Not all browsers offer the exact same extensions, but Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are the two most popular browsers, and the ones I focus on here. They are sometimes created by developers as a hobby project to solve a problem for themselves, but are also developed by larger companies as part of their own suite of software. But browser extensions are simple, generally free add-ons that you can use to slow down or break this type of data collection, without completely ruining your experience of using the internet.īrowser extensions, also called add-ons, are tiny bits of software you can download to add new features to your web browser. So, what do you think about this? Share your views in the comment box below.Everything you do online-from browsing to shopping to using social networks-is tracked, typically as behavioral or advertising data. It’s clear that the company needs to upgrade its verification process to further reduce the risks of malicious software making its entrance to the web store. Well, Google is working hard to prevent fake extensions appearing in the store.

In fact, the problem was comparatively common in 2015, when demand for ad blockers spread exponentially. This is not the first time that a fake Adblock Plus extension is found in the Chrome Web Store. Instead, it did exactly the opposite: it filled the browser with lots of advertising. Users who have installed the fake Adblock Plus extension claims that the fake Adblock Plus did not block ads.

Upon being notified, Google promptly removed it, but the oversight was great: the extension stayed there for quite a while and, as it accurately mimicked the actual Adblock Plus page.

Well, the fake Adblock Plus Google Chrome extension was first notified by a Twitter user who goes by the name SwiftOnSecurity. Well, search giant Google already removed the fake extension from the web store, but it’s estimated that the fake version has had at least 37,000 downloads. A fake version of the Adblock Plus extension has been available in the Chrome Web Store for several days.

Adblock plus chrome extension