Browser extensions turn nearly 1 million browsers into website-scraping bots

https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/07/browser-extensions-turn-nearly-1-million-browsers-into-website-scraping-bots/

Link to the list of extensions at the end of the article

150 points · 19 comments · view on lemmy.world

19 Comments

CatZoomies@lemmy.world · 42 pts · 1y (6 replies)
[ removed ]
reddig33@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Still sounds gross. While the developer might have opted in to selling your processing power to scrape websites, I doubt the users of each extension opted in.

CatZoomies@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
7eter@feddit.org · 19 pts · 1y (1 reply)
CatZoomies@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
MarriedCavelady50@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 1y

I use the inbuild Dark Mode in Vivaldi (on/off with shortcut, wors even in intern pages and menus) and none of the extensions from the list, most extensions from the Store anyway are redundant in Vivaldi translation, reader mode, tabs, feeds, ad/tracker blocker..........)

-

sturlabragason@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 1y (11 replies)
Krudler@lemmy.world · 40 pts · 1y (3 replies)

I'll save everybody a click because it's what we all want to know. "Dog Facts Unlimited" extension is on the list.

Pirate@feddit.org · 17 pts · 1y

My disappointment is immesurable and my day is ruined.

umbrella@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
Stewbs@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

"Cat Facts Unleashed" too.... My heart is sinking and I am dying now....

randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
xnx@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1y (5 replies)

Dark Reader is on the list :(

7eter@feddit.org · 32 pts · 1y (1 reply)

That is not THE Dark Reader! Only this knock off for the edge browser is affected.

xnx@slrpnk.net · 8 pts · 1y

Oh wow thanks for letting me know!

umbrella@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 1y (2 replies)
[ removed ]
hexagonwin@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 1y (1 reply)

oh shit. I used to use this but removed later after realizing it wasn't open source.

umbrella@lemmy.ml · 0 pts · 1y
[ removed ]
Beryl@lemmy.ml · 24 pts · 1y

It's disheartening seeing screen readers on this list. That seems predatory.

Phen@lemmy.eco.br · 15 pts · 1y

Damn now how am I gonna live without "Change my cursor to Sims 4"?

TipRing@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1y

Definitely read the original SecureAnnex article as well. The behavior of this software and the people behind it are damning.

DuskyRo@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y (4 replies)

I used Youtube unhook in the past but before the AI craze so I'm probably good.

I know a lot of people use Dark Reader so that's gotta hurt.

Other than that I think I'm safe.

7eter@feddit.org · 14 pts · 1y

The popular Dark Reader is not affected by this.

Only this knock off for the edge browser. Source

atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1y (2 replies)

I see Dark Reader for Edge but not Firefox. Are they the same extension?

lemmie689@lemmy.sdf.org · 10 pts · 1y

This is from Mozilla

Dark Reader doesn't show ads and doesn't send user's data anywhere. It is fully open-source https://github.com/darkreader/darkreader

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-CA/android/addon/darkreader/

quantumcrop@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 1y

They seem to all link back to the same github page.

https://github.com/darkreader/darkreader

Edit: not the same one as on the list