When Google launched Chrome last week, I noticed a download link on its homepage. I didn’t think too much of it and assumed it was a launch stunt. But more than a week later, the link still occasionally appears. Given Google’s resistance to putting a privacy link on its home page, I wonder why they don’t seem to apply the same purity principle when it comes to promoting their own products? Or perhaps international versions of their homepage (which is where the links seem to appear) are considered to be experimental playgrounds?

And strangely enough, the link only seems to appear when I visit Google using Firefox, not when I use Opera (which is my preferred browser) . Is Google actively trying to poach users from Firefox because it knows Firefox users are more amendable to trying new browsers?

When the gorilla in the room develops a new web browser, you cant help but pay attention. That Google was working on a browser was not really a secret, they already hired a lead developer from Firefox nearly 3 years ago. Nevertheless the entry of Google into this market is bound to ruffle a few feathers.

I installed the Chrome Beta as soon as it was released, and I uninstalled it again within the hour for various reasons.

1. some sites I frequently visit didn’t work.
2. some sites only work if I am willing to accept all cookies (yeah right)
3. the functionality is a bare minimum, although this could be a positive in some cases
4. the incognito feature is cool, but i wish it could be my default setting

and lastly -call me paranoid- after installation Chrome listed as ‘recent bookmarks’ sites i last visited two years ago for a research project i was doing at time. I regularly remove private data from my computer (or so i thought) so i have no idea where chrome retrieved that information from. My Google account has browsing history disabled, so it shouldn’t have gotten it from there?

In fact, having Chrome record all my activities by default makes me uneasy. Think of it, even when you set your default search engine to e.g. Yahoo, Chrome (i.e. Google) still knows about your searches and the links you click.

Sure, every browser has that ability, but Google has a vested interest in actually using that information, unlike Firefox or Opera. Microsoft (IE) could use that data too, but I have faith in their inability to actually do something with it.

So basically it comes down to: how much information are you willing to give to a company whose aim is to index your life?