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You might also have gotten that impression when it auto-installed through unrelated chip.de downloads [1], without a way to opt out.

This [2] post also documents Cliqz being covertly auto-installed with .NET Framework.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/74vt08/psa_huber_b...

[2] https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_m...

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> This [2] post also documents Cliqz being covertly auto-installed with .NET Framework.

No, it documents the same thing as the other link - that unrelated chip.de downloads (including .NET Framework, though I have no idea why anyone in their right mind would source that from chip.de) are by default wrapping any downloads in a "secure CHIP installer" which is chock full of dodgy adware installations, apparently including Cliqz without any mention or option to remove.

Yes, the default installers from chip.de were embedding Cliqz and used malware distribution techniques to have Cliqz stealthily installed along with other software. The important part is that Chip and Cliqz are owned by the same parent company, Hubert Burda Media.

I wasn't referring to the official .NET Framework installer either that's shipped by Microsoft.

TIL about Hubert Burda Media. They also own Cyberport, Focus, HolidayCheck, the German Huffington Post and Xing.

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