Google revamps Chrome's Safe Browsing feature for real-time protection

Google has unveiled a significant update to its Safe Browsing feature in Chrome, introducing real-time protection against malware, unwanted software, and phishing scams without compromising user privacy.

The new system, now live for desktop and iOS users, with Android support coming later this month, leverages server-side checks against a continuously updated list, eliminating the need to download local lists and reducing response times.

Previously, Chrome relied on periodically downloading lists of known malicious sites, resulting in delays of up to an hour for updates. With the shift to real-time checks against server-side databases, Google aims to enhance security by swiftly identifying and blocking threats. This approach is expected to catch 25% more phishing attacks compared to localized lists, while reducing the strain on low-end machines and low-bandwidth connections.

Google emphasizes its commitment to user privacy by detailing a multi-step process in which URLs are obfuscated and encrypted before being transmitted to a privacy server to keep browsing data anonymous.