Topics essentially works like this: rather than using cookies to track people around the web and figure out their interests from the sites they visit and the apps they use, websites can ask Chrome directly, via its Topics JavaScript API, what sort of things the user is interested in, and then display ads based on that. Chrome picks these topics of interest from studying the user’s browser history.
Isn’t this completely immoral? They are literally stealing the users private browsing history and uses it to boost their own profits.
To be fair, they immediately give the option to disable it.
Who wants to bet the option to disable doesn’t actually disable?
Who also wants to bet that every update has a 10% chance of re-enabling it
It should not be enabled by default.
I’m all for local topic analysis to replace tracking, but they did intentionally use confusing language to trick users into not opting out.
If you’re going to make something opt-out, at least be honest about it. I fully understand why they went the opt-out route, but they didn’t need to be so slimy about it.