Google Chrome will start alerting users that sites using HTTP are “not secure” beginning this week. The specific rollout date is July 24, which is tomorrow at the time of this writing. After this date, when a user visits an HTTP site using Chrome, a warning will appear in the address bar indicating that the site is “Not Secure.”
Site owners have been given considerable notice about this change since February 2018. To avoid displaying the “Not Secure” warning in Chrome, websites must transition to HTTPS. Those that have already made this transition do not need to worry.
Although this update won’t block access to non-HTTPS sites, it may prompt users to reconsider which sites they choose to visit. The “Not Secure” warning is part of Google’s ongoing initiative to promote safer web browsing, which began when Google made HTTPS a ranking factor in 2014.
HTTPS encrypts data exchanged between a visitor and a website, ensuring it cannot be intercepted by hackers and malicious actors. For example, when submitting confidential information via a web form, HTTPS ensures that the information remains secure. On the other hand, HTTP does not protect communications, making any data submitted on a “not secure” site vulnerable to theft and misuse.
Google Chrome is the second browser to introduce a warning for non-HTTPS sites, following Mozilla Firefox. Together, Chrome and Firefox account for 64% of all web browsing activity according to StatCounter. As of now, Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari do not display warnings for non-HTTPS sites.
