In privacy- and security-related update announced today at Google I/O 2022, the company said it will bring phishing protection to its suite of productivity apps, including Docs, Sheet, and Slides. It will also alert users to other security issues that may exist with their accounts directly on their account profiles, and provide a new tool that makes it easier to ask for personal information to be removed from Google Search.
The company has developed technology to protect users from online scams elsewhere in its products and services, including its Gmail and Chrome browsers. These protections, which have detected and blocked billions of threats to date, help further strengthen Google’s AI-driven protection, Google said. That’s why it’s now able to extend this protection to other applications that are frequently used in the workplace.
Next, if the user is at work and Google finds a suspicious link, the system will alert the user to the problem and take them back to safety, just like on the web. The company noted that this new addition will help improve user security amid the growing number of phishing scams, which are now responsible for more than 90 percent of cyberattacks. With this release, users of the Google app will also be warned about other security issues on their profiles.
“We were the first consumer tech company to offer two-step verification more than 10 years ago. Last year, we were the first to turn it on by default… We don’t want people to worry about the security of their accounts, so in I At /O, we’re also rolling out a new warning on profile pictures across all Google apps to let users know if there’s a security issue that requires their attention,” said Guemmy Kim, Director of Account Security at Google.
The company announced at I/O that it signed up for two-factor authentication for another 150 million accounts in the last year alone.
When something goes wrong, a yellow alert pops up on the screen above the account profile picture. When clicked, users are taken to a page with a set of suggested actions they need to take to stay safe online. This doesn’t necessarily offer new functionality in terms of protection offered to users but highlights potential risks in a more obvious way that users may be less willing to ignore.
Another new feature is also an iteration related to existing data protection goals. In April, Google announced that it would allow users to request that their personal contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses or physical addresses, be removed from Google Search. The change comes after the European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation in 2018, which includes a section that provides individuals with the right to have information about themselves removed from search engines, also known as the “right to be forgotten.”
Previously, the process involved filling out and signing a form. But now, Google says it’s rolling out a new tool to simplify the request process. When it rolls out, users who come across Google search results that include their phone number, home address or email will be able to quickly request removal from Google Search where you find them.
Just click on the type of result you want to delete in Google’s UI, submit it directly to Google, and you’re done, instead of filling out a form. It also has the ability to track previously issued requests in one place, including which requests have been submitted, which are pending, and which have been approved.
Google says the feature will be available in the Google app in the coming months and will be accessible in individual Google search results on the web.
