusting of Google and their intentions.
As I’ve said before, the days of “Don’t be Evil” are long over and Google should not be trusted. They will vacuum up your data, often without your knowledge, and they definitely don’t have your well-being in mind. I don’t think they were always like that but I’m convinced they are now.
For those who agree and would like to escape the Google plantation, James Docks has a comment in which he lists the replacements for Google apps that he uses since he left. If, like me, you live in the Apple ecosystem this is a bit easier because you can use Apple’s apps—like Calendar, Mail, Photos, iCloud, and Maps—instead of the corresponding Google app. You could argue, I suppose, that that’s just jumping into a different frying pan but—for now anyway—Apple isn’t in the business of collecting and selling user data so I feel reasonably confident in their commitment to my privacy.
Whatever your feelings about Google and privacy, Green’s post is a must read.