After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it's hard for users to trust almost anyone online, even if it's Google or any other well-known company.
According to a report by Motherboard, many users are complaining that they discovered that Chrome is scanning their files for malware. You might be wondering, what's wrong with that?
First of all, it's unusual for a browser to be an antivirus tool at the same time. Also, this process of scanning files and documents for malware is something that Google has never publicly disclosed.
Chrome's file scanning activities were first spotted by a security researcher named Kelly Shortridge, who posted the details on Twitter.
As it turns out, this tool is actually an updated version of the Chrome Cleanup Tool (CCT).
Using ESET technology , the program searches for malware that could harm Chrome. After detection, it sends data to Google and then asks the user to proceed, if they wish, to remove it.
Chrome's security chief, Justin Schuh, explained that CCT is not a general-purpose AV. "Its sole purpose is to detect and remove unwanted software that may affect the browser."
In reality, there is nothing to worry about for users, as according to the company, CCT has no bad intentions.
The conclusions are yours.
