Chrome fails to delete user data from Google sites
The author documents a bug in Google Chrome where user data from google.com is not automatically deleted when closing a window, despite this feature being enabled in Chrome settings. This is similar to a problem the author reported six years ago, which Google fixed at the time, but now appears to be recurring. The author attributes this to incompetence rather than malice but emphasizes that Google has no excuse for such a fundamental failure.
I won't start pushing conspiracy theories, but we live in an era where leaks have become sophisticated marketing tools during product launches, so why couldn't Google "accidentally" forget to delete user data if it could be advantageous for them?
What is the recurring Chrome bug the author describes?
Chrome violates user settings for automatic data deletion by exempting google.com from data purge. The author found that cookies, local storage, and session storage from google.com persist even after all windows are closed, contrary to the configured setting.
What types of data are being retained without user consent?
Specifically cookies, local storage, and session storage from the google.com domain, stored in the user's Chrome profile directory in the Application Support folder.
Does Google have an incentive to keep this data stored?
Retained data allows Google to track users and personalize services even for logged-out users. While the author prefers to attribute this to a bug (Hanlon's razor), the possibility that Google benefits from not fixing the issue is not entirely ruled out.
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