Google Introduces Gemini Nano To Enhance Chrome’s Safe Browsing Protection

Google has announced a new layer of browser protection, integrating its on-device large language model, Gemini Nano, into the latest Chrome 137 release. The company described this addition as a step to strengthen its Enhanced Protection mode under Chrome’s Safe Browsing service.

The company explained that Enhanced Protection mode is its most advanced level of browser security, offering double the safety against phishing attempts and online fraud compared to the standard mode.

Google Unveils Gemini Nano’s Scam Detection Role In Chrome

Google noted that Gemini Nano is currently active only for tech support scam detection on Chrome desktop. It added that future updates will expand its role to cover scam types like package delivery fraud and fake toll notifications.

The firm shared that Chrome on Android would also receive this functionality later. While Gemini Nano operates on the user’s device, it quietly reviews suspicious pages by scanning content for risky indicators.

These signals are then passed to Safe Browsing, which makes the final decision and alerts users when needed. Google said this method limits performance strain and protects user privacy, as the model runs locally and activates only when necessary.

The company pointed out that only users with Enhanced Protection mode benefit from these real-time signals, while those using Standard Protection receive updated blocklists that indirectly reflect these advancements.

Jasika Bawa, leading the Chrome product team at Google, explained that Gemini Nano is suitable for this task because it can break down complex web structures effectively. Phiroze Parakh from the engineering division at Google Search added that this ability helps the company respond more quickly to new and changing scam strategies. According to them, this helps the company adjust quickly to new forms of scam strategies.

Google Aims To Strengthen Real-Time Scam Detection

A post from the Chrome Security team emphasized that detecting scams directly on a user’s device helps catch threats instantly. The team revealed that most harmful websites appear briefly before disappearing.

As a result, spotting them the moment a user visits increases the chances of blocking them effectively. It also added that scammers often disguise websites to appear differently for different users, and this new approach allows Chrome to analyze how a page looks to a real person rather than a security bot.

The firm also introduced another feature for Android users. It explained that if a suspicious notification appears, users would receive a prompt with options to block future alerts or continue receiving them if the alert seems inaccurate. This follows earlier features introduced in the mobile messaging app and scam call alerts that were previously included.

In a separate announcement, Google released its latest summary on online scam prevention. The report revealed that the company’s recent improvements helped identify significantly more harmful web pages than before. It also claimed a strong reduction in fake customer service pages, particularly those imitating airline companies, describing the drop in these scams as more than 80%.