Chrome AI Extensions Raise Privacy Concerns as Two Investigations Expose Data Leaks

Google's Chrome team reported at I/O 2026 that 17% of extensions created for the Chrome Web Store in the past year use AI, meaning many now send parts of users' pages to models. Security investigations in late 2025 by Koi Security and OX Security found extensions collecting conversations from major AI platforms and sending open tab URLs to remote servers, affecting millions of users. In both cases, at least one extension carried a Featured badge, showing that badges no longer guarantee safety. A July 2026 update to Chrome's user data rules, enforced from August 1, 2026, tightens requirements such as limiting data to what a feature needs, requiring in-product consent, and mandating HTTPS. The article's guidance for developers includes minimizing transmitted data, using narrower permissions like activeTab, and redacting sensitive information before sending it.