- A network of 24 media extensions that are installed on 800,000 users and collected viewing data and demographic information on major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Apple TV, and others
- 12 separate ad blockers with a combined install base of over 5.5 million users openly selling user data
- Nearly 50 other extensions, with over 100,000 users in aggregate, that collected and resold users’ browsing data
when i uninstalled chrome long time ago, i immidiately noticed that my pc performance improved. it slows down your computer even if its not on
I bet it really was on! A lot of Windows programs install companion apps that aren’t highly visible, but run in the background all the time to do things like load up some of the main program’s libraries to make the app seem to start faster when you run it, as well as check for updates on its own, phone home about whatever they want, and watch to make sure it is the default application vs any competing apps on the system with similar functionality, etc.
Note that a lot of that functionality is of little too no benefit to the user, but the app is shamelessly using the user’s stuff without really asking, including sometimes to the point where it makes your computer run worse.