The Chrome browser is one of the core products in Google’s catalog. The company sends updates from time to time to improve the user experience in multiple areas. Today, Google announced an update focused on the security and privacy of Chrome users. The company is making the Safety Check system smarter, making it easier to unsubscribe from website notifications, and enabling single-use permissions.
The Safety Check system is now smarter and more autonomous
Safety Check is a tool that monitors what happens in Chrome based on your usage to ensure that everything is in order. Safety Check’s responsibilities include warnings about potentially dangerous websites, integrity checks of your passwords, and notifications about security updates, among other things. Now, the latest Chrome update makes it a more autonomous system that is present during your browsing experience.
Previously, Safety Check operated silently for most tasks. It will now be more proactive about alerting you about what it does (or what you can do) to keep you safe while browsing the Internet. For example, it is now able to disable permissions granted to websites you haven’t visited in a while. The system will also revoke permissions to websites determined to be dangerous by Google Safe Browsing filters.
The enhanced Safety Check can also suggest notifications from websites that could be classified as “spam.” It can also alert you about pending actions that could improve browsing security. For instance, it might prompt you to update your password on a compromised website. The tool can scan your extensions to see if any of them pose security risks. In short, Safety Check becomes a “pseudo assistant” that you can’t talk to.
Unsubscribe to website notifications with one tap
Chrome is getting a useful and convenient feature on phones. You may have subscribed to notifications from certain websites, for one reason or another. You can always disable the subscription, but you need to dig into Chrome’s settings, which can be a bit cumbersome. However, Chrome will offer you with the option to unsubscribe directly from one of a website’s notification. Basically, you can now do with a single tap what previously required digging into the browser’s settings. The feature is available on Pixel phones, and non-Pixel devices will get it “coming soon.”
Chrome’s latest privacy and security update also includes single-use permissions
Lastly, Chrome’s security update also includes single-use permissions. You’ll now be able to grant certain permissions to websites, and Chrome will disable them once you close the website. This will be especially useful for permissions like microphone and camera access. This gives you more granular control over your privacy while browsing the web. The feature will be available for Chrome on both phones and PCs.
