Reply to post: Chrome now installs Spyware that silently scans all files called software_reporter_tool.exe"

Chrome now installs Spyware that silently scans all files called software_reporter_tool.exe"

Yesterday I came back, my notebook running with full fan speed, was hot. Good that I had ProcessExplorer running. It was a new EXE that scanned all my files and tried to upload the log file (incl. filenames and running processes) to Google server! The software_reporter_tool.exe gets silently installed and runs only in idle, when you are not using Windows 7/8/10. And even if you delete the EXE, it gets re-installed the next day by Chrome update process.

@TheRegister: please write an article, we need a public outcry, so that Google stops this spyware

See: https://www.ghacks.net/2018/01/20/how-to-block-the-chrome-software-reporter-tool-software_reporter_tool-exe/

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter\VERSION\software_reporter_tool.exe

On a lot of forums people are complaining for almost two years now, as the process is very sneaky it's hard to spot it being active. Yet it runs on all Windows-PCs that have Chrome installed.

What is worse is that Google employees provide false information on their Google Group forums to downplay the functionality, how to deactivate it (no, there is no entry in the software control panel!).

The only way to get rid of it, is to delete the files, but keep the "\SwReporter" folder, but remove all permissions, effectively lock out everyone, so that even one himself cannot open it anymore with Explorer.

I urge everyone to install a Chromium Windows build, or Brave, Vivaldi, etc.