🤘 psyko

It has just come to light that Google Chrome is installing a 4-gigabyte AI model on users' computers without asking for their permission. It doesn't matter whether you use AI features or not—they're going to install 4 gigabytes of AI on your computer either way. Given this, and since this is an open-ended question, which browser would you recommend to someone looking to switch to a different browser?

2 weeks ago

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5 Replies

🤘 psyko

@justyb In my case, I stopped using Chrome years ago, so it’s not an issue for me. But installing 4 GB of AI without the user’s consent? I think that’s a red line that shouldn’t have been crossed. Personally, and knowing full well that it’s not perfect, I’ve been playing around with Zen Browser and was pleasantly surprised, so I’d definitely recommend it.

I’m also posting the news about what happened with Chrome

https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/ · 1 week ago

https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/chrome-silent-nano-install/

👽 ashnar

Using a non-chrome browser and not installing 4gb of data umprompted doesn't risk cutting me off on my capped data plan.

Waahh. Really? Nov '24 I was stuck in hospital with no data, no visitors, no access to the world outside my bed. I was fortunate enough to be able to get a spare simcard sorted so I could do things like "tell my family I wasn't dying".

4gb is excessive is my point. · 1 week ago

🌙 xoagray

I've been using Floorp on Linux and Safari on Mac. I'm sure people will find reasons those are terrible too, but it's like anything else in today's toxic tech world. You have to pick your poisons.

I'm solidly in the "Fuck your "AI"" camp. So Chrome and most of the Chromealikes have been out for a while. · 2 weeks ago

👽 lars_the_bear

I'm hoping the Kagi's Orion hits the big time before this madness affects all the other browsers. It's not that it's AI that bothers me, or even that it's installed "behind my back". What bothers me is the waste -- waste of storage, waste of bandwidth, waste of energy. And I've no dout this new development plays into Google's surveillance capitalism somewhere, because, you know.,. Google. · 2 weeks ago

👽 justyb

Well it depends. Do you have a problem with AI being on device or a problem with browsers installing things behind your backl? Because if it is the latter, there are no HTML5 browsers that don't install something behind your back. Ranging from Google's Safe Sire list, Blocklists for add-ons, Malicious file hashes, etc.

Like Firefox's ETP is provided by "disconnect.me". The HTML5 Internet has a lot of vicious actors and a lot of the "downloading behind your back" is to save you from that.

So that's why I ask, the AI model Google is pushing is more "helpful" garbage as opposed to the other stuff. · 2 weeks ago