Google Chrome update will finally stop sites hijacking your browser

Google Chrome will now stop shady websites hijacking your web browser with a slew of spammy pop-ups.

The latest update to the hugely-popular web browser will prevent sites from opening tabs and windows without your express permission.

Shady sites will often launch new tabs and windows – spamming the user with adverts and other monetised content.

According to Ryan Schoen, Chrome Product Manager “One piece of feedback we regularly hear from users is that a page will unexpectedly navigate to a new page, for seemingly no reason.

“We’ve found that this redirect often comes from third-party content embedded in the page, and the page author didn’t intend the redirect to happen at all.”

The latest update to Google Chrome, dubbed version 64, will block all third-party content from launching new pages unless you’re interacting with the content.

So, sites will no longer be able to randomly spew tabs and windows when you navigate to their pages, but when you purposefully click on a link – the content will open as normal in a new tab or window.

Chrome surfaces a notification to let you know whenever a redirect has been blocked.

Google has announced a number of other measures designed to improve the browsing experience on Chrome, which are set to roll-out in the coming months.

In an update slated for January, Google will block sites that disguise links as other elements on a webpage, like a fake play button.

One example provided by Google was when pressing an “x” on a webpage to close an element triggers a swathe of new pop-ups to appear.

Or when you tap on the play button on a video still, only to be bombarded with adverts and pop-ups.

Chrome Product Manager Mr Schoen added: “When the user interacts with content, things can also go wrong.

“One example that causes user frustration is when clicking a link opens the desired destination in a new tab, while the main window navigates to a different, unwanted page.

“This is effectively a circumvention of Chrome’s pop-up blocker, one of users’ favourite features.”