Sec-GPC

Google Chrome Tests Visible Global Privacy Control Toggle in Canary

Google is testing a new visible toggle for Global Privacy Control in Chrome Canary that lets users send a standardized request asking websites not to sell or share their personal data and not to use it for targeted advertising. When enabled, the browser adds the Sec-GPC: 1 header to web requests and exposes the setting via navigator.globalPrivacyControl. In regions with supporting laws such as California's CCPA, the signal can serve as a formal opt-out from data sales. The feature currently appears primarily on Android, with experimental flags available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS, though the desktop interface remains incomplete. Two separate flags are required—one to show the toggle and another to actually transmit the signal—because enabling only the UI does not send Sec-GPC: 1. The mechanism is not a guaranteed enforcement tool; websites decide how to respond, and effectiveness depends on legal frameworks and site compliance. The feature is absent from the stable Chrome release and may still change before wider rollout.