New Chrome security features seek to better protect user privacy


Google is announcing several new Chrome features aimed at better protecting users as they browse the web. 

Safety Check — a tool that checks for compromised passwords, Chrome updates, and other potential security issues in the browser — has been updated to run automatically in the background so that it can be more proactive in protecting users. 

It will now inform users whenever it takes actions, such as revoking permissions from sites that haven’t been visited in a while or flagging potentially unwanted notifications. 

Safety Check also now automatically revokes notification permissions for a site if Google Safe Browsing determines that site deceived users into granting permission in the first place.

In a similar vein, Android users will now be able unsubscribe from site notifications in one click by tapping the “Unsubscribe” button that will now appear in the notifications drawer. This feature is now available on Pixel devices and will be available on more Android devices down the line. 

“This feature has already resulted in a 30 percent reduction in notification volume on supported Pixel devices, and we’re looking forward to bringing it to the broader ecosystem,” Andrew Kamau, product manager from Chrome at Google, wrote in a blog post

And finally, Chrome will now offer the ability for users to grant website permissions for a single visit to the site. For instance, a user could grant the site access to the phone’s mic, and then once the user leaves the site, Chrome revokes the permission and the site will have to ask again the next time they visit. 

“With these new features, you can continue to rely on Chrome for a safer browsing experience that gives you even more control over how you explore the internet,” Kamau concluded.



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