Google Chrome is rolling out stricter rules for Android notifications, targeting websites that misuse alert prompts to spam users, according to People Daily. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce unwanted interruptions from web pages.
The new measures build on existing defenses that already block a massive volume of abusive notifications. Google says Chrome now stops roughly 7 billion unwanted notifications every day across Android devices, as reported by People Daily and other outlets covering the company’s announcement.
The tightening comes after years of complaints about websites tricking visitors into enabling notifications, often for ads or phishing attempts. Chrome has gradually added layers of protection, including quieter permission prompts and automatic blocking of repeat offenders. The latest rules appear to go further by restricting how and when sites can request notification access, though specific technical details were not fully detailed in the reporting.
Google’s approach has been compared to a “Swiss cheese model,” where multiple independent safeguards work together to catch abuse that slips past any single layer, according to Forbes. This layered strategy is designed to make it harder for bad actors to find a way through, while still allowing legitimate sites to send useful alerts.
The change affects Android users specifically, who have long been a target for notification abuse due to the platform’s permissive prompt system. Chrome’s desktop version has separate controls, but the Android focus reflects where the problem has been most acute.
What to watch next: how website operators adapt their notification strategies as Chrome continues to tighten the rules, and whether Google extends similar restrictions to other platforms.
