Internet Browsing has become an integral part of our lives today. The influence of surfing the Web  even for the tiniest bit of information  is undeniable. It is hence a necessity for the web pages to be fair and truthful. When a web page deliberately plays truant or tries to misinterpret facts to mislead consumers, it is categorized as objectionable web page.

The problem of Fake web pages in disguise with misleading information  is getting worse day by day. The practice of designing misleading and fake web pages is not just unethical; it  also violates the major  rights of consumers.

Deceptive Mobile billing page

Recent research reveals that in a bid to scam users, Web Pages deliver insufficient information about their subscription services. In order to access games or specific content in the website,  many deceptive sites seek mobile information.

Users, apart from gaining access to the prompted content,  also get signed up for a mobile subscription without consent on entering their mobile details. As a result, they fall in a vicious trap where they notice unusual deductions.

Google’s attempt to combat the deceptive sites

Surprising charges imposed on users from unclear communication has led to poor user experience. To combat this, the next Google Chrome Update Chrome 71 (December 2018) is focused on tackling these sites with shady subscription services.

As per the fix in Chrome 71, like other safe browsing warnings, if Chrome detects that the web page does not reveal sufficient billing information, a warning message will be triggered to users on Chrome mobile, Chrome desktop and Android’s Web View:

Users will be offered the choice to proceed to the page or go back to the previous site.

Organization’s Obligations to exonerate their web Pages

The concerned organization suspicious to be flagged under this new Safe Browsing Category in Chrome 71 should adequately inform users by providing sufficient level of details within the billing page.

The following practices should be adopted by the organization to ensure that users are well informed about the mobile charges that they might incur.

• Display complete billing information: It is the sole duty of the organization to inform users about the actions and their charges, before levying it.
• Visibility of the Billing information should be clear to the user: The billing information should not be obfuscated by any means. It should be clearly visible and readable on all types of devices.
• Detailed Understanding & Clarity of the Fee structure: Users should be well informed about fee amounts and billing frequency. Organizations should clearly reveal this information on the web page.

If a deceptive web page is identified by Google, it alerts the webmaster via Google search Console.

Website owners who have registered their site through Google Search Console service should visit their dashboards to check whether their mobile subscription form reveals triggers this warning.

After making necessary changes the webmasters can submit an appeal to remove the flag accordingly.

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