Google Chrome: Difference between revisions
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{{ | {{ProductCargo | ||
| | |ArticleType=Product | ||
| | |Category=Software, Web Browsers | ||
| | |Company=Google | ||
| | |Description= | ||
| | |InProduction=Yes | ||
| Logo = | |Logo=Google Chrome logo and wordmark (2015).png | ||
}}Google Chrome is a | |ProductLine= | ||
|ReleaseYear=2008 | |||
|Website=https://www.google.com/chrome/ | |||
}} | |||
'''[[wikipedia:Google_Chrome|Google Chrome]]''' is a web browser created by [[Google]] based on [[Chromium]]. Since its inception, it has become the most used browser on the internet by a large margin. | |||
==Consumer impact summary== | |||
===User freedom=== | |||
Chrome significantly impacts user freedom through its default settings, extension policies, and integration with Google's ecosystem. The browser's dominance allows Google to influence web standards, potentially creating a web environment that works best with Chrome.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Munir |first1=Shaoor |last2=Kollnig |first2=Konrad |last3=Shuba |first3=Anastasia |last4=Shafiq |first4=Zubair |title=Google's Chrome Antitrust Paradox |date=April 2024 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google's_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox |website=ResearchGate |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260109043254/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google's_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox |archive-date=9 Jan 2026}}</ref> Users face potential lock-in through seamless integration with Google services, making switching to alternative browsers more difficult. Additionally, Google's control over Chrome's extension ecosystem has raised concerns, particularly when the company has proposed changes that would limit the effectiveness of ad-blocking extensions, potentially prioritizing Google's advertising business over user choice.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Danco |first=Alex |date= June 1, 2019 |title=Google Chrome, the perfect antitrust villain? |url=https://alexdanco.com/2019/05/30/google-chrome-the-perfect-antitrust-villain/ |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260104002015/https://alexdanco.com/2019/05/30/google-chrome-the-perfect-antitrust-villain/ |archive-date=4 Jan 2026}}</ref> | |||
===User privacy=== | |||
Chrome's privacy practices have been a significant concern for consumer advocates. As a Google product, Chrome collects substantial user data including browsing history, search queries, and site visits to serve targeted advertisements and improve Google services.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The Dark Side of Google: A Closer Look at Privacy Concerns |date=March 26, 2023 |url=https://campaignsoftheworld.com/news/the-dark-side-of-google/ |website=Campaignsoftheworld.com |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260207040950/https://campaignsoftheworld.com/news/the-dark-side-of-google/ |archive-date=7 Feb 2026}}</ref> The browser's implementation of privacy features like "Do Not Track" has been criticized for being ineffective, as Google noted that "many websites and web services, including Google's, don't change their behavior when they receive a Do Not Track request."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Turn 'Do Not Track' on or off - Computer - Google Chrome Help|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2790761 |website=Google |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128221210/https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2790761 |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref> Additionally, Chrome's privacy initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox have been viewed skeptically by privacy advocates who argue that these proposals often protect Google's business interests rather than user privacy.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=EFF |title=Don't Play in Google's Privacy Sandbox |date=July 10, 2020 |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251231094829/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1 |archive-date=31 Dec 2025}}</ref> | |||
===Business model=== | |||
Chrome's business model is deeply integrated with Google's broader advertising ecosystem. The browser serves as a critical data collection point for Google's advertising business, which generates the majority of the company's revenue.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=DOJ Pushes Google to Sell Chrome and Break Monopoly |date=November 20, 2024 |url=https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2024/11/google-faces-doj-antitrust-push-will-chrome-ai-and-android-be-broken-apart/ |website=CEOToday Magazine |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260112105718/https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2024/11/google-faces-doj-antitrust-push-will-chrome-ai-and-android-be-broken-apart/ |archive-date=12 Jan 2026}}</ref> Chrome's default settings direct users to Google Search, which in turn displays Google advertisements. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where Chrome usage fuels Google's search dominance, which consequently enhances its advertising business. The connection between Chrome and Google's advertising business has also influenced browser design decisions, such as how Chrome handles [[Web cookie|cookies]] and tracking, which may prioritize advertising effectiveness over user privacy.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Rivero |first= | |||
Nicolás |title=What if antitrust regulators forced Google to sell Chrome? |date=July 20, 2022 |url=https://qz.com/1930645/what-happens-to-google-if-regulators-force-it-to-sell-off-chrome |website=Quartz |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260104192633/https://qz.com/1930645/what-happens-to-google-if-regulators-force-it-to-sell-off-chrome |archive-date=4 Jan 2026}}</ref> | |||
== | ===Market control=== | ||
{{ | Chrome's dominant market position gives Google significant control over web standards and browser technology. With approximately 65% global market share as of 2025, Chrome has become the de facto standard browser for many users and developers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Market share of leading internet browsers in the United States and worldwide as of August 2024 |date=June 21, 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/276738/worldwide-and-us-market-share-of-leading-internet-browsers/ |website=Statista |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260111194619/https://www.statista.com/statistics/276738/worldwide-and-us-market-share-of-leading-internet-browsers/ |archive-date=11 Jan 2026}}</ref> This market control allows Google to influence the direction of web technology development, often in ways that benefit its business interests. For example, Google's proposals for replacing third-party cookies through its [[wikipedia:Privacy Sandbox|Privacy Sandbox]] initiative have faced criticism for potentially strengthening Google's position while weakening competitors in the advertising ecosystem.{{Citation needed}} Chrome's market dominance has attracted significant antitrust scrutiny, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for Google to divest Chrome as part of remedies following an antitrust case that found Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Elias |first=Jennifer |title=DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case CNBC |date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/20/doj-pushes-for-google-to-break-off-chrome-browser-after-antitrust-case.html |website=CNBC |access-date=May 7, 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128080710/https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/20/doj-pushes-for-google-to-break-off-chrome-browser-after-antitrust-case.html |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref> | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
{{ | ===Anti-Competitive Practices=== | ||
Google uses the market dominance of their unrelated products and services, such as web search or cloud storage services, to display intrusive messages such as popups aimed to annoy users to the point where they give up and change to Chrome.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-08-19 |title=How do I stop Google pop ups asking me to switch my browser to Chrome? |url=https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/175747071/how-do-i-stop-google-pop-ups-asking-me-to-switch-my-browser-to-chrome?hl=en |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Google Support Community |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260108065104/https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/175747071/how-do-i-stop-google-pop-ups-asking-me-to-switch-my-browser-to-chrome?hl=en |archive-date=8 Jan 2026}}</ref> Not because they want to, but to escape the deliberate obstructions Google creates for them when accessing Google services with competing browsers. | |||
Moreover, Google has in the past deliberately degraded performance of their video platform [[YouTube]], as well as Google Docs, for users accessing the website using the competing Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Jake |date=2023-11-21 |title=How to Stop Google From Artificially Slowing Down YouTube |url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-google-slowing-down-youtube-firefox-edge |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=LifeHacker |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251124185357/https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-google-slowing-down-youtube-firefox-edge |archive-date=24 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pygWS1ihtF8 The Slow Death Of Firefox...What Happened?] - Logically Answered ([https://preservetube.com/watch?v=pygWS1ihtF8 Archived])</ref> | |||
Google | |||
===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support ( | ===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (2024)=== | ||
Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard. This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as uBlock Origin unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable. | Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222183954/https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as {{Wplink|uBlock Origin}} unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable. | ||
Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Vivaldi, which have | Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers. | ||
===Bloat monopoly=== | |||
Due to the dominant market share, other web browsers like Firefox are forced to comply with these standards set out by Google in order to be able to access some websites. | |||
The total word count of the W3C specification catalogue was 114 million words as of 2020, making it impossible for anyone besides large resourceful companies to maintain a web browser able to comply with these standards, granting Google a bloat monopoly on web browsing. | |||
In 2021, Google launched [https://lit.dev/ Lit], a web [[JavaScript]] [[wikipedia:Web_framework|framework]] that forces strict compliance with Google's web standards. It also promotes artificial obsolescence by making it impossible to render pages on older web browsers and older devices with operating systems that are unable to run the latest version of Chrome. | |||
<!--sources for entire section--><ref>[https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html LRS Wiki: bloat_monopoly] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250901143501/https://www.tastyfish.cz/lrs/bloat_monopoly.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Open Letter To Webmasters] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250907030831/https://www.nuegia.net/articles/open%20letter%20to%20webmasters.xhtml Archived])</ref><ref>[https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html The reckless, infinite scope of web browsers] - Drew DeVault ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260113055131/https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html Archived])</ref><ref>[https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Browsers - Shadow Wiki] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251119174459/https://shadow.lifestyle/browsers.xhtml Archived])</ref> | |||
===visibilitychange event=== | |||
Chrome was the first web browser to implement the "visibilitychange" JavaScript event. This can be used by websites to detect switching to a different tab and, for example, block background playback like the mobile website of YouTube does.<ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Document: visibilitychange event - Web APIs | MDN] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260112100508/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/visibilitychange_event Archived])</ref> On Firefox, extensions can block this detection.<ref>[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Video Background Play Fix – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260118202048/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-background-play-fix/ Archived])</ref> | |||
The visibilitychange event has some legitimate uses such as automatically saving draft posts on an online message board.<ref>[https://xenforo.com/community/threads/message-auto-save-drafts.27665/ Message Auto Save / Drafts | XenForo community]</ref> | |||
===Google account requirement to download extensions=== | |||
Since around 2022, a Google [[Forced account|account is required]] to be able to install extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store.<ref>[https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account How to install extensions in Chrome without a Google Account? - Super User] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251216080808/https://superuser.com/questions/633706/how-to-install-extensions-in-chrome-without-a-google-account Archived])</ref> | |||
===Mandatory pull-to-refresh=== | |||
In 2019 (Chrome version 75), Google made it impossible to turn off the pull-to-refresh gesture on the mobile version of Chrome, and refused to make it possible again after a high number of complaints. | |||
Pull-to-refresh is known for causing accidental refreshes when the user intends to scroll up. | |||
<ref>[https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ You Can No Longer Disable "Pull to Refresh" on Chrome for Android - Chrome Story] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260108132655/https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/ Archived])</ref><ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/8gSU2 No way to disable pull-to-refresh [391378124] - Chromium]</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2025-0111-2220-13/https://support.google.com:443/chrome/thread/8391096/wanting-to-know-how-to-disable-pull-to-refresh-as-it-s-no-longer-showing-up-in-flags?hl=en Wanting to know how to disable pull to refresh as it's no longer showing up in flags - Google Chrome Community]</ref><ref>[https://megalodon.jp/2025-0701-0647-33/https://support.google.com:443/chrome/thread/8152831 Missing Android Chrome 75 flags disable-pull-to-refresh-effect How to disable it now? - Google Chrome Community]</ref><ref>[https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-google.html Google's Software Is Malware - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260203060955/https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-google.html Archived])</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Brave browser]] | |||
*[[DuckDuckGo Browser]] | |||
*[[Firefox]] | |||
*[[Microsoft Edge]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||