October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Google is announcing a slew of new features related to the sign-in process and account usage. New Google Account security protections include requiring JavaScript to be enabled when logging in and removing harmful apps during Security Checkup with Play Protect.
On the Account login page, Google runs a risk assessment that only allows the "sign-in if nothing looks suspicious." This analysis to protect against phishing requires that JavaScript be enabled, with Google noting that only .1% of users have it disabled. If that is the case, you will be prompted to enable it before signing in.
Chances are, JavaScript is already enabled in your browser; it helps power lots of the websites people use everyday. But, because it may save bandwidth or help pages load more quickly, a tiny minority of our users (0.1%) choose to keep it off. This might make sense if you are reading static content, but we recommend that you keep Javascript on while signing into your Google Account so we can better protect you
Once users are signed in, the Security Checkup feature now takes into account nefarious applications installed on Android devices, with Google Play Protect leveraged. You might be prompted to uninstall any harmful apps found on your phone, while Google recently beginning to recommend that users removed unused, but logged in devices.
(Score: 5, Funny) by nitehawk214 on Thursday November 01 2018, @04:16PM (7 children)
I am sorry, but you will need to enable javascript in order to argue with Google.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 01 2018, @04:22PM (6 children)
Argue via email, no javascript necessary - unless you're using gmail to argue.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 01 2018, @05:29PM (5 children)
You know every email that goes through their system is analyzed and used against you right? And no, the eeevvvil JS doesn't have to be enabled.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 01 2018, @05:36PM (2 children)
Well, certainly. But then, having a gmail account doesn't necessarily mean that your real life mail goes through their servers.
I do have a Google account, and I do use gmail. But, I have other accounts, elsewhere, including mail accounts - not all of which are located in the US of A.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Thursday November 01 2018, @06:08PM
Though I bet every email someone sends to you from gmail is analyzed against your google account. I am sure they have the ability to link those together with no action on your part.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Thursday November 01 2018, @10:24PM
How unpatriotic - now NSA needs to spend extra on the account of those mail accounts.
Best if you open those mail accounts directly on NSA servers; can't find the relevant link for now, but maybe you can google for it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Thursday November 01 2018, @09:12PM (1 child)
Your rights WRT Google: "You have the right to cease existing online. If you choose to exercise that right the lack of an online tracking record can and will be used against you both here and in the real world by the kangaroo arbitration process you "agreed" to by coming to this site. Please note the terms written in the language of the Phaistos Disk on page 564 of the TOS."
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday November 02 2018, @01:16AM
Next step, write the TOS on some form of stable storage [wikipedia.org] and fire it into space, or put it on the moon. Anyone can read it, at their leisure.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex