BILLIONS of Google Chrome users have been warned to be on their guard after the browser removed a useful security warning.
The browser is set to drop its lock icon, which tells people whether a website is secure or dodgy.
Currently displayed in Chrome's address bar, the lock icon is being scrapped as part of a major redesign.
It will be replaced by a version of Google's "tune" icon, allowing users to tweak how often they get the warning.
Google said: "We know that the lock icon does not indicate website trustworthiness.
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"We redesigned the lock icon in 2016 after our research showed that many users misunderstood what the icon conveyed.
"Despite our best efforts, our research in 2021 showed that only 11% of study participants correctly understood the precise meaning of the lock icon.
"Misunderstandings are so pervasive that many organizations, including the FBI, publish explicit guidance that the lock icon is not an indicator of website safety.
"We will be replacing the lock icon in Chrome with a variant of the tune icon.
"We think the new icon helps make permission controls and additional security information more accessible, while avoiding the misunderstandings that plague the lock icon."
Google is getting rid of the lock icon because it flags HTTPS-only sights as dangerous - even though they are now generally considered to be secure.
The new icon is set to be introduced with Chrome 117, which launches in September.
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