Privacy Overreach of AI Browser Extensions 

The Chrome Web Store is home to hundreds of AI browser extensions. Taking that into account, researchers at WizCase looked into the privacy implications of using these extensions to understand the potential risks and overreach into user data. We explain some highlights of our findings below.

According to their research:

  • Despite being advertised as serverless with no analytics and data collection, WebChat GPT secretly sends data to its own server and records your email address before you even sign up for an account.
  • The Liner AI browser extension collects extremely sensitive user information, including 2FA codes, user credentials, and emails, which is a major security and privacy issue.
  • Wiseone actively logs sites you visit and can extract data — including email, contacts, and other personal information — from your Google account without your permission or consent.
  • LinkedRadar collects excessive browser traffic, actively logging open browser tabs every 10 seconds. 

Why it matters: Their research has shown that, even if browser extensions give users ease-of-use, too often, the software accesses and records information contrary to the Chrome Web Store policies and even the developer’s own, making it almost impossible for consumers to know how secure their information truly is.

You can access their detailed report here: https://www.wizcase.com/blog/privacy-overreach-of-ai-browser-extensions/

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