Google Wishes To Secure Its Users

Google wishes to ensure the safety of its users via “Safe Browsing” initiative.

According to Alphabet Inc. t is pushing efforts to protect the privacy of customers.  The company wishes to protect users from deceptive content that is present online via an update known as the “Safe Browsing” initiative.

The search engine giant will now warn and flag users when they come in contact with such websites which they term as “social engineering” advertisements. These are  basically advertisements that try to cheat on users by portraying themselves as a message observed from a trusted platform such as a software update, notification from a web browser, through the website, or an error message from the PC.

A step ahead in this, the tech giant will flag all those websites that perpetuate such advertisements or host them. The Google users will now be warned so that they do not proceed.

Most of us have encountered such a message while browsing so it actually points out that the company is devoted to ensure the safety of its users. The tech giant does not directly navigate users directly to the site but a red page pops up. Users are then asked if they wish to continue or the session is added there and then.  Thus the final decision is on the user. The company can only warn while users have the choice of deciding what they wish to do.

Over the past it has been observed that the company is making use of warning messages so that traffic gets cut off from sites that are involved in malware or phishing attacks along with other things.

Previously, the company made an announcement claiming that they wanted to expand the reach of its Safe Browsing program so that social engineering attacks can be protected. This means that the search giant started to acknowledge users in case wrong means were used to trick the masses. It also stops users from providing personal data to wrong sites. So now the recent update will also cater to advertisements.

Most of us are well aware of the type of advertisements. Where a few make baseless claims that the software we use is out of date or needs an upgrade. They then trick the user forcing them to install unwanted and futile content.

Some of them also pretend to be Play or Download buttons posing an image that once a user clicks on them they will be able to stream or download the content they desire.  This issue is mostly faced by the online video streaming platforms that are illegal in nature and immensely popular for free content. Users do not really know that they are being tricked and thus make the wrong move.

At times, it gets really hard to identify such embeds and advertisements even by the most tech savvy individuals of the lot. This is merely because they are designed in a manner which is extremely hard to distinguish. Thus it seems like they are part and parcel of the website which they aren’t.

 The tech giant will now show warning on those websites that make use of such malicious tactics. These are usually working close with advertisers. It will flag that the content seems “to act, or look and feel, like a trusted entity” and thus looks like social engineering content. This will ensure safety of users in the long run.

Google Maps Comes With Another Android Update

Google Maps offers customized stickers for Android users.

A blog post by Alphabet Inc. that was officially posted by the company unveiled that Google Maps has come up with a new intriguing update where it has added 24 customized stickers to its platform. These stickers can be used to decorate the preferred locations. All the users of Maps can now simply log in via their Google accounts and then view it on all the addresses which are saved by them.

The locations comprise of igloos, an extravagant castle, and a submarine which is yellow in color. It has been assured that every sticker will add a personalized touch to the location. These stickers revealed by the search engine giant can be used for work and home addresses. Other than that, it will also enable users to chalk out the best possible routes, fast directions and a lot more.

The blog post clearly highlights, “To save home and work addresses and other destinations, just make sure you’re signed into your Google account. Then visit the Your Places tab or type an address, then label it. Once setup, you can just type "home", "work" or "gym" in the search bar to get directions and navigate quickly and easily from wherever you are.”

To allow Google users to mark the top locations on its platform is also part and parcel of the update by Google Driving Mode platform. By making use of preset locations to come up with results emphasizes on the tech giant’s use of critical algorithms that provides users with the information regarding the places which have been visited frequently. It is speculated that by personalizing the favorite locations and chalking out the destinations will assist users during the peak traffic hours with the help of Google’s navigation tool.

This update is said to be a relatively small, it is assumed that by coming up with customized stickers, the users will be intrigued and the user experience will enhance. It needs to be noted here that Snapchat and Facebook have been adding stickers to their platform gradually. Thus, the decision made by the company is rather inevitable. The stickers designed by Google are designed in a manner that appeals to the liking of consumers.

The recent stickers are presently limited to Google Maps and so far have only surfaced to the Android devices. Many analysts are confused so as to why the company decided to eliminate the Apple iOS users from this update. However, it is assumed that the remedy will not surface anytime soon.

It is assumed that the company wishes to propagate the popularity of its operating system. Along with having a fresh look, it also shows the company’s desire to keep pace with competitors that are doing quite well in terms of innovation.

Google Maps is doing a lot to bolster its platform. Such updates are necessary to hook the user to the platform and in this age of millennials where Snapchat has taken the industry by a storm, it seems like a rather sane decision.