Google Will Penalise Websites With Annoying Notifications On Google Chrome

Our web browser experience is often marred by annoying ads and notifications through the browser we use.

Though many times these notifications help users receive important updates, these can also be used for unfair practices.

Reuters

Google now promises to take action against such attempts on its Chrome browser.

A recent blog post by the tech giant explains its new efforts to be against ¡°abusive patterns¡± which are ¡°used to mislead users, phish for private information or promote malware.¡± Google marks them in two broad categories - ¡°permission request issues" and "notification issues."

If you are a regular internet browser, you would have an fair idea of both of these. Permission request issues are often seen on websites that prompt visitors to allow notifications to check out the website. Some are even misleading in nature.

Google Chrome Permission Request

Other websites have ¡°Notification issues¡± which Google describes as ¡°fake messages that resemble chat messages, warnings, or system dialogs.¡± These tactics can be used to trick users into sharing personal information or link to malicious software.

With the next version of Chrome - Chrome 84, releasing on July 14 2020, users will be shown a warning before they enter such websites. Google will be enrolling such sites automatically in the quieter notifications UI.

Google says that the update will be ¡°significant¡± for some Chrome users even though only a small number of websites will be affected by it. It says that the number of such abusive websites is very small but such prompts are among the top complaints that Google receives from Chrome users.

What if your website fails this check?

(Representative Image: Reuters)

Google informs website owners if any such abusive notification is experienced on their website through its Abusive Notifications Report in Search Console. It confirms that website owners will also receive an email from Search Console informing them of the abuse ¡°at least 30 calendar days¡± prior to Google¡¯s action. In this period, websites can address the issue and ¡°re-submit their website for another review,¡± Google says.

Going forward, Google will work on protecting users who have already accepted notification permissions from such abusive sites.