【2005 Archives】

Google Chrome has another solution to help users turn back from dodgy websites.

As spotted by ZDNet005 Archives it's testing a way to spot lookalike URLs and help redirect users to go to the right place with the Chrome Canary browser, which is used to experiment with upcoming features.

SEE ALSO: Google built a digital Etch-A-Sketch that's just as hard to use as the real thing

You can switch on the experimental feature in Canary by entering chrome://flags/#enable-lookalike-url-navigation-suggestions in the address bar, and enabling it.

From there, a dropdown will appear below the address bar if you've entered or clicked through to a lookalike URL, with a link to the correct version.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

It only applies to websites with a site engagement score, so we can imagine Chrome won't step in if you're trying to visit a niche website.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While the option is available in the stable version of Chrome, it doesn't appear to be functioning in our test.

Lookalike URLs aim to trick users by mimicking the name of a popular website or brand, and luring them to a questionable site which could be used for malware or phishing attacks.

These kinds of URLs have been steadily on the rise, as tricksters employ tactics like typosquatting and IDN homograph attacks to fool users.

---

Featured Video For You

---

The OG Macintosh computer just turned 35

---

Topics Cybersecurity Google

• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Deals
• Tech
• Science
• Life
• Social Good
• Entertainment

• Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
• NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 12
• Network of TikTok accounts using AI to spread political misinformation, report finds
• China’s Geely steps up restructuring with new intelligent driving brand · TechNode
• The Same F’ing Song
• Scientists accidentally created the cutest mouse in the world
• NASA rover just made a compelling discovery on Mars
• ByteDance launches Trae AI IDE in China with Doubao
• Something for Nothing
• Scientists accidentally created the cutest mouse in the world

• NRA finally admits it was hacked by a ransomware group in 2021
• On Robert Aickman’s “Ringing the Changes”
• Ray Bradbury’s “The October Country” Turns Sixty
• Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro officially announced.
• Seeking Soul Cakes: A Halloween Song
• Why Do Fairy Tales Turn Old Women into Victims?
• Moebius and the Key of Dreams: On Jean Giraud's Astonishing Multiverse
• The Google Pixel Watch 2 feels like deja vu
• Portrait of a Miniseries
• iPhone SE 4 rumors: Everything we know so far

• The Business of Cruelty
• JD Cloud unveils AI advancements at 2025 Cloud City Conference · TechNode
• Tencent’s Yuanbao tops Apple’s China App Store, surpassing DeepSeek · TechNode
• China Mobile, Huawei, and Leju Robot unveil world's first 5G
• Barons of Crap
• China’s Geely steps up restructuring with new intelligent driving brand · TechNode
• Tencent’s Yuanbao tops Apple’s China App Store, surpassing DeepSeek · TechNode
• Huawei cracks down on recruitment corruption in outsourced hiring · TechNode
• Against the Wind
• Tencent’s Yuanbao tops Apple’s China App Store, surpassing DeepSeek · TechNode

• Seizing Socialism’s Moment
• TSMC announces additional $100 billion investment in US chip expansion · TechNode
• J&T Express reports 15.9% revenue growth in 2024, turns profit · TechNode
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for July 12
• Mapping the Face of War
• U.S. spacecraft encounters problem during its ambitious moon landing
• Unitree robotics opens official store on AliExpress · TechNode
• Moon photo reveals how lunar landing just went wrong
• Wrath of Conway
• Best iPad deals: Save on multiple iPad models ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024