Articles about Google

Google has released an emergency security update for the Chrome browser for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is urging all users of the browser to install it immediately.

The update is to fix CVE-2024-4671 which could allow remote access to data and Google confirms in Chrome's update notes that it is actively being exploited and therefore represents threat to your online security.

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Google and Apple have developed a new industry specification aimed at enhancing user privacy and safety across mobile platforms. The specification, named "Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers," is designed to alert users on both Android and iOS devices if a Bluetooth tracking device is potentially being used to track them without their knowledge.

This initiative is a response to the growing concern over the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices, which are primarily intended for locating personal belongings. With the new specification, Google has rolled out this feature to Android devices running version 6.0 and above, while Apple has incorporated it into iOS 17.5.

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Google's proposal to cut TLS certificate lifespans to 90 days -- down from the current 398 -- was aired last year and has caused something of a stir in security circles.

According to a recent Venafi study, 83 percent of organizations have been hit by certificate-related outages in the past 12 months, and 57 percent of organizations have experienced security incidents involving compromised TLS certificates. Shortening certificate lifespans will therefore help businesses reduce the risk of compromise.

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Yesterday's coverage of World Password Day sparked some discussion among the BetaNews team about passkeys and how they work.

We figured that if we're confused about them then some of you probably are too, so here's a FAQ look at passkeys, how they work and why you should consider using them.

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Google launched its passkeys initiative on 2022's World Password Day and this year it's marking the day with some new updates.

It’s expanding Cross-Account Protection, an initiative where Google will share security notifications about suspicious events on your Google Account with the non-Google apps and services you use. Doing this will allow the other apps and services connected to your Google Account to use the security information to better protect your other accounts.

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It has been an extraordinarily long time coming, but Google has finally decided to flip the switch on dark mode for Drive on the web.

Much like AI is at the moment, the spread of a dark mode option for apps and websites was something of a cultural and technological phenomenon a few years ago. Quite why it has taken Google such a long time to jump back on this particular bandwagon is anybody's guess, but dark mode will be welcomed by Google Drive users none the less. Here's what you need to know.

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Anyone using a third-party app to block ads on YouTube is likely to find that their viewing is interrupted. Google has announced that it is further clamping down on ad-blocking tools which are seen by many people as a handy way to avoid paying for YouTube Premium.

The company says that by blocking ads with apps that violate its terms of service, users are starving creators of an income stream and, of course, failing to line Google's pockets.

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As anticipated just last week, Google had started to properly roll out the updated version of Find My Device to Android users in the US and Canada.

Described as a "new, crowdsourced network of over a billion Android devices", Find My Device is comparable to the Find My device-locating system from Apple. Initially, there is support for locating phones and tablets -- including, in some instances, when they have no power or are offline -- but starting next month, third-party Bluetooth tracker tags will be made available as well.

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Aa a company synonymous with search and a love of AI, it is little surprise that Google is combining the two. But people familiar with the company’s plans suggest that AI-powered search features could have a price tag attached to them.

The move would be a first for Google as the company has never charged for any search product, and it could be a sign that ads are simply not bringing in enough money. It is something that has been described as a big change to its business model, but it is not clear if this is a sign of further search-related charges to come.

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Almost a year after it was first announced, Google is finally rolling out its offline Find My Device service for Android devices.

All but identical to Apple's Find My network, Google's offering not only makes it possible to track the location of Android handsets, but also includes support for third-party AirTag-style trackers. While the rollout appears to have started, for now it is only a beta; a full launch is imminent, however.

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It has been known for some time that Chrome's Incognito Mode is nowhere near as private as many people still believe it to be. Despite assumptions made -- largely due to strong suggestions -- Google was able to collect private browsing data and has faced lawsuits as a result.

As part of a class action settlement, the company has agreed to delete "billions of data points" despite having previously said that this was not possible. The change of heart means that Google should be able to avoid a damages payout in the billions of dollars.

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Despite them being widely publicized, Google and Yahoo's new email rules still risk catching out many businesses.

New research from EasyDMARC finds that, despite the email providers warning customers that failure to implement the DMARC security standard could lead to diminishing email deliverability, only 37 percent of IT decision-makers have rolled out the security measure.

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The European Commission announced today that it has opened non-compliance investigations against Apple, Alphabet, and Meta. The three companies make up one half of six gatekeeper companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

So-called gatekeepers have a strong position in a market, which may give them an unfair advantage over competing platforms and services. Platforms such as Windows, Google Android, and iOS are gatekeepers, but so are YouTube, Google Search, Google Ads, Chrome, or Safari. The full list of gatekeepers is available here.

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Microsoft -- yes, Microsoft -- is set to address an issue that has plagued the look of text in Chrome running on Windows 10 and Windows 11. While this is not a problem that affects everyone, there are large numbers of people who have long-complained about strange-looking fonts in Google's web browser.

The font troubles stem from a font rending incompatibility which Microsoft is finally getting around to fixing. The ClearType Tuner of Windows is ignored by Chrome, but Microsoft's tweaks mean that the browser rendering will be noticeably improved.

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Google Chrome users may once again enforce dark mode support for web content in the web browser. The feature has been in the making for a long time. Sofia talked about it more than five years ago here on BetaNews.

While Google did add support for a dark Chrome interface in the past, it never rolled out the option to display darker versions of webpages.

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