Finding the right download button on a website is the least fun version of hide and seek ever invented. Now, Google’s taking action to warn users when sites engage in this kind of deceptive behavior.


As Google explains on its Online Security Blog, sites with any kind of ads that deceptively try to mimic actual site functionality will now be counted as “social engineering.” This includes fake download buttons, warnings that software you don’t have is “out of date”, and fake notifications to update things like Flash player. When a site uses these tricks, Google will display a big red warning before a user visits the site. Hopefully this will discourage shadier sites from using underhanded tactics to trick users into clicking on ads, or at least prevent users from getting duped.

No More Deceptive Download Buttons | Google Online Security Blog via Talk Android