- NordVPN’s new Chrome feature detects audio deepfakes
- Real-time checker provides immediate scam alerts
- AI Voice Detector also protects your data
Are you feeling a little worried about AI-generated audio deepfakes increasingly polluting your online experience and potentially tricking you into a scam?
If the answer is yes and you’re worried about talking to a deepfake online and being tempted to reveal information only your mother knows, you’ll be happy to know that NordVPN has you covered.
The best VPN on the market has just integrated a new AI-powered voice detector into its Chrome extension. This means users can now identify audio deepfakes in real time while browsing the web.
NordVPN said the company currently has no plans to expand this feature to different apps. “But we will consider it if it is necessary,” a spokesperson told TechRadar.
With this move, the VPN provider continues to expand its security offerings in its relentless fight against cybercrime, proving that anti-scam capabilities are now an essential part of any leading VPN service.
How does it work?
AI-generated speech technologies are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to recognize, even for the most well-trained human ear.
While it may be shocking to discover that your favorite influencer is actually a synthetic voice, the dangers associated with AI-generated audio go far beyond just fake content intended for entertainment purposes.
Fraudsters are now able to clone voices using just a few seconds of audio recording, using them for identity theft scams, fraudulent calls and spreading false information.
“AI-generated voices have become one of the most convincing tools in a scammer’s arsenal, and most people have no reliable way to tell the difference,” noted Domininkas Virbickas, director of product at NordVPN.
Developed by NordVPN and a team of cybersecurity experts at NordLabs, AI Voice Detector captures the audio stream of an active browser tab and processes it using an on-device neural network model.
While the audio continues to play normally to the user, the tool compares the sound to thousands of real and AI-generated audio samples, checking in real time whether the user is listening to a human or synthetic voice.
If the content is generated by AI, the result is immediately displayed in the form of a red pop-up or a small notification on the web page. A yellow pop-up warns that the content may be a deepfake, while a green pop-up indicates that the audio is minimal risk.
Installation is a breeze: users can simply enable the feature in the NordVPN Chrome extension to start audio detection.
Protect your privacy
AI Voice Detector also analyzes audio data directly in the browser. This should ensure that user data is not compromised during the process.
For this reason, the tool never logs your identity, browser history, cookies or account details, ensuring that your data is never exposed. Additionally, as soon as recording stops or tabs are closed, all audio buffers are immediately cleared
But above all, the tool does not really listen to what is being said. It only examines acoustic patterns, meaning it is technically incapable of understanding, recording or interpreting the content of a conversation.
It looks like NordVPN is determined to make 2026 its year of anti-scam innovations. So far, the company has launched a free tool to detect online scams, rolled out its scam blocking tool for Android globally, and improved its dark web monitoring, all while earning top marks in independent phishing tests.
With so many new features released, it might well seem like we can’t trust anyone or anything. For now, at least, your conversations are intact: the next time you’re chatting on Chrome with your bank manager who wants to discuss your bank account or with a friend who asks you for money, you can continue to sip your drink and enjoy the coming spring.
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