"AI is only increasing that threat, especially when it comes to tracking user data -- and some of your most commonly used apps are doing a lot of the scraping. New research from data removal service Incogni finds that more than half of a sample set of AI Chrome extensions collect user data. Almost a third are "gathering personally identifiable information (PII).""
"Now in its second year, Incogni's study analyzed 442 "AI-branded" Chrome extensions between January 5 and January 7, examining what permissions each required and the data each could reveal. It also took into account "The personal data the extensions' developers admit to collecting through their voluntary declarations and, finally, the risk-impact and risk-likelihood scores associated with each extension." Also: I put 2025's leading data-removal services to the test, and there was a clear winner"
Browser extensions are increasingly a security risk as publishers hide invasive code and AI integrations amplify data-tracking capabilities. Incogni examined 442 AI-branded Chrome extensions and found more than half collected user data and almost a third gathered personally identifiable information (PII). The sampled extensions had around 115.5 million downloads, indicating large potential user exposure. The analysis considered required permissions, voluntary developer declarations of collected data, and risk-impact and risk-likelihood scores. High-profile tools such as Grammarly and Quillbot were identified among the most potentially privacy-damaging. Users should be wary of unjustified permissions and take steps to protect their privacy.
Read at ZDNET
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