• Digital Rights Management. Usually DRM agreements are imbedded in the terms and conditions no one reads when they install software. It usually gives the software vendor the right to monitor your use of the software in real time via the internet.

        Within the context of Chrome and other Chromium based web browsers, this means that Google will be able to monitor your web browsing in a new way any time you’re using a browser based on Chrome/Chromium.

        • excuse my ignorance again, but how would monitoring software use in real time be different than how they currently monitor it? what would it really entail? serving more accurate ads and collecting/selling that more invasive type or information?

          i haven’t looked into privacy much prior to joining lemmy, so i’m not very knowledgeable, but i’m very interested in learning more about it.

          • Not much, which is why this isn’t really a privacy issue. Privacy is already long gone. It’s a control issue.

            Think about how many websites use Google Adsense. With this DRM, Google could force those websites to serve content only to users using chromium, and specifically those without adblockers installed. They’re trying to subjugate the internet.

              • Economic force is still force. The fact is, there is ZERO chance any website cuts off access to specific browsers, and thus potential customers/ad revenue, unless the financial hit of NOT doing so is greater. Firefox’s market share is small, but it still exists, there’s plenty of profit to be had from firefox users. Market share wise, Chrome > Firefox, sure, but Chrome + Firefox > Chrome alone.

                The ONLY logical reason to cut them off would be if not doing so would cut you off from the bigger slice of pie, Google, and the ONLY reason not cutting Firefox off would result in being cut off from google is because Google chooses to do that. So yes, Google is trying to force this on them.