(a Rayt feature that's in-the-works - based on Google's 'Safe Browsing' feature for Firefox)

One of the key anti-phishing features of the Google Toolbar for Firefox is that if you land on a site that is known for phishing, your screen turns gray and a large window pops open in your browser -- essentially telling you to run away as fast as you can! See a screenshot here.

The individual and group-generated reports that Google relies on for this service are what really appeal to me as they represent the community's ability to warn their members about sites which have been deemed harmful or bogus.

Unfortunately, though, this warning feature is limited solely to sites that engage in phishing activities. This is made all too clear on Google's FAQ page:

"10. Does this feature protect me against viruses, spyware, and all other evil things?

Sorry, but no — Google Safe Browsing only protects against phishing attacks...You still need to watch out for all the other bad things that can happen on the wild, wild web."

This feature has so much potential for social change -- if only Google/Firefox would open up the scope to go beyond anti-phishing...

What if you land on a site that is investing in genocide (see 'photoshopped' example above)? What if you land on the virtual domain of a clothing chain that uses child labor? Or the homepage of a store that prints its catalogs on virgin timber?

While the sad news is that it doesn't look like Google is going to save the day this time, they do provide an excellent example of how a community can unite and spread their message through a browser to warn & protect their members. The model, essentially, is proven. All we have to do is take it upon ourselves to make it happen.

Note: An excellent digital activist experiment would be if a group was convinced that a site was harmful to humanity -- if they got all their members to submit its URL to Google as a "suspicious" site. See -- http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/

Does anyone know if this has been tried before?