Chrome extensions can be handy little tools that assist us in our day-to-day tasks, but not all extensions enjoy the same sterling reputation.
Out of the box, Chrome is a functional, albeit boring, browser. The real fun starts when you try all the cool Chrome extensions. If there’s something Chrome can’t do — or can’t do well — then there’s a good chance an extension out there upgrades its capabilities. There are Chrome extensions to boost your productivity, Chrome extensions to block websites, and even Chrome extensions for gamers. With that said, not every Chrome extension is worth installing, and some are downright malicious. It seems like every month, we learn about a dozen new Chrome extensions that inject malware. Yet even some big-name extensions may not be worth installing despite posing no direct harm to your device.
A classic example is Web of Trust, an extension designed to keep you away from problematic websites. In 2016, experts learned that Web of Trust was gathering poorly-anonymized user browsing history and then selling it to third-party buyers, without its users’ knowledge. The extension returned after a temporary removal period from both Firefox and Chrome extension stores, yet the damage was done. Few who are aware of the history of Web of Trust are likely to use it. In that spirit, we’re looking at five popular Chrome extensions that you may have heard of — or may be using — that your browser might be better off without.Paypal’s Honey
PayPal’s Honey browser extension has a strong pitch: finding online coupon codes for you and automatically inputting them at checkout. Except, there may have been some serious issues behind the scenes. We know of this thanks to an in-depth investigation by YouTuber MegaLag. MegaLag alleged that Honey was manipulating YouTuber affiliate cookies so that it would get the cut for an affiliate purchase, rather than the creator who published the affiliate link. So it wasn’t just (allegedly) stealing money from affiliate links, it was doing it to YouTubers who promoted Honey. So, Honey may have been paying YouTubers to promote itself, while at the same time reaching into their back pockets to take some of that money back. Yikes.
Honey’s users may have been taken advantage of as well. MegaLag discovered that Honey may have been running back-channel deals with seller websites. It would agree to use inferior coupons (or pretend to find no coupons) so that the website made more money from a purchase, and that website possibly kicked back a cut of the spoils to Honey. In summary, Honey was allegedly stealing money from creators and providing little to no value to the end user. Neither is good. In retrospect, a free extension that automatically puts in coupon codes does sound a little too good to be true.
Since that revelation, Honey lost approximately 5 million users. It seems the cookie manipulation going on in the background was quietly fixed, but the extension is still up and running. Devin Stone, a lawyer hosting the YouTube channel LegalEagle, filed a lawsuit against PayPal. PayPal denied the accusations, but we still advise against using the extension since this entire story may not be over. Hola VPN
In our article on the best VPN services available in 2025, we stressed avoiding free VPNs as much as possible. The issue with a free VPN is that, since you’re not paying for it, it has to make money some other way.
