Browsers & Accounts · How Browsers Keep You Safe · Lesson 4 of 5

Permissions Websites Ask For

Location, camera, mic, notifications and clipboard: when to say yes.

The small box under the address bar

The sandbox keeps a site away from your files. But a site can still ask for more. When it does, a small box drops down under the address bar. That box is a permission request. A permission is your yes or no to one kind of access.

The common ones:

• Location. Where you are. Handy for a map or a store finder. A news site doesn't need it.
• Camera and Microphone. For video calls. Only the call site needs these, and only during the call.
• Notifications. Pop-up messages that appear even when the site isn't open. Some sites earn this, like a work chat. Many just want to advertise.
• Clipboard. The clipboard is where copied text waits before you paste it. A site asking to read it should be one where you paste a lot, like a document editor.

A good rule: say yes only when the request matches what you came to do, at that moment. A video call asking for the camera makes sense. A recipe site asking for notifications as soon as it opens does not.

Watch out for tricks. A page might say Click Allow to prove you are not a robot or Click Allow to play the video. Those are lies. Real robot checks never need notifications. Sites that use this trick then send fake virus alerts and scam ads.

For camera, mic and location, Chrome often offers Allow this time, Allow while visiting the site, or Never allow. When unsure, pick the shortest yes or simply no. You can change your mind later.

Your browser also shows when a site is using the camera or mic, with an icon in the tab or address bar. On a Mac, a colored dot appears in the menu bar too.

Site settings and starting fresh

Said yes to something you regret? You can take it back at any time, in two places.

For one site. Click the icon just left of the web address. In Chrome it is called View site information, and in other browsers it looks like a padlock or a small settings icon. A list of that site's permissions opens. Switch any of them to Block. In Chrome, a Reset permissions button puts that site back to asking you fresh.

For all sites. Each browser has one page that lists every permission and which sites have it:

• Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Site settings.
• Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions.
• Firefox: Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Permissions.
• Safari: Settings, then the Websites tab.

Open Notifications there and look at the allowed list. Remove any site you don't recognize. Do the same for Location, Camera and Microphone. This takes two minutes, and it is a good habit a few times a year.

You can also choose a default. Many people set notifications so sites can't even ask. Chrome removes permissions from sites you haven't used in a while, which helps, but don't count on it alone.

One more layer sits outside the browser. Windows has Settings, then System, then Notifications, where you can quiet the whole browser. On a Mac, that is System Settings, then Notifications.

If pop-ups keep coming after you block a site, check your extensions. A bad extension can show ads too, and a later course covers how to remove one.