iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 04/05/2026

Excited about privacy and real-world impact? Together with @umariqbal.bsky.social and and Hieu Le, I’m co-organising the second edition of the PR2 Workshop. Join us to discuss how privacy research can shape real-world policy – or even give a talk. More details: pr2.technologypolicyworkshop.org

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 22/10/2025

Pepsi is a coke without dignity. Outside the US I can nowhere find a full sugar version. It's all full of sweeteners. I'm heartbroken to find out that this even is the case in Asia. #toughlife

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/04/2025

Looking for a new PhD to do some really exciting stuff. Application is under this link: vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric...

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

These all are just some examples of how Chrome to reinforces Google’s cross-market dominance. There are many others. Controlling this behaviour will be impossible by just making simple changes to Google. Therefore, forcing Google to sell Chrome seems the only option. 8/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

More generally, Google has, for years, been engaging in strategic acquisitions to become the most widely used service across many categories. The slide below, in bold, highlights, which of Google's services are the result of an acquisition. Most services are. Is Google then really so innovative? 7/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

Conversely, Google uses its dominance in online services (incl. search) and ads to reinforce Chrome's dominance, particularly through dark patterns and an abuse of web standards. For example, Google bombards non-Chrome users with prompts to install Chrome on its websites. 6/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

On the one hand, Google uses Chrome to reinforce its monopoly in online ads and online services (incl. search),by self-preferencing and subpar "privacy" options in Chrome. For example, if you sign in with your Google account anywhere, Chrome sends your browsing history to Google to show you ads. 5/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

Also, Google also operates its own distribution channels for search: Android and Chrome are the primary ones. This is where the monopoly concerns about Chrome come in. We identified Google's "Holy Trinity" that describes how Google systematically uses Chrome to reinforce its monopoly. 4/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

In order to foster its monopoly in search, Google tries to control the distribution channels for search: phones (e.g. iPhones) and desktop browsers (e.g. Firefox). Google pays the major operators of distribution channels billions of dollars every year to have Google set as the default search. 3/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

The thing about Chrome is that its development and operation costs billions of US dollars. A profit-oriented company like Google wouldn't do this out of good will but rather because they expect a significant return on their investment. 2/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 30/11/2024

The US gov wants Google to sell Chrome to stop Google' monopoly in online search. But don't we all love Chrome? ❤️ Why then sell it ? Let me explain, having published the first in-depth research article about this with @zubair-shafiq.bsky.social and others, and recently given a talk about this. 🧵1/9

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 24/07/2024

🚨 New pre-print – dark times for privacy. For 10+ years, Google has allowed #Android users to limit data sharing for online ads. We find that this does.. NOT much. The same goes for Californians, when they exert their LEGAL right to limit sale or sharing of their data. Link: arxiv.org/abs/2407.14938

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 06/02/2024

My first lectures at Maastricht Uni yesterday. Naturally, I put on the same clothes as in 2016 – when I first visited the law faculty here.

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 06/01/2024

Project of the day: upgrading my old Gameboy batteries. They hold the save games and have a lifetime of about 20 years. So, it's been about time to swap them.

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 05/01/2024

This was as close as I managed to get. Japanese cups.

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konrad kollnig @kollnig.net · 05/01/2024

Spent the afternoon trying to find nice English café cups in Maastricht – to no avail. It's really sad that "quality dishes" have come down to this..

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