Google Chrome to Start Warning Users if Sites Might Bill Them
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Your monthly bills are already expensive enough.
Google is releasing the latest version of its web browser, Chrome 71, in December.
This version has an update that could save users some money by warning users when a site will try to unexpectedly charge or bill them.
Mobile billing services are the most common culprit of this practice.
Google says millions of users encounter pages with unclear instructions, often convincing users to provide their phone number to access content. Later, users realize they're stuck paying additional charges on their monthly phone bill. Google announced the new feature in on Nov. 8 in a blog post.
"We want to make sure Chrome users understand when they are going through a billing flow and trust that they’ll be able to make informed decisions while browsing the web," Google wrote.
Sites will need to be clear and upfront with site visitors about potential charges in order to not get flagged by Google. The tech company will also contact the webmasters for these potentially shady sites to let them know they have been flagged and the steps each can take to fix things.
Here's what that flagging looks like in Chrome:
