What is the NewTube extension and should you remove it?

NewTube is an internet browser extension compatible with Google Chrome that allows you to listen to a variety of music through your browser toolbar. In return, you pretty much give up your privacy as the extension can do such things as read and change your bookmarks, detect your physical location, manage your apps, extensions, and themes, and read and change your browsing history.

According to the extension permissions, it can do much more:

• Read and change all your data on the websites you visit.
• Replace the page you see when opening a new tab.
• Read and change your browsing history.
• Read and change your bookmarks.
• Detect your physical location.
• Manage your apps, extensions, and themes.

This means that the NewTube extension collects personal identifying information (PII) once it is installed. They also collect information about people who visit their own website. To make matters worse, the privacy policy states that they will share and sell your information to third-parties for marketing and other purposes. But, that’s not all they claim they can do with your information:

• Improve customer service information.
• Personalize and study user experience.
• Improve their website
• Share your information with third-parties.
• Sell your information to third-parties.
• Send promotions, contests, surveys, and other content to users.

In retrospect, the NewTube extension appears to be a marketing tool and nothing more. It was created to simply gather personal information about those who install it and visit their websites.

Furthermore, the NewTube extension utilizes malicious advertising networks to attract users. This is a concern because it could mean that the website you are visiting hosts malware or displays ads that bolster malware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP).

How to remove NewTube

If privacy and security is a concern to you, I strongly urge you to uninstall the NewTube extension right away and scan your computer for malware. Here’s how:

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 NewTube 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.