Yes, "it runs entirely in the background" means it tracks the hell out of you, across websites.

Basically you are blocked if you care about privacy and refuse this tracking.

That's what I'm willing to call "hostile". I'd say, it's even worse than picking a few pictures, which is already hostile.

That's about it. Horrible user experience - oh you're about to pay us, just click a few sidewalks first - and condescension of asking people to do a menial task that improves their ML models. But forcing you to use one of their sanctioned browsers and let the record what they want to is where the real hostility comes in. Its exercising monopoly power to squeeze more out of people and repress competition, I'd call that hostile.

Which is still miles less hostile than a website forcing you to prove you are not a bot, every single time, which was the point.

>pretty much the only time you'll see a prompt is if you're using a VPN, Tor, or specifically block it.

Or using a non Google browser or using an account that Google doesn't like (because they can't associate it with a real identity or whatever.)