📣 Attention all custom ROM users and advocates for digital rights! 📣

Google's Play Integrity is limiting access to certain functionalities and applications for those using custom operating systems. This is a direct attack on the open-source community and a step towards further consolidating Google's monopoly in the mobile ecosystem.

The European Commission is aware of the situation, but has deemed it a low priority: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PETI-CM-757267_EN.pdf

It's time for us to take action and show Google and the EU how much we care about this issue! 💥

Sign the petition now to stop Google from limiting access to custom ROMs: https://www.change.org/p/stop-google-from-limiting-custom-roms

#StopGoogleMonopoly #CustomROMs #DigitalRights #OpenSource #PlayIntegrity #Google #deGoogle #privacy #right2repair #rightorepair #r2r #EU

Let's unite and fight for our right to use and develop custom operating systems! 💪

¿Nos apoyarían respondiendo y/o compartiendo la encuesta?

Si eres activista y utilizas Gmail con regularidad, ayúdanos a obtener más información sobre el uso que hacen personas y grupos trabajando por la justicia social sobre éste y otros servicios de Google relacionados.

una investigación lanzada por May First con el objetivo de mejorar la comprensión de las necesidades de las personas que utilizan servicios de Google

#infrared #mayfirst #google

En español: https://share.mayfirst.org/apps/forms/s/Apty9ifJxq2L2bpC3zbzJid9

Si eres activista y utilizas Gmail con regularidad, ayúdanos a obtener más información sobre el uso que hacen personas y grupos trabajando por la justicia social sobre éste y otros servicios de Google relacionados. La encuesta tomará 10 minutos y ayudará a que podamos reducir nuestra dependencia del Internet corporativo.

Responde la encuesta: https://share.mayfirst.org/apps/forms/s/Apty9ifJxq2L2bpC3zbzJid9 #infrared #mayfirst #google

Love how you're making the videos available on a decentralized, community-run platform like Peertube, in alignment with your stated values!

Even better is how you've continued to engage with the community on this issue rather than just ignoring it and funneling users onto centralized surveillance platforms like YouTube! Way to go!

...Right?

#Nextcloud #Hub9 #Peertube #Youtube #FOSS #Google #Privacy #Decentralization

Google and Microsoft recently admitted their emissions are soaring as they build out data centers to power the AI boom.

But new analysis from The Guardian suggests the data center emissions of Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple are 662% higher than the companies reporting.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/15/data-center-gas-emissions-tech

#tech #ai #datacenters #microsoft #google #apple #meta #climate

Data center emissions probably 662% higher than big tech claims. Can it keep up the ruse?

Emissions from in-house data centers of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple may be 7.62 times higher than official figures

^{Guardian staff reporter (The Guardian)}

Decentralization is somewhere over there... way over there... in the distance... far from any of our videos.

#Peertube #YouTube #Privacy #Decentralization #Centralization #SurveillanceCapitalism #YouTube #Google #GAFAM

Google's lawsuit loss could affect Firefox.

https://news.itsfoss.com/google-mozilla-firefox-threat/

#google #mozilla

Google's Monopoly Lawsuit Could Threaten Mozilla Firefox's Existence: Here's Why

Firefox needs to locate an alternative revenue source, and faster.

^{Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)}

If I haven't said that often enough:

Do NOT use Google Chrome.

I'd make that flashing and blinking if I could.

If you need another reason (beyond #privacy, #security, and #tracking):

https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues/wiki/About-Google-Chrome's-%22This-extension-may-soon-no-longer-be-supported%22

#Google #Chrome #DoNotUse

About Google Chrome's "This extension may soon no longer be supported"

This is the community-maintained issue tracker for uBlock Origin - uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues

^GitHub

So will they be made available to watch on Peertube, or at least streamed on Owncast, or will you be pushing people to a centralized, proprietary, privacy invasive, advertising platform as usual?

#Nextcloud #Peertube #Owncast #Youtube #Google #GAFAM

+1 reason why you must stop using Chrome and, if possible, Chromium browsers

(Upd: link to a post in Fediverse with tech details https://fedi.simonwillison.net/@simon/112757810519145581)

(Upd 2: MS Edge seems to have this issue; #Vivaldi also has it but it can be disabled; Ungoogled Chromium doesn't have it at all)

#Privacy #Tech #Technology #Browser #Chrome #Chromium #Firefox #Google #BigTech

Simon Willison

2024-07-09 17:54:05

It turns out Google Chrome ships a default, hidden extension that allows code on `*.google.com` access to private APIs, including your current CPU usage

You can test it out by pasting the following into your Chrome DevTools console on any Google page:

chrome.runtime.sendMessage(
"nkeimhogjdpnpccoofpliimaahmaaome",
{ method: "cpu.getInfo" },
(response) => {
console.log(JSON.stringify(response, null, 2));
},
);

More notes here: https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/9/hangout_servicesthunkjs/

hangout_services/thunk.js

It turns out Google Chrome (via Chromium) includes a default extension which makes extra services available to code running on the `*.google.com` domains - tweeted about today [by Luca Casonato](https://twitter.

^{simonwillison.net}

Who would've expected this? 😯

https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-on-google-drive/

#linux #google #cloud

Linux Distro Can Run on Google Drive: This Developer Made it Happen

While Google and Linux do not rhyme well, this developer has managed something interesting.

^{Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)}

Google is at it again, trying to kill off useful extensions.

https://news.itsfoss.com/google-youtube-ads/

#google #youtube

Non-Skippable YouTube Ads: Google's New Plan to Kill Open-Source Browser Extensions like SponsorBlock

Google's back at it again, with a new strategy for YouTube.

^{Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)}

"Ethics" is not the only problem with generative A.I. -- *epistemology* is broken too.

My latest for Public Books: in the face of #google telling us to eat rocks, we bought an encyclopedia.

https://www.publicbooks.org/the-encyclopedia-project-or-how-to-know-in-the-age-of-ai/

Companion blog post here:

https://www.optoutproject.net/what-is-true-on-the-internet/

#AI #ethics #EthicsInAI #knowledgeinfrastructures #libraries

Why I bought an Encyclopedia

NOTE: This is a companion post to my piece in Public Books, 'The Encylopedia Project: Or, how to know in…

^{Janet Vertesi}

Hi friends and followers, the terrific @jhpot wrote a piece for @lifehacker sharing my tips for getting off #google

Please check it out and share with your friends, family, and colleagues on and off the #fedi !

https://lifehacker.com/tech/how-to-quit-google-according-to-a-privacy-expert?ref=jhpMastodon

How to Quit Google, According to a Privacy Expert

Extracting the ubiquitous tech giant from your life is a process, but it may be worth it.

^{Justin Pot (Lifehacker)}

Content warning: YouTube Advert-free Servers (Invidious filter) Click to open/close

@invidious

For reference - below are Invidious main links and the different usages that I give to people as 'better links' thank the advert-using youtube.com youtu.be etc - people get a message from me with some of these links to start better advert-free practices with same exact video but no adverts:

https://redirect.invidious.io

= Advert-free Servers / Choose Geographic Regions (some show most popular videos on landing page and search box):

or redirect example for video:

https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=MFu97l2uvH8

or individual instance example for video:

https://yt.cdaut.de/watch?v=MFu97l2uvH8

or channel example :

https://yt.cdaut.de/channel/UCnrIeerJCCVwUuUhP58vrCw

Enjoy ! #NoAds #Adverts #Google #YouTube #Video

Roger Hallam

Hi. I'm Roger. I'm a farmer turned revolutionary. I co-founded Extinction Rebellion, Burning Pink, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil in an effort to save our society from collapse.

^Invidious

OpenAI is cooking up something spicy.

https://news.itsfoss.com/openai-google-search/

#ai #openai #google

OpenAI Plans to Challenge Google With its AI Search Engine

Another ChatGPT-powered wave incoming with the new search engine?

^{Sourav Rudra (It's FOSS News)}

Uh-oh, do we have a prediction here?

https://news.itsfoss.com/google-ubuntu-flutter/

#linux #google

When will Nextcloud's release announcements #RegainControl of where their videos are hosted?

So far you've chosen to keep them silo'd off on a #proprietary, #centralized, non #privacy friendly #surveillance platform, ie #Google's #YouTube.

Is this what #Nextcloud / #NextcloudHub stands for?

So far, the repeated silence on this subject has spoken louder than any release announcement.

Well, well, well. Google has admitted something very important.

https://news.itsfoss.com/google-chrome-incognito-mode/

#google

Google Discloses That Incognito Mode in Chrome Isn't Entirely 'Private'

Google is informing users what incognito mode really is...

^{Ankush Das (It's FOSS News)}

@jakob 🇦🇹 ✅

Eben. Chrom(ium) ist die Pest in Sachen #Datenschutz. Voll die Datenschleuder - wie alles von #Google 🤦

@alfredb

A new low, even for #Google. Giving Google permission to share information about you with third-party websites is being falsely advertised as an "ad privacy feature". This is privacy washing at its most extreme. But it gets even worse.

There is a dark pattern on the second screenshot. It isn't just informing you about the fake privacy features. Clicking on "Got it" actually turns on these features that allow Google to use your recent browsing history for ads on third-party websites:

#Google is trying again to convince you, YES YOU, to contribute for free to Google Maps.
Please don't.
It is 100% #proprietary, Google has full control over the data you added and people can only access Google Maps over proprietary channels where Google dictates the rules. This gives them too much power.

Contribute to #OpenStreetMap instead, it's a project by the community, for the community.

https://www.openstreetmap.org

#OSM #GoogleMaps #PSA #scam #capitalism #OpenData

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

^{OpenStreetMap}

PSA: Google has now begun to roll-out the Ad Topics "feature" onto Android itself. It's not just in Chrome you have to disable the settings. Please #Boost to spread awareness.

If you didn't get the pop-up screen on your Android device (it'll look like the first two screenshots), to opt-out of these settings:

1. Go to your device Settings
2. Press on "Google"
3. Press on "Ads"
   
   • While you're here, press on the "Delete Advertising ID" button and delete it

   
   

4. Press on "Ad Privacy"
5. Review: "Ad Topics", "App-suggested ads", and "App Measurement". Make sure they are all labelled as "OFF". (This page will look like the third screenshot.)

If you don't see "Ad Privacy" in Step 4 then it means that it hasn't been rolled out to you yet. You might need to wait and check back in a couple of days to see if/when it has been implemented to disable these settings.

EDIT: There's another setting to review. In step 2, scroll to "Personalize using shared data". Turn everything off.

#Android #Google #Privacy #AdTopics

So Nextcloud believes:
"#Privacy is a fundamental human right" Only posts videos to #Google's #YouTube.

"building #decentralized alternatives" Only posts videos to a centralized platform.

"We believe in open source" only post Videos to a proprietary platform.

"We value sustainability". Only posts videos to the platform using the most energy.

"users time is important", Only posts to a platform with forced ads.

"fostering diversity/community." Avoids community video networks eg #Peertube.

🤔

Yes, you can ditch #GoogleMaps now..

https://organicmaps.app

#OrganicMaps is here. Use it while offline and feel good about a #privacy-respecting app that doesn't suck you dry of your personal information. Based on #OpenStreetMap this app is gonna blow #Google #Maps out of the water (hopefully ;)

Organic Maps: Offline Hike, Bike, Trails and Navigation

Fast detailed offline maps for travelers, tourists, drivers, hikers and cyclists created by MapsWithMe (Maps.Me) app founders.

^{organicmaps.app}

This is real. I just took this screenshot.

#Google #AI #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #LLMs #LLM

Las empresas fiscales han estado compartiendo información confidencial de millones de contribuyentes con #Meta y #Google, a través de píxeles de seguimiento que se utilizan con fines publicitarios.

El Congreso de EE UU presentó la investigación 👇
https://www.technologyreview.es/s/15553/como-accedieron-meta-y-google-datos-fiscales-privados

#Mozilla has published its position on the "Web Environment Integrity API" proposal put forward by the #Google #Chrome team.

First paragraph: "Mozilla opposes this proposal because it contradicts our principles and vision for the Web."

https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/852#issuecomment-1648820747

Request for Position: Web Environment Integrity API · Issue #852 · mozilla/standards-positions

Request for Mozilla Position on an Emerging Web Specification Specification Title: Web Environment Integrity API Specification or proposal URL (if available): https://rupertbenwiser.github.io/Web-E...

^GitHub

#Tecnoafecciones En cada lugar donde se establece un proyecto extractivo, los procesos de resistencia se levantan con fuerza.

‼️En 2019, vecinos y vecinas se organizaron para luchar contra la construcción de un centro de datos de #Google en Cerrillos, Santiago de Chile.

Esta lucha implicó desafiar el apoyo que las autoridades locales y nacionales brindaron a la transnacional tecnológica

➡️ https://www.latercera.com/la-tercera-pm/noticia/guerra-del-agua-en-cerrillos-google-enfrenta-arremetida-legal-por-megaproyecto-de-data-center/3EESORSYUBFX3HZFGNWJU7PGP4/

On Monday morning we (Mozilla) detected a very large crash spike affecting #Firefox users on Linux, specifically on an older version of a Debian-based distribution.

It turned out to be an interesting bug involving the #Linux kernel and #Google JavaScript code so let me tell you about it.

A thread 🧵

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1839669 1/6