Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/

[nixcraft@mastodon.social]

Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/

> No consent dialog. No opt-out UI. Re-installs itself if the user removes it manually.

That is the true definition of malware.

[wonderfox_dev@mastodon.ml]

@nixCraft

[hpcharles@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft @lmorel la vase est profonde

[htpcnz@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft while everyone is distracted by the incompetence of the Copilot and clowning around by the Claude, Captain Gemini is taking over.

[n_dimension@infosec.exchange]

@nixCraft

#grapheneOS

[bolomkxxviii@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft
Then: Don't be evil
Now: Be evil

[robchapman@ohai.social]

@nixCraft What the Fuck! There is not a bridge span long enough to string up all these A.I fuckers!

[dckim@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft do you think that is happening on my Debian 13 version of Chrome? I'm pretty sure I would know.

I have found Chromium to be quite good. It's basically the same browser but, stripped down.

[lacybarry@climatejustice.social]

@nixCraft good thing my computer operating system is too old to update anything

[reinald@nrw.social]

@nixCraft can that llm-Model be abducted and repurposed to something useful?

[neighborhoodnerd21@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft oh yeah all of the sudden i started noticing a gemini icon in the menu bar on mac that persisted even when google was closed. im also not understanding why google chrome needs something to start at login on systems to update but no other application or browser seems to

[gokushrm@mastodon.social]

@nixCraft very nice

[tmcfarlane@toot.community]

@nixCraft my linux desktop shows that model at 2.5GB at the moment. So much LLM, but the spell check and autocorrect are still worse than they were 10 years ago?!

[gotofritz@hachyderm.io]

@nixCraft

So let me get this right - as part of its own user approved installation, Chrome installs an AI component that it uses for its own internal purposes.

So the same as video decoders, or pdf renderer, or anything else.

Seems anti-AI hysteria to me

#antiAI #hysteria

[draeath@infosec.exchange]

@neighborhoodnerd21 @nixCraft on Windows, Firefox installs a system service for update handling. Doesn't need a logged-in user to operate.

This has been so for a long time, too.

[kkarhan@c.im]

@nixCraft did anyone at @bsi and/or @certbund / @cert_eu catch this?

nixCraft 🐧 (@nixCraft@mastodon.social)

Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/ > No consent dialog. No opt-out UI. Re-installs itself if the user removes it manually. That is the true definition of malware.

Mastodon (mastodon.social)

[clickhere@mastodon.ie]

@nixCraft Does anyone know whether this is confined to the Chrome browser? Is this a potential issue for Chromium-based browsers, too? (Such as Firefox, Vivaldi, etc.)

[lyle@cville.online]

@nixCraft Interesting points about GDPR here

[nixcraft@mastodon.social]

@etbe is this macOS or linux distro ?

[voguelagalere@mastodon.online]

@nixCraft what is this lawyer's name and what jurisdiction is the lawyer licensed to practice law? The lack of these two essential facts on the website is troubling.