Google has introduced a new security feature in the Chrome browser that distinguishes website risk levels and issues warnings. It alerts users to potential risk before they visit sites suspected of phishing or malware infection.

On Oct. 20, U.S. tech media outlet The Verge reported that Google added a "suspicious site" warning to Chrome's Safe Browsing feature. The feature is available to users who enable Enhanced Protection mode.

The new warning system classifies websites as suspicious sites or dangerous sites. Suspicious sites are webpages that show characteristics similar to existing malicious sites linked to phishing, malware distribution or online fraud. Google classifies these as cases where certainty in the risk assessment is low but user harm is possible. Because the site may have been misidentified, it recommends users visit only when they are confident it is safe.

Dangerous sites, by contrast, are webpages where certainty is high that the site is malicious and the likelihood of actual harm is also high. Google recommends users not access such sites.

The warning screens also differ. For suspicious sites, Chrome dims the existing page and displays a caution message in a pop-up window. It applies on both PC and mobile, and it also provides an option to mark the site as safe if users believe it has been misclassified. For dangerous sites, a red warning page that covers the entire screen appears as before.

The change expands to website visits a two-step warning system introduced in 2024 for Chrome file downloads.

Google also improved scam detection using Gemini. It moved from on-device AI analysis to a stronger server-based Gemini model, expanding detection to scams posing as fake antivirus software and browser updates.

Google explained, "We analyze webpage text on servers only when there are strong signs of suspected scams, and we do not store transmitted content or use it for AI training."

The new suspicious-site warning, however, is provided only in Enhanced Protection mode. It does not apply in the same way to users in Standard Protection mode.