Google Chrome is introducing an AI-driven scam detection tool for Android devices.

      Google's Chrome browser has provided a comprehensive array of privacy and safety features for some time. One notable feature is Enhanced Safe Browsing, which was launched in 2020. This feature safeguards users from unsafe websites and files through real-time threat detection.

      Three years later, Google transitioned it from an opt-in option to a default safety measure to protect users from phishing attempts, harmful extensions, and malicious downloads. Now, the tech giant is introducing its Gemini Nano AI to help secure smartphone users against potential online scams, particularly those disguised as tech security alerts on webpages.

      How will it protect you?

      Fraudulent websites that deliver false security warnings often utilize a recognizable set of tactics. Gemini Nano has been trained to spot these deceptive methods. When a website exhibits suspicious behavior, the AI will discern the true intention behind the warning and communicate it to the Safe Browsing system.

      If a webpage is deemed potentially unsafe and shows indicators of a digital scam, the web browser will send a notification to users. In the future, Google intends to use this system to address package tracking and toll scams as well.

      Such notifications will display the website's name along with a warning about its dubious nature. Users can choose to unsubscribe with a single tap or whitelist the site if the new security feature in Chrome misjudges it.

      Users have the option to unsubscribe directly from the notification banner or opt to view the blocked web content. This feature will first be available on Android smartphones later this year, although the company has not specified any hardware or software requirements for its implementation.

      “To start, this feature is only available on Android since most notifications are sent to mobile devices,” the company states. However, Google has indicated that it will investigate whether Chrome’s new AI-powered security measures can be extended to other platforms.

      Why does it matter?

      Tech support scams, where websites display alert messages claiming that a device is infected with a virus, are increasingly common. Google notes that these fraudulent websites can appear in various forms to users, which necessitates assessing the threat as users perceive it. This is where AI plays a crucial role.

      Up until now, Google relied on a system that performs real-time matching for blocked content, as well as sharing a small amount of browsing data for security reasons. However, with the introduction of Gemini Nano, security scans occur on-device, providing a significant advantage.

      “We’ve found that the average malicious site exists for less than 10 minutes, so on-device protection enables us to detect and block threats that haven’t been previously indexed,” Google mentions in a security update. The company argues that the on-device method allows for analyzing threats in real-time, as they are presented to the average smartphone user.