Software
Google gave Chrome improved privacy controls with its latest update
Power users know there are plenty of bells and whistles about privacy and security inside Google's Chrome browser — plenty of knobs that can be digitally modified to monitor your experience along those lines.
Among the updates, the management of cookies inside Chrome will now be simpler, while "Site Settings" has also been updated to simplify the different site permissions from which you may select. Now you'll see "You and Google" at the top of the Chrome settings (where you used to see "People") where you can find sync controls that allow you to control what data is shared with Google and make it accessible across your devices.
And the feature "Clear browsing data" has now been moved to the top of the section "Privacy & Security"
In a company blog post penned by Google's senior product manager AbdelKarim Mardini, it's explained that: "These new updates and features will be coming to Chrome on desktop platforms in the coming weeks, including our redesigned privacy and security settings. As you browse the web with Chrome, we will continue to concentrate on features that protect your privacy and security, as well as giving you simple and useful choices to manage your data.
Let's go through the improvements that build on the updates that Google Chrome has seen in recent months, bringing renewed attention to protecting extensions and passwords for users.
We mentioned the settings for updated controls. With regard to the latest "Safety Test" interface that is now integrated into Chrome, its advantages include letting you know if any passwords that you've stored and asked Chrome to recall were compromised. And not just that but how to fix it.
Also security check:
- Alert you if Safe Browsing is turned off — Safe Browsing, Google technology that warns you before you visit a unsafe site or download a hazardous program or extension.
- You can also use Safety Check to check whether your Chrome version is current
- And if you happen to have any malicious extensions installed, Safety Check can tell you how to remove them and where.
Changes to today also include an upgrade to browsing in Incognito mode. In addition to dumping your cookies whenever you close the Incognito browser window, Google says that the blocking of third party cookies during each Incognito session would also begin by default. Users will also be able to allow third-party cookies for specific sites by clicking the "head" icon in the address bar, a function which will roll out slowly first on desktops and then on Ios.
There are also two more additional opt-in apps. The first is Improved Safe Browsing, which will allow Chrome to proactively test if pages and downloads are hazardous when this function is turned on (by submitting details to Google Safe Browsing). This function will be further optimized in the coming year, with Google adding additional security including tailor-made alerts for phishing sites and downloads of files, as well as cross-referencing.
