Solved Vivaldi Should Hide CPU utilization from google (cpu.getInfo, Meet/Hangouts)

thejesse

Is it possible for Vivaldi to block this function?

https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/9/hangout_servicesthunkjs/

I tried it on the console and it does seem to report back cpu data -presume google can still access this on google sites?

mib2berlin

@thejesse
Hi, you can disable it in Settings > Privacy and Security.

Cheers, mib

barbudo2005

I would be very embarrassed if it became known that my CPU utilization was averaging 85%.

Kjala

Got this video from mental outlaw about google baking Google Hangouts extension into Chrome and is also found in other chromium-based browser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d6oPq73svY
Did Vivaldi just let it be or disable it?

mib2berlin

@Kjala
Hi, as mentioned above, you can disable it in Vivaldi.
This is enabled by default because many user use Google Meet for there work, the same for the Web Store.

Cheers, mib

supermurs

Hi,

I ran into this discussion on /r/firefox today:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40918052

I tested this on google.com with Vivaldi by opening Dev Tools, going to console and pasting this:

chrome.runtime.sendMessage(
        'nkeimhogjdpnpccoofpliimaahmaaome', {
            method: 'cpu.getInfo'
        }, response => {
            console.log('CPU Info:\n', JSON.stringify(response, null, 2));
        }
    );

This returned values from my own system. Is this something to be worried about?

Link to the thread if you are interested: https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1dzduia/chrome_gives_all_googlecom_sites_full_access_to/

EDIT: Thank you so much, I didn't find this thread myself but now all is well, I blocked the Meet extension.

Kjala

@barbudo2005 They prolly have a grid

Kjala

@mib2berlin No one needs it because it was for Google Hangouts which is dead so extra bloat. Google Meet works on Firefox which isn't baked with google hangouts extension. Vivaldi should be one the top privacy browsers even above chromium.

mib2berlin

@Kjala
I don`t understand you, disable it and ready.

Kjala

@mib2berlin I just think opt in is just better for Vivaldi's reputation than optout. I just disabled it but kinda don't like the feeling when youtubers bundle Vivaldi with other chromium based browsers that have it enabled. Brave will have its Nightly build with the extension disabled by default I hope Vivaldi follows suit.

Oboe22

An article quoted on Daring Fireball here:

[https://daringfireball.net/linked/2024/07/12/google-chrome-system-monitoring](link url)

alleges Google Chrome, *gives all .google.com sites full access to system / tab CPU usage, GPU usage, and memory usage. It also gives access to detailed processor information, and provides a logging backchannel.

It also claims that other Chromium-based browsers allow this to happen as they have not removed the Google code that allows it.

The question is whether Vivaldi, being Chromium-based, allows this Google monitoring to take place or whether the relevant code has been removed.

The major reason for using Vivaldi is that it is not Google Chrome. Given Vivaldi's attitude to privacy, I would expect all Google monitoring to have been removed. Can anyone confirm that it has?

Oboe22

@Oboe22
The mods have moved my question here.

I missed the ability to disable Google Meet and the Google Webstore. However, reading the above posts the question still remains as to whether Vivaldi allows background contact with all other Google sites., with the transmission of cpu, tab data and so on.

You could argue that it's for code optimisation and development purposes, but for someone who has zero trust in Google, even that's a stretch.

I can understand Meet and the Webstore being opt-out, but does this mean that the background contact with other Google sites referred to in the Daring Fireball article still occurs?

Pathduck

@Oboe22 Hangouts (Meet) is a built-in extension in Chromium browsers.

Its manifest looks like this:

{
  // Manifest V3 version of the extension, otherwise equivalent to manifest_v2.json.
  // Only one of manifest_v2.json or manifest_v3.json will be loaded, chosen at
  // runtime based on the kHangoutsExtensionV3 base feature.

  // Extension ID: nkeimhogjdpnpccoofpliimaahmaaome
  "key": "MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDAQt2ZDdPfoSe/JI6ID5bgLHRCnCu9T36aYczmhw/tnv6QZB2I6WnOCMZXJZlRdqWc7w9jo4BWhYS50Vb4weMfh/I0On7VcRwJUgfAxW2cHB+EkmtI1v4v/OU24OqIa1Nmv9uRVeX0GjhQukdLNhAE6ACWooaf5kqKlCeK+1GOkQIDAQAB",

  "name": "Google Hangouts",
  // Note: Always update the version number when this file is updated. Chrome
  // triggers extension preferences update on the version increase.
  "version": "1.4.0",
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "externally_connectable": {
    "matches": [
      "https://*.google.com/*"
    ]
  },
  "background": {
    "service_worker": "thunk.js"
  },
  "incognito": "split",
  "permissions": [
    "desktopCapture",
    "enterprise.hardwarePlatform",
    "processes",
    "system.cpu",
    "webrtcAudioPrivate",
    "webrtcDesktopCapturePrivate",
    "webrtcLoggingPrivate"
  ]
}

Note the "matches" string and the permissions.
system.cpu is an API call available to all extensions:
https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/api/system/cpu

There are several extensions on the store that use this functionality so I guess at least some people find it useful.
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/system-monitor-for-cpu-me/fcofohckagnahikfankmacbepefilmof
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/system-cpu-usage/lheidmgnkjapapjngpmkfomgmdcjokoh
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/system-info/ajeapkolnhblcfaapiifkeknkknpliia

As to why Chromium-based browsers need an extension to use Google Meet, I have no idea about the details.

barbudo2005

This post is deleted!

Oboe22

@Pathduck

Thanks for the info. I see why some extensions might want to obtain this information regarding CPU usage, as it would be useful to the developer.

Fair enough, but my problem is that it appears this information, together with tabs, system usage, etc., is relayed back to Google.

I guess it means that it's impossible to totally 'de-Google' any Chromium-based browser.