- NordVPN’s new Chrome feature detects audio deepfakes
- The real-time checker provides instant fraud alerts
- AI Voice Detector also keeps your data protected
Feeling a little uneasy about the AI-generated audio deepfakes that are increasingly polluting your online experience and potentially tricking you into a scam?
If the answer is yes, and you’re worried that you might be talking to an online deepfake, 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 that users can now identify audio deepfakes in real time when browsing the web.
NordVPN said the company currently has no plans to expand the feature to different apps. “However, we would consider it if there is a need,” a spokesperson told TechRadar.
With the 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 top VPN service.
How does it work?
AI-generated voice technologies are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to recognize even for the best-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 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 misinformation.
“AI-generated voices have become one of the most persuasive tools in a fraudster’s arsenal, and most people have no reliable way to tell the difference,” stressed Product Director at NordVPN Domininkas Virbickas.
Developed by NordVPN and a team of cybersecurity experts at NordLabs, AI Voice Detector captures the audio stream from an active browser tab and processes it using a neural network model built into the device.
While the audio continues to play normally to the user, the tool compares the audio to thousands of real and AI-generated audio samples, verifying in real-time whether the user is listening to a human or synthetic voice.
If the content is generated by AI, the result is displayed immediately 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 sound poses a minimal risk.
Installation is a breeze: users can simply enable the feature in the NordVPN Chrome extension to start sound detection.
Protection of your privacy
AI Voice Detector also analyzes audio data directly in the browser. This is to ensure that users’ data is not compromised during the process.
Because of that, the tool never records your identity, browsing history, cookies or account information, ensuring that your data is never exposed. Furthermore, as soon as recording stops or tabs are closed, all audio buffers are immediately cleared
But above all, the tool doesn’t actually listen to what is being said. It only examines acoustic patterns, meaning it is technically unable to understand, record or interpret the content of any conversation.
It seems that NordVPN is determined to make 2026 its year of anti-fraud innovations. It has so far launched a free online fraud detection tool, rolled out its scam blocker for Android globally and upgraded its dark web monitoring, all while scoring top marks in independent phishing tests.
With so many new features being released, it can seem like we can’t trust anyone or anything. For now, at least, your conversations are intact: the next time you’re talking in Chrome with your bank manager who wants to discuss your bank account or a friend who’s asking for money, you can keep sipping your drink and enjoying spring while it’s coming.
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