Google Chrome is downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model onto users' machines without consent, with no opt-in, no opt-out short of enterprise tooling, and an automatic re-download every time the user deletes it. The pattern is identical to the Anthropic Claude Desktop case I wrote about last month, but the scale is between two and three orders of magnitude larger. This article does the legal analysis and, for the first time, the environmental analysis. The numbers are not small.
Use Shizuku and Canta to uninstall any uninstallable app. Or if you don’t want to bother, just disabling works fine too as long as you are not worried about the storage.
The only ways to make the deletion stick are to disable Chrome’s AI features through chrome://flags or enterprise policy tooling that home users do not generally have, or to uninstall Chrome entirely
It can probably be reverted at their whim at any time
You probably don’t have access to it
It is the most realistic option, just use another non chromium browser
Uninstall chrome
And install Firefox or one of its many forks.
Can you even uninstall chrome on an android phone? I only get the option to disable.
Use Shizuku and Canta to uninstall any uninstallable app. Or if you don’t want to bother, just disabling works fine too as long as you are not worried about the storage.
You can use adb on a computer to remove chrome.
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/188524/how-can-i-uninstall-google-chrome-on-my-android-and-recommend-a-suitable-replace#231279
this is very helpful info, thank you, didn’t realize this was possible.
That depends on the ROM you are using.
The one i am using (https://iode.tech/) is using a firefox based browser that you can actually uninstall.
Is this happening on android, too?
I don’t think so… yet… So not as disconcerting tbf, but curious to if it will come out of nowhere at some point, just like this.
Probably not stock Android. I’m on GrapheneOS and it doesn’t come with Chrome at all. But I don’t think the article is claiming it happens on Android.
Vanadium is Chrome derived; but I’m sure Graphene de-enshittifies it to the maximum possible extent.
Technically speaking, it is chromium derived which does make the difference in this instance.
So it just to the Chrome app?
The article actually gives 3 options:
Even Chromium should be fine. I doubt it has the branded Google AI features.