Chrome is a popular, free and reliable web browser developed by Google. Sometimes while accessing a webpage in Chrome, you get the message “Your connection is not private.” The message warns that attackers may be trying to steal your information. While it sounds dangerous, there is probably nothing wrong with it. Here is an overview of what could be causing this error and how to fix Privacy Error in Chrome.
Reasons for a Privacy Error in Chrome
Chrome returned this privacy error when you could not verify the SSL certificate of the site you are trying to access. SSL is a secure data encryption method that guarantees the confidentiality and security of transmitted data. Chrome will not load the website because it suspects that it is not secure.
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There are many things that can cause this SSL error. The site may contain an expired SSL certificate, a certificate that was not configured correctly, or that was not issued by a trusted organization. There may be problems with the Chrome extension, your antivirus software, or the settings on your computer.
How to Fix Privacy Error in Chrome
If there is a problem on the site then there is nothing you can do. However, if the problem is with your computer or device, there are some easy solutions that you can try.
- Check whether the site’s SSL certificate has expired. If a website’s SSL certificate has expired or is not valid, there is nothing you can do to fix the Chrome privacy error because it is the fault of the site. However, you can send an email to the site owner to let them know.
- Reload the Page. This is a quick and easy troubleshooting option. Close and reopen your Chrome browser and reload the page. There was something wrong with your browser, or the site owner may have reissued their SSL certificate.
- Problems with public Wi-Fi networks. When using a public Wi-Fi network, such as at a restaurant or airport, you may receive a Chrome privacy error upon signing in to a website before agreeing to the terms and conditions of a location. Navigate to a non-SSL site such as www.weather.com, and the login page should open. Try the website again and see if that fixes the problem.
- Clear browser cache and cookies. Clearing browser cache and cookies is another quick and easy troubleshooting method that can solve the problem.
- Open the page in incognito mode. On a PC or Mac computer, open the page in an incognito window. If the page opens, it probably means that the Chrome extension is not working properly. Disable the extension and reopen the page normally.
- Check the date and time on the computer. An incorrectly set date and time on your device may prevent Chrome from verifying the SSL certificate for the site you’re visiting. This is because when Chrome checks the expiration date of an SSL certificate, it compares it to a computer clock.
- Disable anti-virus software. As antivirus software becomes more advanced, it adds new features to protect against the latest threats. One of these features is a firewall that blocks insecure sites with SSL. While this is generally good, sometimes it can conflict with your network settings and may accidentally block some SSL certificates and connections. To see if this is the problem, temporarily disable the SSL scanning feature of antivirus software.
- Go to the website. If you believe the error is with the website and the website is known and trusted, then it is possible to access the site with an unsafe connection. To do this, select the Advanced link at the bottom of the error box, and then select Continue to the website. This will not resolve the problem with the error message and should only be done when you are sure that the website is secure.