This warning you need to take seriously
Google is in something of a bind with Chrome. Its hard-earned reputation for tracking is proving hard to shake, which isn’t helped by Apple’s latest, brutal attack. But at the same time, the search giant does appear to be expending serious effort to make the world’s most popular browser safer for its 3 billion users.
And so it is with Google’s critical new Chrome update as shared by Windows Report—significantly raising the ante when it comes to warning users against downloading dangerous files online. “This change, aimed at improving security, will replace the current method of warning users about potentially dangerous downloads… Instead of a small dialog box, users will see a full-page warning.”
The new approach goes much further than just enlarging the warning—the idea being that it’s impossible to miss and you really need to deliberately hit the risk button. “Download warning,” the bright-red, full-page interstitial webpage shouts out at you. “This file contains malware or comes from a suspicious site.”
Current dialog box warning
There’s even a cheeky little “ tell us why you’re downloading this file anyway” survey, that basically asks users to explain why they’re taking the risk despite the bright-red, full-page alert. This is definitely a case of “you’ve been warned.”
The new update is in development, but we can assume it will be with us soon. It comes as part of a package of initiatives from Google for desktop and mobile users to make browsing safer. These include utilizing AI to assess risky page visits, and background defenses such as preventing session cookie theft and tackling the scourge of memory safety bugs that open the door to Chrome’s dreaded zero-days.
New full-page warning
But Google’s tougher Chrome battle remains its reputation for tracking and for tying the world’s most popular browser to the world’s most valuable advertising machine. This is the theme in Apple’s powerful new “you are being watched” privacy ads that blatantly attack Chrome and promote Safari as a safer alternative.
Google’s solution to this is its Privacy Sandbox, which seeks to replace tracking cookies with something that anonymizes users while still allowing those users to be targeted with relevant ads based on their grouped profiles. Apple has attacked this approach as well, though, claiming it will not end digital fingerprinting as promised.
And so Google continues to walk the fine line between protecting and tracking users. But for those of you that have elected Chrome as your default, tracking is clearly less harmful than downloading malware, and so this latest revelation is most welcome.
Please try to click on that “I’m willing to accept the risk” option as little as you can.