Microsoft Edge introduces new features to block scam notifications

Microsoft is updating its Edge browser to combat deceptive websites that use notification permissions to flood users with fake security alerts and scam popups. Through the Edge 156 update, the browser will automatically disable notifications from a site if Microsoft Defender SmartScreen or the built-in Scareware Blocker identifies the page as malicious.

Upon detecting a scam, the browser will disable the site's ability to send notifications and display an information bar to the user. Additionally, a new “Block and report” option has been added to the notification permission prompt. This allows users to send the URL and a screenshot of the deceptive page to Microsoft, a move the company claims can protect dozens of other users per report.

These updates aim to address a common tactic where scammers use legitimate-looking notification requests to bypass traditional page-blocking methods, ensuring that once a site is identified as a threat, its ability to reach the user is severed at the source.