The Attention Tracker
Google Chrome features a highly invasive API known as “Idle Detection.” This API allows websites to actively monitor your physical interaction with the computer. If you stop moving your mouse, typing on your keyboard, or looking at the screen, the website is alerted that you are “idle.” While this is used by chat applications (like Slack) to automatically set your status to “Away,” it is also a massive privacy violation. Advertising networks and malicious websites use Idle Detection to wait until you walk away from your desk before launching crypto-mining scripts or auto-playing loud video advertisements. You must lock out this surveillance API.
How to Block Idle Detection Globally
You can permanently lock the browser out of your operating system’s input monitoring stack via the Site Settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Site settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click to expand Additional permissions.
- Click on Your device use.
- Under the “Default behavior” heading, select the radio button for “Don’t allow sites to know when you’re actively using your device.”
Total Activity Privacy
The change takes effect instantly. Google Chrome will completely sever its internal connection to the Windows or macOS input registry. The browser will instantly auto-reject every single background request from any website attempting to monitor your mouse movement or keyboard activity. Websites will now assume you are constantly staring directly at the screen, preventing them from launching malicious scripts the moment you step away from your desk.