A Google spokesperson highlighted the Safe Browsing features that protect against threats such as phishing and malware, as well as additional controls to help you manage your information in Chrome. Google says privacy and security вЂњhave always been core benefits of the Chrome browserвЂќ. It also claims its open-source FLoC API is privacy-focused and will not give Google Ads products special privileges or access. The firm outlines that the iOS privacy labels represent the maximum categories of data that can be gathered, and what is actually collected depends on the features you use in the app, and how you configure your settings. Google says its Ads products do not access synced Chrome browsing history, other than for preventing spam and fraud. вЂњSome of those changes are good, including the move to make HTTPS encryption a default, but others are more self-serving, such as the FLoC proposal.вЂќ

GoogleвЂ™s power allows it to set the direction of the industry, says Wright. And more recently, ChromeвЂ™s FLoC effectively gives Google control over the ad tracking tech that will replace third-party cookies вЂ“ although this is being developed in the open and with feedback from other developers. GoogleвЂ™s massive market share has allowed the internet giant to develop web standards such as AMP in Google mobile search, which publishers must use in order to appear at the top of search results. This allows Google to build up a detailed and sophisticated picture about your personality, interests, vulnerabilities and triggers.вЂќ

вЂњIf youвЂ™re using Chrome to browse the internet, even in private mode, Google is watching everything you do online, all the time. But unlike rivals Safari, MicrosoftвЂ™s Edge and Firefox, Chrome links this data to devices and individuals.ДЄlthough Chrome legitimately needs to handle browsing data, it can siphon off a large amount of information about your activities and transmit it to Google, says Rowenna Fielding, founder and director of privacy consultancy Miss IG Geek. Google says this gives you the ability to enable features such as the option to save your bookmarks and passwords to your Google Account. According to AppleвЂ™s iOS privacy labels, GoogleвЂ™s Chrome app can collect data including your location, search and browsing history, user identifiers and product interaction data for вЂњpersonalisationвЂќ purposes. Although there are no solid plans for Europe yet, Google is planning to replace cookies with its own вЂprivacy preservingвЂ™ tracking tech called FLoC, which critics say will give the firm even more power at the expense of its competitors due to the sheer scale of ChromeвЂ™s user base.Д¬hromeвЂ™s hefty data collection practices are another reason to ditch the browser. Google is currently under fire from privacy campaigners including rival browser makers and regulators for changes in Chrome that will spell the end of third-party cookies, the trackers that follow you as you browse. Chrome is one of GoogleвЂ™s most powerful data-gathering tools. Chrome is tightly integrated with GoogleвЂ™s data gathering infrastructure, including services such as Google search and Gmail вЂ“ and its market dominance gives it the power to help set new standards across the web. Is Google too big and powerful, and do you need to ditch Chrome for good? Privacy experts say yes. ThatвЂ™s a lot of power, even before you consider ChromeвЂ™s data collection practices. Its closest competitor, AppleвЂ™s Safari, lags far behind with under 20 per cent market share. The web browser has around 65 per cent market share and two billion people are regularly using it. Despite a poor reputation for privacy, GoogleвЂ™s Chrome browser continues to dominate.

Chrome do not save history