My Safe Web search rating icons have recently disappeared. I have been running Norton 360 on a laptop running Windows 10. I have run Live Update and it is current. Thereafter, I have rebooted. Yes, my Norton Safe Web extension is turned on. I deleted it then reinstalled it just in case. I have tried these steps multiple times. The icons do not show up in Chrome, Firefox or when I switch to Norton’s search engine. Safe Web icons worked for years on this laptop until now. They disappeared around the time Norton redesigned its app, but I cannot say that was the trigger. What additional steps can I take to try to get these icons back? They are really one of the primary reasons I use Norton. Thanks.
Hello @Torch_Lake_Tom
Chrome v130.0.6723.70 + Norton Safe Web v3.23.0.21 + Norton Safe Search v3.23.0.20 reports at website and at search results. [here]
Firefox + Norton Safe Web + Norton Safe Search does not report.
Care to try Bitdefender Traffic Light [here]
Thanks BJM. So Norton search rating icons now ONLY appear if you use the Norton search engine extensions which they call both Safe Search and Safe Search Enhanced (both of which have exactly the same description). I also noted that it will no longer worked with my ad blocker - Adblock Plus. This was never a problem before but I need to turn off the Adblock Plus extension to get the rating icons. It is very obvious why this is once you use their search engine with no ad blocks. I have never seen so many ads (“sponsored”) show up in a search using any other search engine! Norton has found a new way to monetize their customers like free browsers do in spite of the fact that we pay for their service and with absolutely zero transparency. I have been a Norton customer since 2011, but this is the end for me.
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Hello @Torch_Lake_Tom
I did not test Safe Search Enhanced because…last update - v3.20.0.21 - Updated June 16, 2023
Norton Safe Search does not report rating at website.
as test:
Norton Safe Search Enhanced reports rating at website.
Norton Safe Search Enhanced reports Norton Safe Search results without rating.
I forget whether Safe Search Enhanced reported Safe Search results with rating.
I test Norton extensions with default Chrome profile &or no other extension.
Note: Chrome/Edge/Firefox webpage https://searchsafe.norton.com/ reports Norton Safe Search results with rating.
as always, your mileage may vary
I’ve been a Norton customer since the mid-1980s. Having the Safe Search icons in Google running in Chrome is something I have really appreciated over the past few years. Yes, them unilaterally forcing users to switch to Norton Search (to keep the icons) was decidedly unwelcome. I decided to try it anyway, and (as you said) the number of “Sponsored Results” is unbelievable. I’m considering cancelling my renewal in December over this. But will they get the message? I doubt anybody is listening.
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by my read:
Protect your searches with Norton Safe Search reads like notice for Norton Safe Web users that the Norton Safe Web extension will stop providing the ratings to all search engines except for Norton Safe Search.
And to continue seeing site ratings, Norton Safe Web users will need to install the Norton Safe Search extension.
by my read:
regardless of whether Norton Safe Web users have Norton Safe Search installed now or not
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care to try Bitdefender Traffic Light [here]
I too feel the same way. No more ticks in Chrome. No more Norton 360. Been using Norton since 1965 but will not renew this year.
Well I just canceled my Norton subscription of 13 years this past Thursday because of this. Perhaps if enough people do the same, they will get the message.
Not sure if this can help your situation, but I had the same thing happen when using Firefox. There is too much “bloat” in the URL that the search uses. If you take out the “Bloat”, the search works, showing the color icons next to the results:
Here’s more info on making a custom search engine with Firefox
Fixed Norton Safe Search setup:
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Because of this ridiculous and stupid change, I dumped Norton 360 and switched to Bitdefender.
Hello @aenigma
Your “taking out the bloat” setup is akin to calling https://searchsafe.norton.com/
bookmark https://searchsafe.norton.com/
True, it works both ways. I usually make searches using the Search Box built into the browser. Just a little more convenient for me when searching multiple sites.
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