Was increasing your cybersecurity among your New Year’s resolutions? It doesn’t sound too sexy, but neither does falling victim to a cyber attack. Think you're immune? I did too. That was, until the week of Christmas when I received an email welcoming me to my new Wells Fargo checking account. … [Read more...] about 5 reasons why everyone should use a VPN
Privacy and Security
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Google introduces FLoC replacement called Topics, will serve ads based on local device data
Just last year, Google introduced something called "FLoC", or the "Federated Learning of Cohorts" in which it would group people based on different criteria for ad targeting. This was set into "incubation" where it would be tested to see if it would be a viable replacement for the long-standing … [Read more...] about Google introduces FLoC replacement called Topics, will serve ads based on local device data
See what companies have your personal data and reclaim it with this awesome, free app
Have you ever wanted to see a list of every company that's in possession of your personal data like your email address, name, date of birth, and even your precise location? The internet is exploding in its growth, and it seems like everyone has their own way of collecting data on you these days. I … [Read more...] about See what companies have your personal data and reclaim it with this awesome, free app
Chrome OS could soon randomize your MAC address while connecting to Wi-Fi networks
Operating systems other than Chrome OS have let you randomize or hide your MAC address (the device's unique hardware identifier) for decades, but now that Google is putting some polish on its own operating system, it looks like the same feature may be inbound for it as well. Discovered by Kevin … [Read more...] about Chrome OS could soon randomize your MAC address while connecting to Wi-Fi networks
Chrome OS is working on “snooping detection” to protect your screen and notifications
While Chromebooks with built-in privacy screens, like the HP Elite c1030's optional Sure View Reflect display are able to keep prying eyes from peeking at your screen or stealing your private data while you surf your device, there's still lots of room for development on software and hardware … [Read more...] about Chrome OS is working on “snooping detection” to protect your screen and notifications
Desktop data for Google Drive and Google Meet get safer with client-side encryption beta
Earlier this year, Google Drive including Docs, Sheets, and Slides received a client-side encryption update which made it easier to keep your files safe from prying eyes by using encryption keys that only you and the file collaborators would have access to. While these services already feature the … [Read more...] about Desktop data for Google Drive and Google Meet get safer with client-side encryption beta
Google One VPN expands to include 10 more countries
Now that Android and Chromebook users can connect up their Google One VPN to protect their browsing traffic from hackers and eavesdroppers, Google is looking to expand its availability with the addition of 10 new countries. As a reminder, you'll need the 2TB Premium plan or higher in Google One in … [Read more...] about Google One VPN expands to include 10 more countries
3 top Chrome VPN extensions for 2021
A quick search on the Chrome Web Store can give us hundreds of results for VPNs. Some of those services can be as malicious as the sites we're trying to protect ourselves from when online. It is hard to know which VPN extensions are safe, secure, and easy to use. To help you choose, here are 3 of … [Read more...] about 3 top Chrome VPN extensions for 2021
U.S. Government “Keyword Warrants” protect victims, but could implicate innocent browsers
In a recent report from Forbes, the U.S. government has been issuing what are known as "keyword warrants" to Google and demanding that they comply with them. These warrants are attempts to link a perpetrator of a crime to a Google account based on their search history, and so far as we're aware, … [Read more...] about U.S. Government “Keyword Warrants” protect victims, but could implicate innocent browsers
Latest Chrome update places privacy and security at your fingertips
Today is the day that Google has scheduled the next milestone release of the Chrome browser for desktop. While we haven't seen Chrome 92 on our non-Chromebook devices as of yet, I suspect that the update will begin rolling out to users as the day progresses. With this update, Google is bringing more … [Read more...] about Latest Chrome update places privacy and security at your fingertips
