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Google Chrome for Windows Gets Basic Antivirus Features (betanews.com)

Google is rolling out a trio of important changes to Chrome for Windows users. From a report: At the heart of these changes is Chrome Cleanup. This feature detects unwanted software that might be bundled with downloads, and provides help with removing it. Google's Philippe Rivard explains that Chrome now has built-in hijack detection which should be able to detect when user settings are changes without consent. This is a setting that has already rolled out to users, and Google says that millions of users have already been protected against unwanted setting changes such as having their search engine altered. But it's the Chrome Cleanup tool that Google is particularly keen to highlight. A redesigned interface makes it easier to use and to see what unwanted software has been detected and singled out for removal.

19 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease... by bogaboga · · Score: 2

    We are now witnessing feature creep as more features are being crammed into Chrome.

    Google should style up and "fix" their current software, most of which suffers from usability issues and/or crappy implementation.

    As a start: How about implementing basic sorting of video from photos [or having some kind of sensible filter] in their Google Photos offering?

    1. Re:I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease... by Chas · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Like THAT was gonna happen.

      Nah. Their perma-beta software doesn't get "fixed". It just has shit tacked on, "temporarily" forever.

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    2. Re:I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease... by RhettLivingston · · Score: 1

      Not that it is relevant to Chrome, but Google Photos has some of the best "filtering" capability around. Simply search for "videos". Voila.

    3. Re:I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease... by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      "Note this new sandboxed engine is not a general-purpose antivirus "

      WHICH STUPID MUTHERFUCKER ADDED BULLSHIT HERE?

    4. Re:I am afraid Chrome has now got the disease... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Just type "videos" in the search box.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Clever girl... by the_skywise · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What a clever way to scan every piece of software you download to your PC and data collect what you're downloading.

    I'm sure they wouldn't use it to search for pirated software or movies...

    1. Re:Clever girl... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Funny

      They have been able to do that from day one with the built in URL checking safety system.

      I'm calling it. Chrome is a great OS, it just lacks a decent web browser.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  3. Android by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    detects unwanted software that might be bundled with downloads, and provides help with removing it.

    How about something like this for Android? Then I could remove all the shit that Google put there that I have zero intention of using, ever.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  4. All the better... by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

    to snoop you with, my dear...

    --
    There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
  5. Re:Best antivirus & far more (4 far less) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Won't help if I redirect you to a location not bearing a DNS name at all (i.e. a simple IP address), nor will it help if malware is hosted on a trusted domain. Works for many, many other use cases though, so don't write off /etc/hosts as part of a holistic approach to network security.

  6. Embrace, extend and extinguish ... by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    Oh, wait, oh wait...

    That is for evil. Not for this don't be evil. I am so confused.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  7. Does it detect Windows itself ? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    Since Windows 10 is the new spyware does it detect and delete it ? :-)

    --
    Old-school RPG fun for Apple 2, PC, and Mac!
    Nox Archaist

  8. Re:Is this planned for Firefox, too? by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 1

    A poor, less-functional version will be cloned in Firefox.

  9. Re:Is this planned for Firefox, too? by A10Mechanic · · Score: 1

    I don't know about you, but I really don't want my Browser poking around in my operating system.

  10. Great addition by sanf780 · · Score: 1

    Now Chrome can detect that the installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader includes an installation of Chrome. Isn't this one ironic?

  11. Re:Chrome for dummies I guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    chrome has always been the browser for dummies. I don't mean that in a negative sense either, it is the perfect browser for people that don't know what they are doing or what they need, hides the settings and makes them hard to alter and locks the user down while providing a decent set of functions. It is currently the browser I recommend for users that don't have any IT knowledge, those that do know to use something else and can make their own choices.

  12. Re:Is this planned for Firefox, too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But haven't you heard that if one company does something intrusive and/or bad, then it's OK for all other companies to do it too?

    Microsoft already has full access to everything on your Windows 10 PC. So what if Google wants to poke around? They are only using your unpaid hard work and data output to make their product better and to grow their business at your expense. What's so wrong with that?

  13. Re:Is this planned for Firefox, too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Microsoft patched Windows for the KRACK Wi-Fi thing a week ago. The major Linux distros, which are considered more vulnerable, have not.

    Old talking points are old.

  14. Intentionally Harmful Downloads by hattable · · Score: 1

    What if I'm trying to download harmful stuff on purpose? If they put the 'fix' behind some backasswards tab in the developer tool panel just they made us all play Find The Certificate, it's full time Opera for me. Which I actually would not mind. The 'chromaddons' addon allows pretty much the entire chrome store extensions to work in Opera (even some weird ones).

    --
    OMG facts!