Currently, the Chrome Web Store is full of AI-powered extensions. From tools that summarize meetings to assistants that write your emails, they have become essential for millions of users. However, a recent in-depth look at the ecosystem shows that many of these digital helpers quietly collect a lot of personal information, which is very concerning. The data privacy company Incogni looked at more than 440 AI-branded extensions that are available for Google Chrome in 2026 and ranked them by “privacy risk.”
Privacy alert: You might be using these high-risk AI Google Chrome extensions right now
According to the Incogni report, more than half of these tools collect user data. Plus, nearly a third are actively gathering personally identifiable information. With over 115 million collective downloads, the scale of this data scraping affects a massive portion of the internet-using public.
However, not all AI extensions are equally risky. The study found that some categories are much more dangerous than others because they need a lot of permissions to work. The most invasive extensions were programming and math helpers. These usually gain access to your active windows as they need to read and write code directly in your browser. So, data harvesters might find a gold mine here.
Meeting assistants and audio transcribers came in a very close second (via ZD Net). The reason? They often need access to microphones and internal audio streams. After all, these extensions record and transcribe your conversations.
Writing assistants like Grammarly and QuillBot were also flagged for their high-risk impact. Since these tools essentially watch every keystroke to provide suggestions, they possess the technical ability to capture almost everything you type. While these brands are widely used, their prevalence in the dataset highlights how much trust we place in tools that monitor our most private digital interactions.
Be especially careful with this permission
One big red flag that came up in the research is the use of “scripting” permissions. About 42% of the extensions analyzed use this to capture what you type or change what you see on a webpage. It’s noteworthy that these permissions are often necessary for an AI to provide real-time help. Still, they also represent a significant security loophole if a developer’s security isn’t ironclad.
The surprising names in the list
Interestingly, even household names aren’t immune to high-risk scores. Google Translate and ChatGPT Search appeared in the top list of extensions that combine high-risk likelihood with high-risk impact. This proves that popularity and a well-known brand name don’t always guarantee a low-risk privacy profile.
The general rule for users in 2026 is simple: justify the permission. If a writing assistant asks for your precise GPS location, something is clearly wrong. An extension should only ask for the data it absolutely needs to perform its stated job. If it asks for more, the safer choice is usually to walk away.
Incogni’s researchers suggest a host device test to stay safe. If a tool requires your personal data to leave your computer and travel to a remote server just to function, it represents a much higher risk than a tool that processes information locally. Understanding this distinction is key to protecting your digital identity.
Ultimately, the convenience of AI often comes at the cost of our privacy. As usual, common sense is a valuable tool when using software with sensitive permissions.
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