Google Chrome Privacy Issues – remove UID to enhance privacy

If you didn’t already know, each Google Chrome browser comes with it’s own little unique ID which identifies each user. Don’t think this is entirely harmless – Chrome records and sends each and every webpage and search entry (even before you hit enter – as you type) to Google’s servers. Google claims that this is only for providing relevant search results and suggestions. Even if you trust Google, some of us would prefer to leave this information anonymous. No one knows really what happens to the data after that.

This is not the first time Google has been criticized for “looking over our shoulder”. Even if you don’t use Chrome, chances are you have the Google toolbar installed on your browser of choice. Our research found that the toolbar contacts Google’s servers way too often – often coinciding with each time you visit a webpage. Now we are not here to play the tinfoil game, but this might be interesting while we’re on topic.

Google responds by claiming it is “temporary”, and that the data is not used for anything funny. You decide.

This might help though: a software called “UnChrome” promises to delete the unique ID that is associated with Chrome.

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“It replaces your unique ID with Null values so that your browser cannot be identified”. Definitely a start when it comes to privacy with Google. In other words, it anonymizes your browser.

Simply press the “Remove unique ID now” button, and you’re done!

One might question the effectiveness of this though. After all, you probably have your email, contacts, documents, IP, search history and other data with Google anyhow. Raises the question as to how far should we should sacrifice privacy for convenience.

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