(the link is not paid for, nor does it go to, McAfee, it’s malware)
Can’t wait to fully migrate to Proton.
Security Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Is gud 👍
goodest
Why are there ads in Gmail what is this? I have never seen ads in my Gmail app
They only show if you have categories enabled, and then only on the Promotions category.
And this is why I leave automatic updates off and stopped updating Gmail as soon as I heard they were inserting ads. I know something will probably break to force me to update eventually, but not today!
…updating Gmail?
Is that a thing? It’s a website…doesn’t it update whenever they update it?
It’s an Android app, too. The screenshot you’re seeing is from the app. For the website, I wouldn’t have to worry thanks to uBlock Origin.
Just realized you’re right. They show in all the tabs other than Inbox. Weak.
It made me so mad when they appeared in updates. I don’t use categories anymore and went full inbox zero.
Honestly it still would have been malware if it was actually McAfee.
There are ads in your gmail?
Yes, even though I pay for Google One (sucker, I know).
My Google Workspace email doesn’t have ads.
That’s weird, on android Gmail I don’t get any, even when searching.
Yeah same. I have free personal Gmail and everything.
Go to promotions, they’re all in there.
I have some stuff that falls into promotions, so I check it occasionally.
I don’t have promotions, I must have removed that one
Workspace has stricter requirements, i also pay for Google one and done have ads in my Gmail app.
Gmail serves you ads? Holy shit…
Proton slaps. Strongly recommend. And they keep giving benefits every year for loyalty like more free cloud storage space.
I’m waiting for proper Linux support to drop before fully switching.
Proton Drive is unfortunately useless to me right now, and I get no calendar outside of the web app and Android app.
wdym by linux support? you can just use thunderbird or mutt to read your emails.
Only the VPN and emails work on Linux via the bridge. The calendar doesn’t work, ProtonDrive is only supported through rclone by emulating the macOS client, it’s clunky and incomplete.
ah oki. i didn’t know proton did all that. pretty cool
Unfortunately, just like any private company, it can be bought or sold or just have new owners after the old ones die.
As a company, those great things they do for consumers can change on a whim, especially with new management and sudden need for revenue.
I mean, I remember people saying similar things about Gmail when it was invite only and had 1gb of storage. “It’s the best, why would you use anything else?”
All this time later, not feeling those same things so much, you know?
Proton’s services have been fully open source and regularly audited for years now. Until an audit reveals something or they start locking things down, they are a great option. You shouldn’t refuse to use a service because they might change their mind one day. Unless you expect everyone to roll their own everything.
Gmail was never open source. It was just very ahead of its time with its integrations/offerings.
You shouldn’t refuse to use a service because they might change their mind one day.
Sadly, when it comes to privacy, yes you should. Because privacy today does not equal privacy tomorrow. You can’t magic all your data out of their systems if things change. That’s the issue. I can take their privacy promises today, but if those promises can be changed on a whim by new owners… what good is that privacy promise? It isn’t.
Proton sells privacy. A privacy that can be rescinded.
Unless you expect everyone to roll their own everything.
I know it’s kind of an elitist attitude, but yeah, I fucking do. If they’re really concerned about their privacy.
Ed Snowden didn’t roll up to Glenn Greenwald and go “Yeah, just use any off-the-shelf messaging service that says its private.” No, he made Greenwald roll up his own.
asdfasdfasdfasdf
So you expect the average person to host their own email, cloud file storage, VPN, and web calendar?
Nope, just people who care about their privacy.
You have to live in reality dude. I mean, are you hosting your own instance (I see you have a blahaj account)? Do you not have any logins online on sites that are closed or you don’t control? Do you pay an ISP and let them handle your traffic? Do you use any streaming services? Do you use Steam or play console games?
I am living in reality, and you’re literally making my argument for me.
Just because I understand the implications doesn’t mean I’m a privacy nut myself. I understand the limitations of privacy on the internet, which is why I felt the need to comment on the idea that as long as someone else controls it, it’s not really private. It’s much like cryptocurrency in that respect “Not your keys, not your crypto.”
I’m not saying everyone should do this, but people who are using services like ProtonMail who think they’re a panacea are fucking naive and really should be considering better options if they’re that concerned.
The only way to have real privacy is to disconnect from it all, own your own hardware, and internet connection. I don’t mean renting one from Xfinity. I mean literally owning your own infrastructure. It’s nearly impossible unless you’re ridiculously rich and incredibly tech savvy. Even with that, your data will still pass through other infrastructure not owned by you.
Yet people are dumping money into privacy services whose privacy rules can be changed at any time.
It’s great they’re all open source, but you’re still putting your data on their servers. If the business changes hands, or just changes how they operate, you only have their word that your data is removed, if you want to remove it.
That’s the point I’m making. If you really want online privacy, you’re going to have to go real far to get it, and putting your faith in third parties is just the same game we’ve been playing for decades already. When you give you data to a business, it’s no longer “your” data, it is now a business record.
Sorry that talking about the reality of it means I should go out into the woods myself or something. You can accept the reality without feeling the need to do it yourself, you know? It’s why such services are pointless because they can’t actually offer you a permanent promise of privacy.
@SnotFlickerman what do you work at facebook or something? this kinda privacy doomerism is honestly way worse than any false promises by nordvpn or whatever.
nobody should evaluate security or privacy by looking at something and saying ‘is this perfect?’ because of course it isnt. security is all about understanding the risks youre taking, and choosing to accept risks that are manageable - and that’s absolutely something like proton can help you doasdfasfasdf
deleted by creator
@SnotFlickerman where’s your Lemmy instance
Don’t bother he’s a troll
how does that even make it through google’s qa?
thunderbird and k9 + a monthly donation to thunderbird rule :)
The content of the ads doesn’t matter as long as they’re paying for ads ;)
If you use Gmail badly this it what happens.
I feel like this is more on the user than on the app. Haven’t ever seen anything like this.
It’s the default Gmail layout, the one your average Joe who might seriously click on this would use.
If you remove your Promotions tab, it doesn’t serve you ads.
Exactly my point though.
If you’re using the default settings for anything you’re not going to have as good a time as spending a few minutes removing the crap.
It’s the same whether it’s Windows, Linux, Apple or whatever - the default is generally crap/annoying and you need to configure it.
Yeah no, applications need to be secure by default. Blaming the user does nothing to actually improve the security posture anywhere. The security posture of the app needs to be specifically designed with the least-skilled users in mind because they are also the most vulnerable to this type of problem. Google meanwhile is full of talented engineers who are experts at identifying and combatting this type of malware scam.
To look at it another way, what google is actually doing here is intentionally exposing their users to malware in order to take a cut in the form of advertising revenue.
Remove the “Promotions” tab. Ads are GONE!
As much as I hate Google and corporations altogether, maybe read the friggin’ manual from time to time?
The problem here is they’re serving literal malware in their client, and the categorized view is the default, which the average person will use.
I’ve switched to K9 mail for that account, doesn’t matter what the Gmail client does anymore.
The problem is…you allowed it. Could have just read and avoided the problem altogether. Again, I’m not thrilled with it, which is exactly why I chose to turn it off. Malware doesn’t typically allow you to opt-out.
And let me know when K9 supports Exchange. Unfortunately, some of us still need to use protocols outside of IMAP and POP.
Stop user shaming. You’re attacking an end user instead of attacking the dark pattern. The proper callout is “damn that sucks Gmail shouldn’t be serving ads that look like email btw did you know you can stop using categories to stop getting ads?” When you do things like “you should have known better” you’re completing ignoring the whole “Gmail shouldn’t be serving ads as emails” part.
Removed by mod
I think you very ably demonstrated my point. Thanks!
Look at the bigger picture, the default is what everyone including the elderly, kids, anyone not tech savvy, or anyone that doesn’t want to search for the “don’t serve me malware” setting for their friggin email.
The company is still liable if they officially promote dangerous stuff, even if the user could technically avoid it. Take the Panera Charged Lemonade scandal for example. The user shouldn’t be forced to tiptoe around the email client itself.
I mean…the company is an ad company. Didn’t think I had to explain to users how they make their money, but apparently everyone needs a “coffee is hot” warning on everything.
This isn’t “coffee is hot” though. For naive internet users, this is more equivalent to “coffee will give you small pox”. You really don’t need to defend Google here.
I just think it’s one of the least surprising things I’ve seen Google do in, just about…ever. AND there’s a simple option to remove it. Could probably GOOGLE it, but don’t want to be too much of a boot licker. It just seems like such a nothingburger of an issue while the real late-stage capitalism shit is happening all around us. That’s all. Don’t mean to offend y’all.
It’s great that it’s obvious to you. It is. Glad you’re protected on the internet. Unfortunately, if you’re arguing with people who are savvy enough to be on the fediverss yet find it confusing, then there are many less savvy people, let’s say older folks, whom Google will be serving malware links. Is this not a problem? It’s their fault for not being, what, born later?
No worries, I get it, it’s so much easier to blame the individual rather than accept that everything will get worse and worse due to powerful people and corporations.
Ultimately we should remember not to lower our standards, because if we’re being honest, companies don’t care about making ends meet, they care about growth. So a sustainable business that’s done growing just isn’t enough for them.
After all, if we excuse these ads in categories, Google might treat that as the go ahead to place ads in general inbox too, or remove the option to get rid if ads. If you give them an inch they will take a mile. But I sincerely get your frustration.
Ads are one thing, malware through ads is another. Don’t be pedantic, you know what he’s trying to say.
This isn’t about having ads (though that still sucks) this is about again, company endorsed malware.
If they’re gonna shove ads in email, they need to have the quality control to not have misleading and harmful ads placed in there. Again, think of this as the charged lemonade situation, just because the user can technically avoid the risk, doesn’t mean they’re exempt from reducing the danger they put their users in.
I mean…the company is an ad company
You’d think an ad company would have proper vetting processes so as to not serve literal malware to their users.
Ok thank you for this. I didn’t even know you could add and remove categories
AFAIK ads can be served in any category now. They were limited to promotions for a very long time. I turned off all categories a year or two ago when ads starting showing up in Updates.
What’s proton?
Good question!
It’s a privacy and security-focused productivity suite, mostly known for their Proton Mail product.
They don’t sell your data, they’re mostly open-sourced and get audited frequently.
Hmm interesting, I’ve been wanting to move away from outlook, I may need to look into this.
Hello there, fellow Montrealer!
Yeah I changed my Gmail view recently and I get ads now too.
Allo j’tai reconnu :D
Like I said elsewhere in the thread, I just switched to K9 mail, which is eventually going to become Thunderbird. Hopefully it’s good 🤞
Buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and install McAfee on it. What could possibly go wrong?
This is why I switched to K-9 Mail instead of using GMail because borderline Google was legitimately serving malware not just McAfee which isn’t malware. Since it allows me to have my Gmail and other email accounts in it all at the same time instead of a dedicated app filled with ads leading to real malware.
Oh this doesn’t link to McAfee, this links to a scam site that may or may not send you to McAfee’s website after clicking their big “buy now” button.
why would you open it lmao
I didn’t at first, I went through the kebab menu to report it, and it tells me which domain it points to.
I did click it eventually out of curiosity because I’m on Firefox with an ad blocker and privacy tools.
The link within actually goes to McAfee, but I’m guessing it’s some sort of smart switcher where it sometimes sends you to a fake checkout page?
Wouldn’t it *leading to McAfee be scummy enough as is?
Fr lol
I did click it eventually out of curiosity because I’m on Firefox with an ad blocker and privacy tools.
with javascripts being disabled, right? right?
Yup, noscript 😋
That’s not McAfee, check the URL at the bottom.
I’m aware, the “renew subscription” button goes to McAfee, this is a scam page
Oh man been off the personal plan on gmail for a while (only have gmail for work because my office is on gsuite) and my pal showed this to me recently and I fucking rolled 🤣 I had tutanota an proton for a while but no SMTP support forced me into zoho which is still a millions time better than gmail
The fact that it goes to a malware website makes it 100 times better
