Wednesday this week, Google announced that in their forthcoming versions of Chrome, they will gradually roll out several different actions to protect their users against unwanted and unexpected content in the browser.
It is a particularly undesirable redirection to other websites that Google will be alive.
Wednesday this week, Google announced that in their forthcoming versions of Chrome, they will gradually roll out several different actions to protect their users against unwanted and unexpected content in the browser.
It is a particularly undesirable redirection to other websites that Google will be alive.
Informal instead of redirect
Product Manager for Chrome, Ryan Schoen, writes in a blog post that their users provide feedback about mainly three different types of unwanted redirection.
The first problem Google addresses is when a website navigates to a new and unwanted page unexpectedly and apparently without any obvious cause.
This is often due to Google's third-party content that is part of the site, and without the website owner having any intention to forward its users.
To correct this and make sure that the reader stays on the website they were on, Chrome 64 will display an information field instead of redirecting the page without notice.
The information box that appears will display a message in the following style: "Success! The navigation was blocked. »
Note that this mainly concerns content tagged as an iframe element in the webpage's HTML code.
Detects attempts to bypass popup blocking
Another problem Chrome users often report is pushing a link and opening it to a new tab - while the window or tab you were in navigating to another and unwanted page.
Product Manager The Schoen writes that websites that behave like this, in practice, try - and succeed - to bypass Chromes embedded popup block.
The popup blocker for Chrome 65, according to Schoen, will behave like this if the site tries to redirect the tab you were in:
Gets attack on dummy buttons
A third problem, according to Schoen, according to Schoen, Chrome users often report is that links to third-party sites are often disguised as video playback buttons.
In addition, there are certain websites that have transparent overlays that capture all of your clicks when you think you click on something else.
Such inadvertent clicks may open new unwanted windows or tabs, or download unwanted content.
Starting in early January next year, Chrome's built-in popup blocker will prevent such misleading content from opening new tabs and windows.
Own tool for website owners
Chrome also announced what they call "Abusive Experiences Report."
This tool allows those who run the site to see feedback about unwanted and unexpected content on their site, directly from users.
The owners of the site can thus remove unwanted content. If they do not grab within 30 days, Chrome will automatically prevent new windows and tabs from being opened from the site.