Google is persistently encouraging users to enable its Enhanced Safe Browsing functionality through repeated alerts in Gmail, which continue to reappear even after being acknowledged.
Introduced in 2007, Enhanced Safe Browsing serves as an enhancement to Google's regular Safe Browsing feature. This feature provides alerts to users when they access websites that are recognised as phishing or malware sites.
Contrasting the two security functionalities, Safe Browsing assesses a visited website by comparing it against a list of domains stored locally, while Enhanced Safe Browsing conducts real-time checks against Google's cloud services to determine if a site is malicious.
Although Enhanced Safe Browsing might appear to be the preferable option, there exists a minor compromise in terms of privacy. In this scenario, Chrome and Gmail will share URLs with Google for the purpose of malicious site checks, and this data will be temporarily linked to your signed-in Google account.
A push for safe browsing
Across the past week, many users have received notifications prompting them to turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing, even after declining the offer previously.
A pop up that displays the message ‘Get additional protection against phishing. Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing to get additional protection against dangerous phishing emails’ is constantly being shown in Gmail on both Chrome for Windows and Android. It then provides the users with two options ‘Continue’ and ‘No, thanks’.
While the purpose behind the feature is comprehensible - aiming to shield users from potential online threats - Google's assertive drive for its adoption raises certain concerns.
To start with, it appears to disregard user preference. Each time a user selects 'No, thanks,' it is expected that their decision is honoured and recorded. Nevertheless, the recurrence of these notifications implies otherwise.
Such persistent prompts might come across as intrusive for certain users, bordering on being bothersome.
Furthermore, there exists a privacy apprehension linked to this functionality. When users are logged into Chrome, the data associated with Safe Browsing becomes temporarily associated with their Google Account.
How to enable safe browsing
Despite the touted advantages, not all users might find it comfortable to associate their Google account with Chrome or merge their browsing data with their Google account.
In an era where data privacy is an escalating concern, users should retain the right to conscientiously decide on their online safety measures without being consistently nudged in a specific direction.
Having said that, Enhanced Safe Browsing presents an elevated level of security within Gmail by shielding you from potentially harmful links to phishing and malware websites in your email communications.
If you're weary of the alerts or simply seek enhanced security, even at the potential expense of diminished privacy, you can activate this feature by adhering to these steps:
1. Access your Google Account.
2. Navigate to the Security section.
3. Scroll down to find Enhanced Safe Browsing and click on "Manage Enhanced Safe Browsing."
4. Toggle the Enhanced Safe Browsing option to the enabled position.
While the concept of Enhanced Safe Browsing by Google aims to offer heightened security to users, the approach of persistent promotion and potential privacy trade-offs raises valid concerns. Striking a balance between enhanced security measures and individual autonomy over decision-making remains a crucial consideration. It is essential for technology companies to continually assess and address these concerns, ensuring that user empowerment and data privacy are upheld in tandem with advancements in security features.
