Private Browsing by Safely
Learn what Private Browsing by Safely is, if the Private Browsing by Safely extension is safe to use, and how to remove Private Browsing by Safely.
Description and permissions
Manage, block and delete the data being collected on you.
- Read and change all your data on all safelyonline.tech sites, privatelyonline.club, and search.privatesearch.online
- Read your browsing history
- Display notifications
- Change your search setting to: search.privatesearch.online
What is Private Browsing by Safely?
Private Browsing by Safely is an internet browser extension for Google Chrome. When the Private Browsing by Safely extension is installed, it will redirect your internet browser to https://www.safelyonline.net where the developer promotes various other internet browser extensions such as Data Manager by Safely that is essentially promoted as the extension with fewer permissions.
The difference between Private Browsing by Safely and Data Manager by Safely is that Private Browsing by Safely changes your internet browser’s default search engine and causes your internet searches to redirect to search.privatesearch.online and then to search.yahoo.com. A browser extension that promotes privacy but then redirects your search results to Yahoo does not take your privacy seriously.
The Private Browsing by Safely extension claims to be an internet browser extension that can help you manage and eradicate your browsing data. The Private Browsing by Safely extension collects your browsing data including your browsing history and cookies and shows you this data on the https://www.safelyonline.net website. A concern about this is that Google Chrome already collects this information so the need for a browser extension to also collect the same information and display it online seems like a privacy issue. In addition, the way that the extension allows you to manage, block, and delete browsing history and cookies is through Google Chrome itself. In other words, you don’t need this extension to manage, block, and delete data because Google Chrome already allows you to and the extension cannot perform these tasks.
The extension collects and stores your sensitive information and tracks your browsing activities. The sensitive information collected about you may be used to build a marketing profile and identify you in order to show you advertisements.
Another issue with the Private Browsing by Safely extension is that it is advertised by advertising networks that also promote malicious software (malware) and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Furthermore, websites that utilize these advertising networks may host malware and contain dangerous or prohibited content. This means that if you come across advertisements for the Private Browsing by Safely extension, or found the extension installed, it is possible that your computer was introduced to malware and/or potentially unwanted programs.
In addition, the extension may be promoted as something it is not by the advertising network in order to trick you into installing it and other potentially unwanted programs and malware.
How to remove Private Browsing by Safely
STEP 1: Remove malware from your computer
1. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to scan your computer and remove malicious files and potentially unwanted programs.
2. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Download folder.
3. 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.
4. Once Malwarebytes is installed, open the program and click the Scan Now button on the dashboard – or go to the Scan tab and click the Start Scan button.
5. When the scan is complete click the Quarantine Selected button.
6. 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.
7. Next, 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.
8. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Download folder.
9. 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.
10. When the HitmanPro scan is complete, click the Next button.
11. To activate the free version of HitmanPro: enter your email address twice and click the Activate button.
12. Click the Reboot button.
STEP 2: Remove the extension
Chrome
1. Open the Customize and control Google Chrome menu and go to More tools > Extensions.
2. Find the Private Browsing by Safely extension and click the Remove button to remove it.
Firefox
1. Open the Menu and click Add-ons.
2. Click Remove next to the Firefox add-on you want to remove.
Other internet browsers
Leave a Comment