Comment by doe_eyes
6 months ago
> Like can Google query any Chrome instance in the world? Or is it only from/to google.com?
I'm sorry, I don't understand the distinction you're trying to make? Yes, it sounds like the API is exposed just to the content running on *.google.com, but that's still a lot like "Google can query any Chrome instance" (that visits their site, but that's ~100% given that even if you don't visit Google services, Chrome pulls in NTP content from Google by default).
I don't think this is being used maliciously, but it's still problematic if Google can troubleshoot problems this way, and their competitors in the same space can't. There's no API for Zoom, right?
That API is available to all extensions. So Zoom could create an extension that uses that API and get their users to install that extension and approve the permission for that API.
Is there a reason why Google can't get its users to install the extension and approve the permission for that API?
I would theorize the reason Google doesn't go through that process is that it's unrealistic to expect users en mass to do that, and the only way to get wide rollout would be to build it into a browser by default and then for good measure to hide the fact that it's installed -- something which, notably, Zoom can't do.
But I mean, if it's no big deal to get users to install an extension, then Google can stop bundling it by default and instead ask users to install it, right?