Google Chrome will now have a privacy guide

Google Chrome has an upcoming stable version for PC that will come equipped with a detailed Privacy Guide. This will be included in the new update to help users of the globally dominant search engine both understand and implement safer browsing habits. This includes but is not limited to online security settings, personal privacy, and general web-based safety protocols. 

The Privacy Guide will function like a guided step-by-step tour that the user can initiate at will after the stable version update. It will largely be a simplified virtual tour of all of the existing security protocols and privacy controls that Google Chrome has and has been developed at the Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC). The reasoning behind the inclusion of such a guided tour could not be simpler; Users need to know ‘why’ all of these protocols and settings exist. 

Research shows that many users are less than conscious with regard to their browser-based activity. While the average user won’t necessarily knowingly harm their browsing experience and endanger their personal data by visiting sketchy websites or engaging in illicit activities online, the majority of internet users don’t use sufficient protection when venturing out into the world wide web. Google’s new guide is to dutifully and comprehensively explain the purpose of each protocol and setting is in place and why it matters so much. The idea behind the Privacy Guide is that if users understand how these protocols and settings bolster their online security, they’ll use them more consciously. 

Each step in the new Privacy Guide will seek to inform users of the implications of activating or deactivating each of Google Chrome’s built-in security settings and how these choices will affect their browsing experiences. Some of the topics in the guided tour are browsing history, Safe Browsing, cookie controls, and improving the general browsing experience. Google has also said they will be adding more aspects to the tour based on user feedback.

You’ll be able to access the privacy guide by clicking on the kebab menu at the top right-hand side of the Google Chrome interface and heading to Settings. You can leave the tour incomplete, and Google has said that any changes you make will be ‘saved along the way.’ There’s a lot happening over at Google right now, now that Chrome 100 has finally been released. Have you checked out Chrome’s intuitive new logo yet?