Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

https://fosstodon.org/@Joe_0237/111145684757912952

This thread I quote from is dated October, 2023, but I imagine (because I am delusional!) that this is ongoing.
The post also contains methods for not using google and ways to reptoduce their findings.

Today I found out that google docs infects html exports with spyware, no scripts, but links in your document are replaced with invisible google tracking redirects. I was using their software because a friend wanted me to work with him on a google doc, he is a pretty big fan of their software, but we were both somehow absolutely shocked that they would go that far.

Google Docs exports automatically infected with tracking links:

txt - unaffected
html + AFFECTED
odt - unaffected
pdf - unaffected
epub + AFFECTED
rtf - unaffected
docx - unaffected

sample web html <a> tag:
<a class="c4" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://wi ... on.org/</a>

sample epub xhtml <a> tag:
<a class="c5" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://wi ... on.org/</a>

Surveillance Capitalism is their most profitable business to sell metadata on the secret markets.

Of course Google and others will do everything to track you.