Chrome 66 appears with autoplay restrictions and password export option

Google has updated Chrome for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS to version 66. The main improvements are that autoplay with sound is now blocked by default and that the user can export all passwords at once.

The autoplay restrictions would actually appear in the browser in January with the arrival of Chrome 64, but after a delay that is the case with the current introduction of Chrome 66. There is no complete blocking of the autoplay feature on sites; videos that do not have sound on will still play automatically. If a user ‘has shown interest’, the video will also play, also with sound. This is the case, for example, if users have added the site on mobile to the home screen, clicked somewhere, or viewed media on the site more often with the desktop version.

In the password management settings there is now the option to export all passwords saved by Chrome for sites and services. This is done in an unencrypted csv file and Chrome will display a warning accordingly. Windows requires the user to enter their login name and password in order to export the file. That export can then be imported back into a password manager, for example.

Google is conducting a test with Site Isolation with Chrome 66 with a small group of users. The security function ensures that sites always run in different processes and cannot access data from other sites. Sites already run shielded from each other, but Site Isolation provides an extra layer of protection that prevents unauthorized access even when exploited by processor bugs such as Specter.

Furthermore, as of version 66, the browser no longer supports Symantec’s public key infrastructure for certificates issued before June 2016. This means that Chrome will warn you when opening ssl/tls connections based on old certificates from Symantec or one of the company’s brands, such as Thawte, VeriSign, Equifax, GeoTrust or RapidSSL.