[spdustin]

So, if the article was titled "Chromium downloads and activates closed-source eavesdropping software on all its devices, bypassing any OS alerts", would that be too wordy? It's meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek, admittedly, but it seems to me that's exactly what they did.

Isn't Chromium behind the enterprise chromebox/chromebook stuff too? And does this mean that Chrome itself may, or has already, install eavesdropping software and activate it without my knowledge?

Edit: I see from a sibling comment that OS X has this eavesdropping software installed, so that leads me to believe that everyone running chromium devices will have this activated, and that it's going to be part of Chrome soon, if it isn't already.

I know it's hyperbole to call it "eavesdropping software", but I also know how many people here were unsettled by "OK Google" and "Alexa!" (Amazon Echo), and I really do want to understand how folks here feel about the intrusion.

[marcosdumay]

Chrome is eavesdropping software. Claiming it was installed without authorization does not cut it.

By its turn, Chromium's only selling point was that it was free of the eavesdropping features.