Currently, Chrome uses the “certificate root store” that is part of every operating system. Google plans to manage its own list of “approved” certificates from now on, just like Firefox does.
Google has announced plans to operate its own certificate root program/store for Chrome, in a major architectural change for the company's web browser.
A “root program” or “root store” is a list of root certificates that operating systems and applications use to verify the identity of a software program during the installation routine.
Browsers like Chrome use root stores to check the validity of an HTTPS.
They do this by looking at the website's TLS certificate and checking if the root certificate used to create the TLS certificate is included in the local root program/store.
Since its release in late 2009, Chrome has been configured to use each platform.” For example, Chrome on Windows checked a website’s TLS certificate against the Microsoft Trusted Root Program, the root store that comes with Windows. Chrome on macOS relied on the Apple Root Certificate Program, and so on.
However, in a Wikipediashared with ZDNet by one of our readers, Google announced plans – to create its own root store called the Chrome Root Program, which will ship with all versions of Chrome, on all platforms, except iOS.
The program is currently in its early stages, and there is no timeline for when Chrome will transition from using the OS root store to its own internal list.
For now, Google's maker has published rules for Certificate Authorities (CAs), the companies that issue TLS certificates for websites.
The browser maker is urging relevant authorities to read the rules and apply to be included in the new Chrome Root Program whitelist to ensure a seamless transition for Chrome users when the time comes.
