By Martin Jansen, Owner of Jansen-PCINFO
Like millions of other people, I use Google Chrome as my internet browser of choice. Yes, I could use plenty of other browsers like the open source version of Chrome called Chromium. I use Linux Mint as my operating system, so I could use Firefox, Brave, Opera or even Microsoft’s Edge. No shortage of choices, but the most familiar and reliable for me is Chrome.
Declared a Monopoly
A federal judge has recently determined that Google has broken the law in spending billions of dollars ensuring that Google Chrome remains the top browser. The Sherman Act was put in place to prevent monopolistic corporate practices, which, the judge ruled, Google violated.
This may mean that Google could be broken up into smaller companies, like AT&T was forced to break up Bell into “Baby Bells” in the early 1980s.
This ruling may take years to come to terms, so no need to change browsers now.
Duck Duck Go (DDG)
If you are sick of Google spying on your browsing habits you can change your search engine within Chrome. Click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner and select Settings from the menu. Type search to find the Search Engine setting. Click on the Change button and select DDG as your search engine and confirm your selection.
DDG does not spy on your searches. This is evidenced by being completely unaware of your location. If you search for ‘restaurants near me’ initially it may give you locations far away from your home. You do have the option to turn on Location in the DDG settings which are quite extensive. It does take some getting used to, but this search engine is just as thorough as Google’s without the creepy spying.
uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is an advertisement blocker that runs as an extension in my Google Chrome sessions. Google does not like ad blockers because they cut into their bottom line. While I can understand their need to advertise, I don’t appreciate that my search sessions on certain websites are bombarded with all kinds of traffic. If you have several video streams attached to a website it can really slow everything down.
As I write this article in Google Docs, uBlock Origin has already blocked over 800 ads and counting.
Without uBlock Origin my Lenovo Thinkpad C13 Yoga Chromebook with its modest processor and RAM would be practically useless on these high traffic websites.
Finally Some Advice
The internet is becoming an increasingly dangerous place, with many fringe websites rife with viruses and malware. Although Google and other browser manufacturers try to keep you safe by fixing vulnerabilities, nothing can save you from clicking on the wrong links that redirect you to bad websites.
Don’t do it! Be suspicious of foreign links from people you don’t know in your email and unknown sources. Delete emails from unknown sources or mark them as spam. And stick with what you know, your usual websites where you can browse safely.