Google Chrome, the world’s most used browser has privacy issues. Google announced it will postpone FLoC until 2023 that will remove third-party cookies. After the Safety check, the company is now integrating a subpage into Privacy and security settings that allow users to hunt for privacy issues in Chrome. The “Privacy guard” feature is now available in Chrome 99 Canary to take a look at.
Chrome blocks third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode, but not in normal browsing.
Removing tracking cookies causes advertisers to lose money and may break websites when users browse.
Google is working on FLoC to balance this out, but, the company has stopped feature rollout for another two years.
Meanwhile, there is a new Privacy and Security review feature available in the Chrome development build.
The Privacy guide feature exists for some time back behind a flag, it started working today, and reveals what features you’re using in Chrome at expense of your Privacy.
Google says you can “customize the privacy choices that chrome considers most important” and informs “This (the) guide doesn’t include every setting and option”
To get started, ensure you’re using the latest Chrome Canary or later
Hands-on Chrome’s Privacy review or Privacy guide feature
- Visit chrome://flags
- Search for “Privacy Review”, Enable it, and restart the browser.
- Click on the menu and select Settings
- Select Privacy and security
- Click on the Privacy guide
- Click on Get started, followed by Click on Next and click “Back to Settings” when the review is complete.
Let us take a look at the Cards Chrome shows while reviewing the browser’s privacy and security settings.
1. With the “Make searches and browsing better” card available today, Chrome reveals “What you Get”, “What you Share with Google”:
I.You’ll get faster browsing when you share URLs of Pages you visit with Google
Example: “proactively load specific further content based on the current Page”
II. You’ll get improved browsing when the URLs are shared with Google to understand browsing behavior
For instance: Chrome shows suggestions in the Omnibox before you start typing.
III. Improved Chrome using Page metrics.
This is just the first card, more cards coming your way to check Chrome Settings. Hope you like it.
2. Chrome comes with Safe browsing protection enabled by default. The technology protects against websites, downloads, and extensions that may harm your device.
With the Safe Browsing card, Chrome asks you to try enabling Enhanced Protection to get ‘faster, proactive protection against dangerous websites, downloads, and extensions. Warns you about password breaches.”
While Standard protection requires sending some of the pages to safe browsing, Enhanced Protection requires sending more data such as URLs, some of the pages, downloads an extension activity, and system information to find new threats.
3. Cookies card:
Through the new card, Chrome allows blocking third-party cookies that track activities in incognito as well as normal browsing.
While cookies are needed to keep you signed in to a website or to remember items in your shopping cart, but third-party cookies can be by advertisers or sites to serve personalized ads to you when you’re not incognito.
Blocking these cookies may break cookies. exercise caution before blocking them in regular browsing.
Note: The following cards appeared when the feature work is in progress and were not present when this post was last updated, we’re keeping it for you to check anyway.
Chrome’s “Clear cookies on exit“.
The aim of it is to educate and let users turn on the feature where Chrome allows clearing cookies and site data when you close all browser windows.
This setting is available on the chrome://settings/Cookies page -> “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows”.
Through the card, Chrome lets you know about it and gives you another chance to look at it and possibly turn it on if you haven’t already.
Note: But, it is not recommended to turn on the Setting. You have to enter login credentials on the website again and again with every session if you wipe cookies.
Review Sync history:
When you sign into Chrome with a Google account and enable sync, Passwords, browsing history, and others will be available on other devices.
The third card asks to “review sync history”, it says, synchronization allows you to continue your browsing session and see chrome history on all of your synced devices. For this, the URLs of websites you visit will be saved to your Google Account. Soon, the card will offer a button to toggle sync history on Chrome.
More on Chrome:
Google to make Chrome’s Keyword Search feature more discoverable and useful
Chrome on the desktop gets Native Screenshot Tool
Chrome is integrating Memories into History Page
Chrome 94: Chrome Settings page is updated to improve navigation