1nvest wrote:GeoffF100 wrote:Does it matter that Google is tracking you? What are you up to?
Your system likely has your SSID/password (wifi) details stored during each session, so if the link drops it doesn't require you to re-enter details. If you log into other systems you may have ssh keys/whatever also available. Run a spies (google) software on your system and you may be unconcerned about activities/data, but what if in turn they lapsed with securing data such as wifi/ssh ...etc. details? Some may flog such ssid/password details to anyone local enough to potentially exploit that. Say you're one of the (thankfully few) that do have their ssid/wifi being hijacked to be used for illegal activities, that may have the police smashing through your front door at 4am. Or worse, that target you for identity theft where you can be in and out of Court for a decade or more trying to prove that debts or activities in your name, wasn't actually you.
Yes privacy matters. Many shrug online security off lightly on the basis that they have nothing to hide, but often wouldn't be anywhere near as casual with their personal security. Would you be happy to have a stranger in your home recording/reporting back all your activities?
Browser's should not have access to my WiFi SSID/password. That is the responsibility of the OS. Nonetheless, I expect that Google could find a way of extracting that information, if they wanted to.
You have to place your trust in someone (or actually many people and organisations). If you use Windows, you have to place your trust in Microsoft. If you use Ubuntu or one of its derivatives, you have to place your trust in Canonical. Ubuntu is open source, so there are lots of independent people looking for nasties, so it is better than Windows in that respect. Nonetheless, I expect that Canonical could slip in a nasty. Debian is working on making sure that binaries reflect the source, but I believe that is still work in progress. There are no guarantees whatever you do.
Is Google any less trustworthy than the alternatives? Is Google likely to attack individual small guys? Are they likely to be able to cover it up if they do? Are the alternatives any better?