Google announces new privacy features for Chrome browser

Google announces new privacy features for Chrome browser

Google has announced a new set of privacy features for its popular Chrome web browser. These features are designed to give users more control over their online privacy and to make it easier for them to manage their data.

The new features include Enhanced Safe Browsing, Secure DNS, improved cookie controls, and Chrome Actions.

Google Chrome browser

Enhanced Safe Browsing

Enhanced Safe Browsing is a feature that provides users with even more protection against phishing and malware attacks. Chrome will now proactively check for potential security threats, and provide users with more warnings about unsafe downloads and extensions.

The feature is an extension of Google's existing Safe Browsing technology, which has been protecting Chrome users from malware and phishing attacks for over a decade. With Enhanced Safe Browsing, Chrome will be able to detect and block more types of malicious content, including malware and phishing websites.

Secure DNS

Secure DNS is another new privacy feature that encrypts the DNS requests that Chrome makes. DNS (Domain Name System) is the system that translates human-readable domain names (such as google.com) into IP addresses that computers can use to connect to websites. DNS hijacking is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to redirect users to malicious websites or to steal sensitive information.

By encrypting DNS requests, Chrome will help protect users from these types of attacks. The feature will be enabled by default for all Chrome users, and will use DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) to encrypt DNS requests.

Improved cookie controls

Cookies are small files that websites use to track user activity and serve personalized content and ads. While cookies can be useful, they can also be used to track users across different websites and build detailed profiles of their behavior.

Chrome will now provide users with more information about the cookies that websites use to track their online activity. Users will be able to see more details about the cookies, including their lifespan and the website that set them. This will make it easier for users to decide which cookies they want to keep and which ones they want to delete.

In addition, Chrome will now also offer a new setting called "cookie clearance". This setting will allow users to clear all cookies when they exit Chrome, or to only clear certain cookies based on their lifespan or the website that set them.

Chrome Actions

Chrome Actions is a new feature that allows users to perform certain tasks in Chrome by typing simple commands into the address bar. For example, users can now type "delete history" or "update browser" to quickly perform these tasks without having to navigate through menus.

Chrome Actions is designed to make it easier for users to perform common tasks in Chrome, and to provide a more intuitive way to interact with the browser.

Conclusion

These new privacy features are a welcome addition to Chrome, and will undoubtedly be appreciated by users who are concerned about their online privacy. With Enhanced Safe Browsing, Secure DNS, improved cookie controls, and Chrome Actions, Google is taking important steps to make the web a safer and more secure place for everyone.

In a blog post announcing the new features, Google noted that privacy and security are "fundamental to everything we do at Google". The company also emphasized its commitment to transparency and user control, stating that it wants to give users "the information they need to make informed decisions about their privacy and security online".

Google has been working on these new privacy features for Chrome for some time, as part of the company's ongoing efforts to improve user privacy on the web. With these new features, Chrome users will have more tools at their disposal to protect their online privacy and stay safe on the web.