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Google Drops Binary Code into Chromium for Linux

posted by janrinok on Friday June 19 2015, @11:56PM   Printer-friendly
from the I-forget,-who-are-the-good-guys-now? dept.

Kunasou writes:

Google added to Chromium 43.x a new add-on called "Chrome Hotword Shared Module" without source code. At first run, it is automatically downloaded and installed without any prompt. After this installation [it] is only available at chrome://voicesearch/ and is not shown in the extensions menu and by default the user is not able to disable or uninstall it. This add-on can record audio any time since is linked to the Ok Google feature ( https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2940021?hl=en [support.google.com] ).

Sources: https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=500922 and http://www.ghacks.net/2015/06/19/googles-in-hot-water-after-dropping-binary-code-in-chromium-for-linux/

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by K_benzoate on Saturday June 20 2015, @02:03AM

    by K_benzoate (5036) on Saturday June 20 2015, @02:03AM (#198519)

    Google has a very close relationship with the US Government, through Eric Schmidt--much closer than is required by law. When Google Met Wikileaks [wikileaks.org] should be required reading for anyone trying to get their thinking straight about the US tech companies, privacy, and the surveillance state.

    --
    Climate change is real and primarily caused by human activity.
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  • (Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Saturday June 20 2015, @02:50AM

    by Nerdfest (80) on Saturday June 20 2015, @02:50AM (#198531)

    I've actually read that article before, and don't really think the title matches the content of the article.

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday June 20 2015, @01:49PM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday June 20 2015, @01:49PM (#198662) Journal

      I think it matches the title of both of the sources referred to at the bottom of TFA. The previous link is for those who do not know what Google OK is.