Google Chrome browser’s new enhanced autofill feature can now remember and automatically fill in personal data such as licenses, passports, and even vehicle identification numbers. It’s a small addition that could make form-filling faster than ever, but also one that invites a fresh look at where that data sits and how safe it really is.
Google says the upgrade builds on Chrome’s long-standing autofill capability for passwords, addresses, and payment details. The company promises stronger privacy protections this time, stating that the browser will store information only with user consent, protect it with encryption, and ask for confirmation before it’s used. In a blog post announcing the update, Google wrote that users will remain “in full control” of their stored data.
While the convenience factor is clear, the change introduces new layers of sensitivity. Information like passports and vehicle details can reveal much more about a person than an address or phone number. Cybersecurity professionals are already weighing in on what that could mean for user safety.
Nivedita Murthy, Senior Staff Consultant at Black Duck, noted that while Google’s autofill has always been a time-saver, it also concentrates personal information in one place. “This information is not stored in a secure format,” she explained.
“While the autofill option is very convenient for users, it adds risk in keeping your personal information in one location. Google accounts are also used in other places to authenticate. If your email account is compromised, not only could your emails get leaked, but any personal information that is also stored within that account.”
She adds that users need to weigh convenience against possible consequences. A single compromised Google account could give attackers access not just to messages, but to sensitive identification data now stored in the same place.
Nevertheless, the new feature also runs counter to long-standing advice from the cybersecurity community, which urges users to avoid storing passwords or autofill data in browsers due to a growing number of malware strains targeting such information. Shuyal Stealer, for instance, is known to target data from 17 of the most widely used browsers.
For now, Google’s global rollout is limited to desktop Chrome users, with plans to expand the types of data it can recognize in future updates. The company maintains that privacy remains at the center of the design, but as always in cybersecurity, what’s convenient for the user can also be convenient for the wrong person.
