UnChrome?

Gornot · 28 Dec 2010

No, this is not a troll post against Chrome...
But it might be against Google

I found this weird thing called UnChrome and this is what the webpage says:

According to Google, "Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier." However, each Google Chrome installation contains a unique ID that identifies its user. Google doesn't make it an easy job to remove this ID.

UnChrome helps you with this task. It replaces your unique ID with Null values so that your browser can no longer be identified. The functionality of Google Chrome is not affected by this. You only need to apply UnChrome once.

Has anyone heard about and/or tested this? I am curious to find out if it actually works.

marsmimar · 28 Dec 2010

The first time I heard about Unchrome was from forum member A Guy in this thread:

Was it just me or is IE faster than Firefox at the moment???

Gornot · 28 Dec 2010

Well, except the link, he doesn't say anything. I still don't know anything about it... Like, if it actually works and/or does it impose any security risk(s) concerning my sistem... The usual stuff.

Flattyraccoon · 28 Dec 2010

You could give SRWare Iron a try. I have been using it in place of Chrome from the start and haven't had any issues with it. SRWare Iron comparison. Hope it helps, later.

Gornot · 28 Dec 2010

Hmm, can I use regular Google extensions with it?

EDIT: nevermind, tested it myself...
I am still curious about UnChrome, though.

marsmimar · 28 Dec 2010

The parent company of Unchrome is Abelssoft. They're located in Germany and have been in business since 1994. Abelssoft is a subsidiary of Ascora GmbH which is involved in business and IT services. They seem to have a solid reputation and offer a fairly diverse collection of software. (Unchrome is at the bottom of the page.)

Based on reputation alone, Unchrome most likely does what it says. But I have not been able to find any kind of test or tool to see what it's doing, how it's doing it, or if it's really working. So out of curiosity I sent an email to Abelssoft. Maybe they'll reply before the end of the year. :)

BadHairSpray · 28 Dec 2010

Just wondering when they talk about "unique ID" they mean that Chrome RLZ project thingy right? I thought there was a way to stop it working from within chrome options....not sure how effective it is (or if it is possible)...

marsmimar · 29 Dec 2010

Gornot said:

I am still curious about UnChrome, though.

Received a reply to my email. Abelssoft said once UnChrome is installed, run the .exe file a second time. When the dialog box opens you should see:
1. Chrome is installed on this computer.
2. UnChrome has been installed. Your privacy is protected.
(Or something to that effect.)

This answer still doesn't provide any specific information on how to independently verify that UnChrome is installed and working. Perhaps you could contact them directly with specific questions.

Contact us - Abelssoft

Gornot · 29 Dec 2010

Thanks for the effort, mate.
The most important thing for me was to see if it actually works and does it impose any security risk...

I guess with UnChrome, I can run GC alongside IE9 for a couple of stuff IE9 doesn't exactly render properly.

mickey megabyte · 29 Dec 2010

i use chromeplus, a tweaked version of chrome, which adds a few features, and takes some away.

one of the things it removes is user behaviour tracking.

Chrome tracks some events such as search engine change, dev tool open, browser update, bookmark creation, browser exit, options change, ClientID and timestamps, theme installation and etc.

personally, i'm not bothered by this, and it isn't the reason that i use chromeplus at all - chromium is an open-source project, so all the program code is right out there available for inspection by those who like doing that sort of thing, so i would be surprised if the developers put in anything really sneaky.