Google has removed the symbol for a secure connection from the mobile version of their Chrome browser. The famous “lock” could soon become a thing of the past in all browsers.
It was several months ago already that Google announced they will be replacing the symbol marking a secure connection in autumn. The by now well-known “lock symbol” is to be replaced by a slider.
This decision is motivated by the observation that the visual lock display suggests a false sense of security to many users. This icon stands for a connection to a website secured by a TSL/SSL or https:// connection. Since not just renowned providers, but most phishing websites also employ TSL encryption by now, a lock no longer confirms that a website is safe to visit.
This change announced by Google has only been implemented in their Chrome browser version for Android so far, which has begun to display a slider instead of a lock symbol a short while ago. The desktop version of Chrome and all other browsers is still using the old symbol. Their distribution and the Google line of argument however suggest that other browsers will follow soon.
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