Google Chrome Flags uTorrent Software

If you’re a Google Chrome user and uTorrent fan, you may run into some issues when trying to access the software and receive a warning message that the uTorrent service contains “harmful programs.” Apparently, Chrome has flagged the program as malicious due to its regular association with illegal torrents and is preventing downloads.

BitTorrent Inc., the company that owns uTorrent, claims that they have amassed more than 130 million users who utilize the service to download anything from academic papers to illegally uploaded movies and television shows. However, the service has been flagged by malware scanners. Google Chrome, ESET, and Symantec are only a few of the many anti-virus programs warning users to steer clear of certain sections on the uTorrent website. In fact, they’re all asking you strongly reconsider downloading anything from the site period.

Google told TorrentFreak that the decision to blacklist uTorrent stems from their renewed focus to block software that makes “unexpected changes” to users’ computers. TorrentFreak, a trusted piracy news site, speculates that uTorrent is getting so much attention from Google due to a third party software that’s included in the download bundle. This information comes to light after Kickass Torrents and ExtraTorrent users claimed that Google Chrome blocked those sites with similar malware warning.

“We recently expanded our efforts in Chrome, Search, and ads to keep you safer from sites where these nefarious downloads are available,” said Google in an online security blog post earlier this year. “If you’re a site owner, we recommend that you register your site with Google Webmaster Tools. This will help you stay informed when we find something on your sites that leads people to download unwanted software, and will provide you with helpful tips to resolve such issues.”

Google Chrome and uTorrent users, what do you think?