Chrome Is Scanning Files on Your Computer, and People Are Freaking Out

In practice, Chome on Windows looks through your computer in search of malware that targets the Chrome browser itself using ESET’s antivirus engine. If it finds some suspected malware, it sends metadata of the file where the malware is stored, and some system information, to Google. Then, it asks you to for permission to remove the suspected malicious file.

(You can opt-out of sending information to Google by deselecting the “Report details to Google” checkbox.)

Source: vice.com