Is Chrome Spying on You?

The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog has called on Google to amend several features in its new browser that, they claim, seriously compromise your privacy on the Web. You may have noticed that whenever you start typing into Google's search field, the site starts suggesting topics for you. Google is, in fact, recording and storing every keystroke you type, regardless of whether you hit the search button or not. The company also stores your IP address, which can narrow your physical location down to within a block or two. In short, Google has compiled a profile of who you are and what you're like, along with a damn good idea of where you live. If the government would like to know as well, and can get their hands on a subpoena, there's not much you can do about it.

This isn't exactly news; Google's been doing this for quite some time. But everyone knows Google is doing this, so if you're planning to surf the Web with Google, you're at least forewarned that your Internet privacy is a joke. With Chrome, it's a different story. Chrome has an "incognito mode," which theoretically preserves your anonymity. But as Consumer Watchdog points out, the mode often switches off automatically without your knowledge. You may think you're surfing the Web without someone looking over your shoulder, but the reality is considerably different.

Consumer Watchdog has called on Google to display the incognito button prominently and remove any chance of hiding it behind pages of irrelevant text. It has also demanded that the incognito become a toggle switch, staying on until users explicitly choose to discontinue it. In fact, Consumer Watchdog wants an incognito button for all of the company's applications, including Gmail. At a minimum, they insist, Google must more prominently warn users that their keystrokes are being stored somewhere.

Needless to say, Google hasn't exactly agreed. Consumer Watchdog has now launched a campaign to pressure the company into complying, and they have created an online form letter for users to send to the company. They've also produced a short film on how Google is keep tabs on what you do—which, of course, they've posted on YouTube: