Google Chrome gets a mind of its own for some security fixes

Google has enhanced Chrome's Safety Check so that it can make some security decisions on the user's behalf. Safety Check debuted in 2020 as a way to check when passwords stored in Chrome have been compromised, to encourage browser updates, and to warn users when websites have been deemed unsafe by Google's Safe Browsing …

[Irongut]

I have a simpler solution - don't give websites permissions. I've never found a need for a website to know my location, access my camera or mic or send me notifications.

[PRR]

> never found a need for a website to know my location

In my other tab I am watching the fedEx truck navigate my neighborhood so I know when it will come. Yes, I signed-up and logged-in to get this intimate information.

[DS999]

Your browser doesn't need to know your location for that to happen. FedEx knows the destination of your package via the tracking number.

There are very very few cases where that's necessary, and even fewer for camera, microphone, USB and bluetooth which are other permissions that browsers should basically never have, but stuff that Google pushed into the standard and immediately implemented in Chrome. We all know why.

[the spectacularly refined chap]

It all depends and obviously you need to use discretion but the ability to e.g. send someone an MS Teams link and have them join a meeting via browser almost as if it was an installed app is a killer feature for us. Don't know how we would have got through COVID without it.

[sev.monster]

Just because you don't see the benefit, doesn't mean there isn't any. And some (weird) people really do see enough benefit in the services they receive when they give away their info.

[EricB123]

Easy for some people to do, almost impossible for others

When you move often, or live in another country, it's not so easy to turn off location for every app.

[sev.monster]

So how long until uBlock Origin's access to websites is considered a security threat and automatically removed?

[David 132]

With Manifest v3, I'm not sure that UBO has any decent access to websites or the browser any more anyway.

I'm sticking with Firefox here.

[sev.monster]

It really doesn't, though there are workarounds. I've read there's been some flip-flopping on if uBO will be supported post-Mv3, or if uBO Lite will replace it permanently.

I'm sticking with LibreWolf.

[Pascal Monett]

On my smartphone I use Brave

The interdiction of ads has saved me a lot of bandwidth, and time.

[Phil Koenig]

Big Brother

As the users get more and more tech illiterate, Google gets more and more big-brotherish.

Which is fine for that demographic as long as it doesn't impact me.

The problem is, it often does.

For example on recent Android versions they have adopted this annoying practice of revoking app permissions "for your own good" because they think you are not using that app often enough.

I don't need or want this sort of "help".

At least with browsers I can just use a different one if I don't like such "help".