What Browser Extensions Can Actually See About You
Browser extensions often request broad permissions. Here's what that access actually allows them to see.
Many browser extensions request permission to read and modify data on every website visited, a permission that's genuinely necessary for some extensions and far broader than necessary for others.
What broad permissions actually enable
An extension with full page access can technically see everything typed into a page, including passwords and payment details, before that information is even submitted, which is why the permission is powerful and worth taking seriously.
How to actually evaluate an extension
Checking whether an extension's requested permissions make sense for what it claims to do, reviewing who publishes it and how actively it's maintained, and periodically removing extensions no longer actively used are practical, low-effort ways to reduce unnecessary exposure.