The privacy of users has been in question for quite some time. And even more so today with all the technology that people have in our hands, from mobile phones, tablets, computers to smart speakers, and much more. Although, on this occasion, a developer and privacy advocate has created an app that shows when our computer sends data to Google.
Yes, you read it right. This application that it has developed notifies us in a very specific way when Google is receiving data from us while we are browsing. Although, it will not be necessary to do a complete search. Well, this app has shown that sending information occurs even when we start typing in the browser. And it has only been shown from a computer, although it is most likely that the same thing happens on other devices.
Sending data to Google
The developer who has been in charge of creating an application on his own has assured on his Twitter that it has been “very, very simple” to demonstrate how Google collects information from us, even before carrying out a complete search from our PC browser . In addition, so that it is possible to see or understand when the exact moment in which the data is sent is, Bert Hubert has established a curious “ beep ” every time his computer sent any type of data to the American company.
I made a very very simple tool that makes some noise every time your computer sends data to Google. Here a demo on the official Dutch government jobs site. The noise starts while typing the domain name already. Code, currently Linux only: https://t.co/ZjKeOSfYff pic.twitter.com/dEr8ktIGdo
– Bert Hubert 🇺🇦 (@bert_hu_bert) August 21, 2022
In the video you can see how just by typing, beeps sound from the application you have developed. This is also due to the fact that the supposed search that we want to do is auto-completing. And, once we have reached the website we wanted, by continuing to click on that page, the beep continues to sound. On all those occasions, our computer is sending information about our activity to Google .
How this tool works
This application developed by Bert Hubert not only works in Google Chrome. Basically, because it has been shown to work in Firefox as well. So it is not only a matter of the browser of the American company. In addition, this software already has a name “Googerteller“. But, now, how does this tool that warns us by beeps work?
Well, Googerteller works using the list of IP addresses , which are provided completely free of charge by Google, since they are associated with the many services of the American company, although not with those related to Google Cloud. So keep in mind that every time your computer connects to one of those IP addresses, whether it’s while you’re using a program or browsing the web, it beeps.
This is why, even when we are writing what we want to search for in the address or search bar, the browser itself is already sending data, since it carries out different requests for autocomplete suggestions for the user. And in the case of beeps on click, it’s also because with every click on a page, it connects to Google . If you want to try it yourself, you should keep in mind that for now it is designed for Linux-based operating systems only.