Have you ever wanted there to be a picture of a kitten when you open a new tab in your browser? Well, there’s an extension for that but it comes at a price.
The Kittens new tab extension for Google Chrome is promoted as a free tool that will transform the background of the new tab page. Once the extension is installed the page you see when opening a new tab will be changed to a page that has a picture of a kitten in the background. You will also see a clock with the time and date and quick access to page settings (that only allows you to turn the date and time on or off), bookmarks, and apps.
This might sound convenient and possibly cute to some people, but it comes with a price. And that price is your privacy.
The Kittens new tab extension for Chrome has permission to replace the page you see when opening a new tab, display notifications, read and change your bookmarks, and manage your apps, extensions, and themes. This allows the developers of the extension (bestext4fun) to basically track everything you do online and collect sensitive data about you that can be used to develop a marketing profile, show you advertisements, or find a way to contact and promote something to you. The information may also be sold to and shared with third-party for unknown purposes.
Browser extensions like Kittens new tab are not always safe to use if privacy is one of your concerns.
How to remove Kittens new tab
1. Click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon (3 dot icon) and go to More tools > Extensions.
2. Click the Remove button next to the Kittens new tab extension.
3. Next, download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to scan your computer for malware and potentially unwanted programs.
4. To install Malwarebytes, double-click the executable file you just downloaded, or open the file from your browser window. The file can usually be found in the Downloads folder.
5. Choose if this is for home or work use and click Agree and Install to begin installing Malwarebytes. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.
6. When Malwarebytes is installed, launch the program and click the Scan Now button on the dashboard (or go to the Scan tab and click the Start Scan button).
7. When the scan been completed, click the Quarantine Selected button.
8. If Malwarebytes says “All selected items have been removed successfully. A log file has been saved to the logs folder. Your computer needs to be restarted to complete the removal process. Would you like to restart now?” click the Yes button to restart your computer.
9. Download HitmanPro to perform a second-opinion scan and remove any remaining malicious trace files. A second-opinion scan is important when removing malware and malicious files from your computer.
10. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Downloads folder.
11. Once HitmanPro is installed, open the program and click Next to start scanning your computer. *If you are using the free version you may choose to create a copy or perform a one-time scan.
12. When the HitmanPro scan is complete, click the Next button.
13. To activate the free version of HitmanPro: enter your email address twice and click the Activate button.
14. Click the Reboot button.
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