Contents
- How Google Threatens Your Online Privacy
- How to protect your privacy with Google Chrome alternative
- Bottom line on private browsing
Are you among millions of netizens using Google Chrome on a daily basis? If your answer is Yes, have you ever given a thought to what it means to your online privacy?
Undeniably, Google provides us with quite helpful and easy-to-use services, which we can’t imagine our lives without. Every day most of us interact at least with one Google product. That is the issue – Google is everywhere. Unless you use some Google Chrome alternative, it’s highly probable that Google knows about you much more than anybody else, including yourself.
Google’s vast database on you includes: your search requests, what websites you visit, what you do there, etc. etc. Do you trust Google enough to reveal all that personal data, or are you ready to use an alternative?
Read on and find out how Google is threatening your privacy and how to opt out of it!
Switch away from Google Chrome to an alternative
How Google Threatens Your Online Privacy
Google Chrome’s advertising market share
You most probably know that Google collects lots of info about us in order to show targeted ads. According to some resources, Google possesses the lion’s share of the advertising market. In 2012, for example, according to the Go-Gulf infographic below, its share was the largest one on the market:
© Online Advertising Infographic by Go-Gulf
Due to Google’s successful clickbaits, Google’s Ad Network has gained trust with advertisers, who get good value for the money they spend.
The collected user information gives Google its advertising superpower. The database is extremely beneficial for marketers who are looking for customer insights to efficiently target people with ads.
According to Statista, in 2017 Google’s ad revenue was $95.38 billion. In 2018 the number increased to the impressing $116.32 billion.
Source: Statista
Cookies in Google Chrome browser
Cookies and tracking are common issues within many browsers. Let’s find out how they affect your privacy, taking Google Chrome as an example.
Each time you use Google Search, a cookie is placed on your computer. The cookie provides all the information required for Google to track you. The info gathered is then linked to the Gmail account you’ve logged into. It doesn’t end with Gmail only. The very same information is also linked with other Google products you use like Google Maps, Google Photos, YouTube, and much more.
Though you can delete cookies from your PC, they’ll be updated each time Google service is used. Google Chrome leaves no room for privacy – any activity within the browser can, and will be linked to your Google account.
According to Statista, in 2018 Google’s ad revenue was $116.32 billion. That’s how much Google earns on the info collected about you. Click To TweetGoogle tracking and user profiling
Even if you don’t use Google’s search engine within the Google Chrome browser, it can still track you. You may not sign into your Google account in the browser itself, but as soon as you log into any of Google services, like Gmail or YouTube, Google immediately finds out who you are. Seems quite challenging to hide from Google’s eye, agree?
What’s more, if you’ve typed something in the address bar, changed your mind, and erased it without pressing Enter, such unfulfilled search requests are also available to Google. This doesn’t sound disturbing unless you think of such a situation: you’re entering a search request, but half way realize you wouldn’t want it to be stored in your browsing history on Google’s servers, so you delete it. Unaware that it would be stored anyway…
© GIPHY
To record all your browsing history, Google employs its Analytics tool. By linking your browsing to your Google account and IP address, Google gets your complete profile. The process is known as user profiling and is a good reason to start using some replacement for Google Chrome.
The truth about Incognito Mode
It is often mistakenly believed that Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode protects user privacy. Unfortunately, this belief is very far from the truth. In fact, Incognito Mode doesn’t keep you safe from ISP surveillance and tracking by websites you visit.
The only advantage of Incognito Mode is that Chrome will not locally store your browsing history, cookies, or what you’ve typed into various forms. This is actually good if you need to go online on somebody else’s device or share yours. The other user will have no access to what you’ve searched online.
However, as mentioned before, the websites you visit can still gather and store that information, as well as the network admins and your ISP. To avoid that, you’ll need a reliable tool like Private Browser that conceals your real IP and encrypts internet traffic.
How to protect your privacy with a Google Chrome alternative
Consider the myriad of information Google collects about you, be sure to uninstall Chrome from your device. Forever. And start using an alternative browser instead. Which one? Private Browser is a good place to start. As the name implies, it gives the privacy of your browsing the first priority.
Private Browser by KeepSolid – a good alternative to Chrome
With Private Browser, you get all the features of a standard browsing tool, like creating bookmarks and bookmark folders, opening multiple tabs, and more. This makes its functionality similar to Google Chrome and other browsers, letting you enjoy the same level of convenience during your web surfing.
What’s more important, being an alternative web browser, Private Browser sets you free from Google’s relentless tracking and user profiling. Moreover, using this Google Chrome substitute not just lets you stop Google from analyzing your browsing behavior and running a profile on you. Private Browser actually gives you way more benefits.
Top benefits of alternative browser by KeepSolid
Keeping you private online
Private Browser has a built-in VPN with a big choice of VPN server locations. Connect to any of them and Private Browser will conceal your real IP address, making you anonymous online. Result? Not just Google, but also the websites you visit, other parties, and even your ISP can no longer track you.
Protecting your sensitive information
Due to Private Browser’s military-grade AES-256 encryption, you can surf the web absolutely carefree, on any unsecured network. This Google Chrome substitute reliably protects your personal data, including bank, social media accounts, and whatever info you enter online.
Even if a hacker does manage to intercept your traffic, if encrypted by Private Browser, they simply won’t be able to decipher it. A significant advantage over standard browsers 🙂
Helping you bypass geo-restrictions
Another feature a rare browser could boast of. With Private Browser and its selection of VPN servers all over the world, you can enjoy complete internet freedom wherever you are. Easily combat the creeping internet access censorship with this Chrome alternative!
Bottom line on private browsing
The variety of Google products and services let the company build an extensive profile on its users. Your browsing history alone reveals lots of personal information if you’re using Google Chrome.
Fortunately, you do have alternatives to prevent Google from running a profile on you. Use a Chrome alternative, Private Browser, and make your web surfing truly private and unrestricted!