Chrome to soon block notifications from abusive, disruptive websites

Tech giant Google is reportedly working to cut down on the number of unwanted Chrome notifications that users receive, by blocking notifications from websites that the company deems to be "disruptive".

According to a new code change, Chrome will soon be able to automatically revoke a website's permission to send notifications and block any future attempts to ask for the permission, reports 9To5Google.

Between websites that constantly ask for permission to use cookies and apps that need to ask for many permission to work at all, it can be easy to unthinkingly click "Allow" when asked if you want to receive notifications, the report said.

Before you know it, your web browser is periodically getting pinged with the latest recipes from a site you have completely forgotten about. Things are even worse if you end up subscribed to Chrome notifications from a website that sends outright spam, it added.

Google has already made some headway on this issue in recent years, "quieting" the notification prompt from websites that abuse notifications or ask for permission in a misleading way.

The report mentioned that, now, the company is trying a stronger approach to combating notification spam.

In a statement, a Google spokesperson put an emphasis on the need to protect Chrome users from the many rampant forms of spam on the internet.

"Notification spam is one of the top complaint reports we receive from Chrome users. This feature is focused on addressing this problem by ensuring users are only receiving relevant notifications," the company was quoted as saying.

"We see this work as acting on behalf of users to protect their interests, and is an intervention that is under user control and discretion," it added.

--IANS

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