Topics essentially works like this: rather than using cookies to track people around the web and figure out their interests from the sites they visit and the apps they use, websites can ask Chrome directly, via its Topics JavaScript API, what sort of things the user is interested in, and then display ads based on that. Chrome picks these topics of interest from studying the user’s browser history.

Isn’t this completely immoral? They are literally stealing the users private browsing history and uses it to boost their own profits.

  • katy ✨
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    210 months ago

    But the website doesn’t end up with your browsing history…

    And you can opt out of this just like you can opt out of third party cookies.

    • @ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org
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      10 months ago

      I would like to watch you opt out of all this every single time you sit down in the next class of your education institute or workplace.

    • @uneronumo@lemmy.world
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      210 months ago

      Yes, they merely created the technology that watches everything you do. You can opt out! No worries! This certainly isn’t anything to worry about! They will definitely continue to let you opt out indefinitely. History tells me that that’s how this works.

      • katy ✨
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        010 months ago

        That’s so silly; you can manage all of your data and opt out on your Google account from the start.