Devices and protection
Browser extensions can see everything you see
The coupon finder, the PDF converter, the grammar checker: each one asked for permission to read and change data on every website.
1 min readExplainer
The short version
Add-ons for Chrome and Edge can read the pages you visit, including email and banking. Install few, and only from sources you trust.
Why they are risky
Browser extensions add features to Chrome, Edge and other browsers. To do that, many ask for permission to “read and change all your data on all websites.” That permission is broad: the extension can see what you type and read pages, including webmail, banking and your company’s systems.
Most extensions are honest. The risks come from a few patterns:
- Extensions that are sold. A popular, harmless extension is bought by someone else, who pushes an update that collects data or injects ads.
- Lookalikes of popular extensions, with similar names and logos.
- Free tools that pay for themselves by selling your browsing history.
What to do
- Install only what you need, and only from the official store for your browser.
- Check the permissions before installing. A calculator does not need to read every website.
- Check the publisher and the number of users and reviews.
- Remove extensions you no longer use. Open the browser’s extensions page and clear them out once in a while.
- On a work computer, ask first. Your IT provider may limit extensions to an approved list.
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