41% Collect Sensitive Data Ranging from Credit Card Info to Passwords, Putting Tens of Millions at Risk of Identity Theft
Incogni, a leading data privacy provider, today issued a comprehensive new study analyzing the privacy risks posed by 238 AI-powered Google Chrome browser extensions. The report, “Ranking AI-Powered Chrome Extensions by Privacy Risk in 2025,” reveals that two-thirds (67%) of analyzed extensions collect user data, and more than a third (41%) collect personally identifiable information (PII), including sensitive details like credit card numbers, passwords, and location data. DeepL is recognized as one of the most privacy-invasive extensions, while Grammarly has a high risk impact. Such invasive privacy practices might affect countless users and expose them to identity theft and cybersecurity threats.
Extensions like Grammarly, which make writing almost anything effortless, or Vetted, which act as online shopping assistants, are quickly becoming as engrained in everyday life as smartphones did in the early 2010s. However, because many users trust Google’s ecosystem, they also assume that third-party extensions vetted through the Chrome Web Store are equally safe. Unfortunately, browser extensions may suffer data breaches, as shown by recently revealed Chrome extension hacks, with 35+ compromised extensions affecting over 2.6 M users.
To assess the risk of using AI-powered Chrome browser extensions, Incogni researchers analyzed the permissions of 238 extensions with more than 1,000 users, along with the data their publishers admit to collecting, then used the findings to create a ranking of AI extensions and extension categories based on how much of a risk they pose to user privacy.
“People are coming up with such creative ways to use AI; there’s probably an AI extension for almost any use case you could think of,” said Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni. “While this is very exciting, it could also be risky if users don’t stop to consider whether the extensions they add to their browser may be logging their every keystroke, or injecting code into the sites they visit.”
Key findings of the report include:
- 67% of analyzed extensions collect user data.
- PII is collected by 41% of extensions, including at least a quarter of those in eight of the nine categories examined.
- 41% of investigated extensions have a high risk impact, meaning they could cause severe damage to the user; these include permissions like the ability to inject code into websites or run on all pages opened on the user’s browser.
- Nearly 100 extensions require sensitive permissions that provide access to personal user data, like passwords, financial information, browsing history, email content, and location.
- 18% collect authentication information, such as passwords, credentials, security questions, and personal identification numbers (PINs); audio transcription and programming helpers are the worst offenders
- 7% collect financial and payment information (transactions, credit card numbers and credit ratings scores), including 15% of text/video summarizers and 14% of audio transcribers.
- Among the most popular extensions, the most privacy-invasive was the DeepL AI translator and writing assistant, followed by AI Grammar Checker & Paraphraser and advanced AI assistant Sider.
- Grammarly, DeepL, and Sider were recognized as the most popular extensions with high risk impact.
While some of the data types collected are clearly sensitive and may cause consumers to think twice before using an extension, others are more vague. For example, “user activity” (collected by 22% of extensions) may not sound alarming, but it is actually one of the most sensitive types of data, as it reflects everything from highly personal data, sensitive company information, and keystrokes to passwords, timestamps, and even behavioral patterns.
The report digs deep to reveal the most privacy-invasive extension categories and titles. The programming assistants category was found to be the most invasive, followed by personal assistants/general-purpose extensions and integrating/connecting extensions.
The researchers also investigated the most popular extensions, with at least 2M users each, and ranked them according to their data collection and permission request practices.
Among the most popular extensions, the most privacy-invasive was found to be DeepL, which requires the highest number of sensitive permissions (four), including scripting and webRequest. It also collects five data points, including personal communications and user activity, and requires five permissions. The second most privacy-invasive, AI Grammar Checker & Paraphraser also collects five data points, and requires a relatively high number of sensitive permissions (scripting and activeTab). Sider ranked third, requiring the highest number of sensitive extensions (four), including offscreen and all urls.
It is also notable that Grammarly, DeepL and Sider have a high risk impact, which means that, theoretically, they have the ability to exfiltrate or compromise a lot of sensitive user data or otherwise encroach upon users’ privacy.
Belejevas adds, “Unfortunately, we have more reason than ever to be cautious—from hackers and scammers actively looking for ways to exploit people and systems. It’s essential consumers carefully weigh the benefits against the potential risks of AI-powered extensions and choose more privacy-friendly options.”
The report is available for download at: https://blog.incogni.com/ranking-ai-powered-chrome-extensions-by-privacy-risk-in-2025/
About Incogni
Incogni helps people take control of their data by removing their personal information from various sources, such as data brokers or people search sites. Incogni provides a simple, user-friendly solution that prevents the data from being sold and reduces the likelihood of cybercrime and spam.
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