[PastaMonster]

It's called "lock-in". First give users the service for free, then limit where they can use it and move some features to the subscription only area. When users have reached a certain amount of people. BOOM! Forced subscription or forced usage of a certain proprietary software (Chrome) to use the service. The same thing is happening to Windows 10.

Fun fact: Google is stealing your data if you use Chrome via many ways. Among them is a software called software_reporter_tool that scans your hard drive and other stuff.

Here's another example: You can find it here: chrome://settings/searchEngines?search=search This is the default search engine: "{google:baseURL}search?q=%s&{google:RLZ}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:iOSSearchLanguage}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}{google:contextualSearchVersion}ie={inputEncoding}"

This is what google actually need to make a search: "https://www.google.com/search?q=%s"

Notice the difference? Google is abusing its position as usual.

People want sync to function since they have a google account but they don't want the privacy and security violations that come with using Chrome.

I'm hoping EU will step in soon. It's monopoly behavior to remove sync from Chromium. It's free after all so what is google butthurt about? Oh right, they can't track and collect user data since that's the first thing devs remove in their Chromium fork.

[crazygringo]

I'm sorry but whatever you're talking about has nothing whatsover to do with the issue at hand.

Google isn't charging subscriptions for sync. Chromium isn't even really designed to be an end-user product, but a bare-bones browser application that other browsers can build features on top of. It's browser market share used directly is... 0.06%. Less than a tenth of a percent.

And to say that users are forced to use Chrome to use their browser sync settings feels pretty... backwards? Sync is a Chrome feature. It's like complaining Microsoft forces you to use Excel if you want to use Microsoft's pivot table functionality. It's simply a product feature. Not a lock-in mechanism.

As far as I can tell, you're... arguing that users should be allowed to use other browsers (like Firefox and Edge?) but have them sync with their Google account? Even though Mozilla and Microsoft already provide their own sync feature? And which would further entrench Google accounts?

I'm truly confused. Product lock-in is a real thing, but this has absolutely nothing to do with it.

[est31]

> Product lock-in is a real thing, but this has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Many people install Chrome on the Desktop because it allows them to sync with their mobile Android devices. Yes, you can install Firefox on your phone too, but fewest people do that.