Google today released version 71 of its Chrome browser. The release should strengthen security of the browser. Another important change is in the advertisement filter system of Chrome which will start to block ads on sites that persistently display annoying ads.
The new version was already announced in November this year. Back then, Google announced it would add functionality to Chrome to better detect aggressive and annoying ads. Back then the company mentioned examples as, “ads or other elements that resemble chat apps, warnings, system dialog, or other notifications that lead to an ad or landing page when clicked.”
On websites that persistently show such ads and who do not adhere to the other advertisement rules provided by Google, all ads will be blocked. The other advertisement rules that Google uses to distinct between regular and annoying ads have been created by the Coalition of Better Ads of which the company itself is also a member.
Google also announced in November that it would start to block sites in Chrome 71 that tried to trick users to subscribe to paid mobile services. Starting with Chrome 71, the browser will detect such pages and will show a warning. Often these websites disguise their payment page in such a way that users don't understand they are subscribing to a monthly plan. The warning that Chrome will show in case it detects such a page is similar to what the browser displays for pages with HTTPS errors but in this case is called “billing warning screen”.
The last change is in the Inline Install API for Chrome extensions. This API allowed official extension from the Google Web Store to be installed from other places on the web. Google already disabled Inline Install in Chrome 69, but from Chrome 71, also the code has been removed. This should ensure that any potential bugs in the code can't be used to perform non-authorized inline installations.
With the release of Chrome 71, Google also fixes 43 security issues which can be found on this page. Chrome 71 is available right now, for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. The desktop version of the browser can be updated by going to Settings -> Help -> About Google Chrome. When the new version if ready for you it will automatically download and install. A restart of the browser is required.
