Google Chrome To Get Warnings For 'Lookalike URLs' (zdnet.com)

Google Chrome browser is set to add a feature that will warn users when accessing sites with domain names that look like authentic websites. From a report: The feature has been in the works for quite some time at Google and is a response to the practice of using typosquatted domains or IDN homograph attacks to lure users on websites they didn't intend to access. Since the release of Chrome Canary 70, Google engineers have been testing a new feature called "Navigation suggestions for lookalike URLs." In Chrome Canary distributions -- Google Chrome's testing ground for new features -- users can access the following URL to enable the feature: chrome://flags/#enable-lookalike-url-navigation-suggestions.

Comments

If only there was a way to prevent this

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, but that would mean ICANN would make less money.

A much better solution was removed from Chrome

[ffkom]

This much better solution was Public Key Pinning. Works great, but is of course not loved by the advertisement industry who wants you to watch content from constantly changing crappy domains.

Wonder who'll do the analysis

[guruevi]

Soundex analysis is easy to do on modern CPU's but it's convenient for them to use it as an excuse to send all URL's to Google for 'analysis'.

On the other hand, I wonder in which direction it will steer if it finds two valid sites with competing viewpoints but with similar sounding names.