We all know and are aware of the importance of privacy in today's world, companies such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, among others, are always in the spotlight for these reasons. The important thing is not whether or not we use a product from any of these companies, the important thing is to know at all times what information we are offering.
In the case of Google, many users know that when using Google Chrome we are exposed to our privacy being violated in various ways, and the solution that is normally used is to use Chromium, the browser that serves as the basis for Chrome and is supposed to respect a little more our privacy.
However, according to gHacks.net , a bug report on the Debian mailing list highlighted that in the latest version of Chromium (45.0…), an extension called Chrome Hotword Shared Module was added , which updates along with the browser without notifying the user, and which also cannot be disabled.
This extension apparently aims to use the " OK Google " voice search service, and this is precisely where one of the problems lies: the microphone remains on all the time, waiting for the user to give a command. In other words, Google isn't literally listening the entire time.
Beyond conspiracy theories that if Google as a company listens to us or not, or records what we speak, we are facing a very big problem if a third party manages to violate our browser and intercept everything that is broadcast via microphone.
The community, of course, has not been silent, for the following reasons:
- No hay un interruptor para desactivar la extensión.
- Sólo se proporciona un binario, no hay código fuente.
- La extensión está activada por defecto.
- La extensión escucha el micrófono.
- La extensión no aparece en chrome://extensions.
Regardless, there appear to be only two ways to disable (apparently) "Ok Google" in Chromium:
- Compile it using the parameter enable_hotwording = 0.
- Do not check the "Enable Ok Google to start voice searches" option in Chromium Preferences.
We'll have to wait and see what happens with this, and I repeat, it's not that they'll stop using Chromium now if it's their default browser, but keep in mind that if this is implemented, they'll have the microphone open, so be careful what you talk about 