To cut straight to the chase, if you are browsing anonymously and log into one of your accounts, you are no longer anonymous; a seemingly obvious fact which is making headlines today. A Google rep feels this is being pushed by Oracle who are hoping to turn public opinion against Google, though how that would affect their ongoing legal battles is unclear. The timing is rather unfortunate as the publics opinion of Google plummeted after being reminded that Google Maps always knows where you are if you have it installed.
The Inquirer does remind us what is worth getting upset about; Google's unsubstantiated claim that they offer tools to prevent their products from tracking you and a way to delete your entire history.
"A researcher from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee found that although the data collected appears to be anonymised, in reality, Google can retroactively identify it from the usernames and other account data used during the session."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Intel Publishes Microcode Security Patches With No Benchmarks Or Profiling Allowed @ Slashdot
- Microsoft pushes out Windows 10 patches to plug Spectre and Foreshadow vulns @ The Inquirer
- Whoa, is it Patch Tuesday already? No, just an unexpected critical Photoshop fix @ The Register
- Refresh Windows 10 to its default state in a few clicks, keeping your files and settings @ TechSpot
“•Intel Publishes Microcode
“•Intel Publishes Microcode Security Patches With No Benchmarks Or Profiling Allowed @ Slashdot”
Is that actually legally enforcable?:
“or (v) publish or provide any Software benchmark or comparison test results”
From TechPowerUp’s Article’s full text quote:
” You will not, and will not allow any third party to (i) use, copy, distribute, sell or offer to sell the Software or associated documentation; (ii) modify, adapt, enhance, disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer, change or create derivative works from the Software except and only to the extent as specifically required by mandatory applicable laws or any applicable third party license terms accompanying the Software; (iii) use or make the Software available for the use or benefit of third parties; or (iv) use the Software on Your products other than those that include the Intel hardware product(s), platform(s), or software identified in the Software; or (v) publish or provide any Software benchmark or comparison test results.” (1)
Something sounds very first Amendment violation like and as such may not enforceable. Is this why the Debian Repo Folks are not currently offering this Via the OS but users are free to make use of direct firmware Microcode patching instead. Will MB makers/Laptop OEMs, on Laptops especially, be properly pushing out any updates at all and does Intel need the biggest Class Action Lawsuit in its history to make PC/Laptop owners whole from the affects of Intel’s CPU hardware security flaws!
It Looks like all PC/Laptop devices need to be required to come with dual BIOS configurations because that Firmware update process is risky in itself if something disrupts the flashing process! I have flashed my HP Business laptop about 3 times already in the past 1 1/2 years but those non business grade laptops are not getting much microcode update love from their OEMs.
That’s just one of the reasons to go with a business grade laptop becaues if the Laptop’s OEM sells loads of business grade laptops under those 10,000+ unit salse contracts withthe big enterpries customers those laptops will get the best hardware(VRM’s/Other parts) and longer support.
(1)
“Intel Gags Customers from Publishing Performance Impact of Microcode Updates”
https://www.techpowerup.com/247028/intel-gags-customers-from-publishing-performance-impact-of-microcode-updates
I am 100% sure they can not
I am 100% sure they can not or would be able to in any way shape or form enforce that. All they could do at most is make the website content owner’s life a bit of a mess or black ball them from getting review samples but they can not enforce and go through legal channels.
The only way they could have any way to enforce such a thing is if the content owner was to sign anything with Intel that states they are under any type of gag order to not reveal such things like this. As for the everyone else they can’t touch you or myself if we decided to post videos or post performance numbers for before or after the patches.
Of coarse there is going to be a huge performance loss since they are also saying you should also be turning off hyper threading if your CPU has that to make the microcode update properly work and make your CPU secure. My response to that was Intel what the frack are you smoking.
I just wanted to add that by
I just wanted to add that by the way wrong thread this was about Google and Not Intel yet I still replied to the comment..lol
“•Intel Publishes Microcode
“•Intel Publishes Microcode Security Patches With No Benchmarks Or Profiling Allowed @ Slashdot”,<---* *--->[yes this right here is what makes that post valid for that subject matter on Intel’s Microcode EULA shenanigans!]
Look above to that article under the Heading titled: “Tech Talk” and do you see that the Subject is up for discussion in this article’s forum secrion.
Yep, Debian isnt rolling the
Yep, Debian isnt rolling the updates into the kernel because of Intel's new licensing that requires a user to accept a eula. Iirc it was mentioned on the SANS Stormcast podcast recently.
Google does track you across
Google does track you across multiple apps on a device also. I logged into youtube on my phone once and then google maps started trying to get me to login with that username. To some extent, that is at least letting you know that they are tracking you across multiple apps. They are going to track your usage anyway, reguqrdless of whether you are logged in or not. There is probably entries in a database for every uniquely identifyable device whether it is tied to a specific account or not. I have google maps set to access my location only while using, and I generally kill it when I am done using it. That isn’t going to help much though. They can still collect a lot of information. If you look up a restaurant or something, read reviews through google maps, and then get directions to one of them, that is very useful information to annadvertiser. Also they may he able to figure out your general location based on other things. If you are watching youtube, they can probably figure out your general location just from your IP address. They can access a lot of other information through doing a profile of web browsers and probably many other paths.
Also, I never thought of
Also, I never thought of incognito mode as being in any way anonymous. Your ISP can still record all of the sites you visit. If you use a vpn, they could be recording all of the sites that you visit and selling the information. TOR networks are supposed to he anonymous, but I wouldn’t really trust that much. I would expect government to do it’s best to compromise that in the name of law enforcement.
Incognito mode is mostly for browsing aithout leaving any history in your browser for others who might use your computer. This probably doesn’t really stop web sites from identifying you via browser profile or other means.
That’s why I went with that
That's why I went with that particular picture 🙂
Yes the only thing incognito
Yes the only thing incognito about Chrome’s incognito mode is the fact that nothing remains in your device’s memory of where you have been. But Google does, Incognito, keep a mirror image of your goings on in its rather large metadata database. So that’s mostly no one But Google will Know! Well, Google and it’s Google analytics customers, including the Three Letter Agencies(TLAs).
So What the TSA/Border Patrol Agents can not get off of your device will be on Google’s cloud, in Google Metadata form if you use anything Google on any device. So That’s Incognito my rather large and rotund Arse because in a rounabout way nothing is private from the Googly Eyes of Google and any folks with the money to pay for Google’s services, including the TLAs.
Come to think of it, the TSA is rather good at feeling up anyone’s rather large and rotund arse and that includes anyone who may be coming and going in the states!