Starting 2018, Google will restrict sites from re-directing users without their permission.
Pop-up ads are every Internet user's mortal enemy. They appear out of nowhere — while users are innocently reading an article or are highly focused on a video — re-directing the browser to another page. There are also those that repeatedly pop up like urgent warnings, completely ruining user experience. Worse, it puts the device at risk from phishing and malware.
According to Google, one out of five feedbacks the company receives includes reports of unwanted content.
It's easy to hate websites every time this happens. However, Google said these annoying re-directs are often embedded by a third party, unknown to the page's author. Fortunately, the pop-up's days will soon be over.
In early 2018, Google will start rolling out a three-part update that will step-up Chrome's security and improve efficiency.
Enhancements will start with Chrome 64, which will prevent sites from re-directing users to another page, unless they allowed it. A more welcome notification will pop up every time Google successfully blocks a third-party from a hijacking a page.
Still, there are links that users choose to click, only to be re-directed to a completely irrelevant page, or worse, an advertisement. Come Google 65, the tech giant will also shut down this nasty problem. "This allows the user to continue directly to their intended destination, while also preserving the context of the page they came from," said Chrome Product Manager Ryan Schoen in the official announcement.
There are also camouflaged icons disguised as play buttons or other site controls, but when clicked, they open to new tabs or windows. Google promises to kill these off starting January.
Right now, Google 64 is still in "Canary" or developer channels. It is expected to hit beta in a month, before being available for mobile and desktop come January.
