Google will introduce further moderation controls after announcing the integration of messaging services into Gmail. 9to5 has reported that Google Meet, Chat, and Drive are getting a new set of security enhancements.
The hope is that these news security measures will better moderate access and make using these functions safer. Given increased video calling occurring during the lockdown, it is good to see Google taking steps to make their systems safer. If the company tries to get in on the success of Zoom then this is a good way to go about gaining trust in the system.
Hosts take greater control in Google Meet
When using Google Meet hosts will have much greater agency through new moderation controls. They will now be able to better control who can enter join a meeting and who cannot. Google had already blocked anonymous users from joining meetings but this goes a step further.
Now external guests who do not have an account on your domain will have to “knock” before joining a meeting. Also once an attendee is ejected they cannot try to rejoin the meeting unless the host reinvites them.
Also if a knocking request has been denied multiple times then they will be blocked from asking to join. Hosts also have the ability to require attendees to obtain explicit approval to enter a meeting. An “advanced safety lock” will also see users only allowed to participate if they are using a Google Account.
Hosts can also control the use of the in-built chat or present on Google Meet as well. If they wish the host can be the only one able to share their screen and send a message. This feature is more useful for the educational needs of the system but has other applications.
When it comes to Google Chat, the company is leverage safe browsing to flag phishing links in real-time. This will throw up a red flag alert page. This is to stop the sharing of potentially malicious URLs in the chat.
This was already present in Gmail messages but has now been extended across. Another useful security addition which many users will find helpful.
Google drive to protect sensitive content
Finally, G Suite administrators can now restrict the use of sensitive content. Administrators will now have the ability to prevent downloading, printing, or copying Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides marked with sensitive content.
This feature is currently in Beta for G Suite Enterprise, Enterprise Essentials, and Enterprise for Education. This is something that makes sharing information and documentation much safer for many.