"VPN" extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox are popular because they are quick to install and need no administrator rights. But most of them are not VPNs in the full sense, and an extension sits in a uniquely sensitive place: inside the browser, where you read email, bank and talk to AI assistants.

In December 2025, security researchers showed how badly that trust can be abused, when a widely used free "VPN" extension was found collecting users' AI chats. This guide explains what a browser extension can and cannot protect, what happened in that case, and what to check before you install one.

Browser proxy extension vs. full-device VPN

The two are often sold under the same name, but they work differently.

A browser proxy extension changes the browser's proxy settings so that the browser's traffic goes through a remote server. Websites see the server's IP address instead of yours. It does not create a system-wide encrypted tunnel. Your connection to sites you open over HTTPS is still encrypted end to end, as it would be anyway, but the extension itself does not add a layer of encryption to your device's traffic.

A full-device VPN app creates an encrypted tunnel at the operating-system level. Everything your device sends, from every browser and app, plus background services and updates, goes through that tunnel.

In practice:

  • Coverage: an extension covers one browser; a VPN app covers all apps on the device.
  • Encryption: an extension relies on the HTTPS of each site; a VPN app encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server.
  • Installation: extensions usually need no administrator rights; VPN apps usually do.
  • Typical use: extensions suit a quick IP change for browsing and site-by-site rules; VPN apps suit public Wi-Fi, other apps and whole-device privacy.

Our explainer What is a VPN? covers the full-device side in more detail.

Why extensions are a sensitive place

To do its job, a proxy or "privacy" extension often asks for broad permissions. The Chrome Web Store's help page on permissions explains that an extension with access to "your data on all the websites you visit" can read, request or modify data on every page, including banking and social media sites. It also notes that a warning does not necessarily mean an extension is dangerous. Many legitimate proxy tools need this kind of access to work.

The problem is that you are trusting the publisher not only today, but with every future update. Browsers update extensions automatically, usually without asking you.

In December 2025, Malwarebytes and The Register reported on research by the security company Koi Security into a free VPN proxy extension with more than 6 million Chrome users and 1.3 million Edge users.

According to those reports:

  • A silent update changed the behaviour. Version 5.5.0, released on 9 July 2025, began intercepting users' conversations with AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Grok and Meta AI. Earlier versions did not, and browsers updated users automatically.
  • It was on by default. The Register reported that collection was enabled by a hardcoded setting, with no user-facing toggle; the only way to stop it was to remove the extension. It reportedly collected data even when the VPN was switched off.
  • The data went to a data broker. Malwarebytes reported the chats were sent to BiScience, the publisher's parent company, which collects browsing data.
  • It was not alone. Seven other extensions from the same publisher contained the same code, bringing the total to more than 8 million users.
  • It carried a trust badge. The extension had a 4.7-star rating and Google's "Featured" badge in the Chrome Web Store.

The publisher did mention "ChatAI communication" in a consent screen and its privacy policy, Malwarebytes noted, but users who had installed it before July 2025 never saw that screen. Malwarebytes' advice to affected users was to remove the extensions and to "assume that any AI chats since July 9" may have been compromised, and to consider resetting passwords and clearing cookies.

The lesson is not that every extension is malicious. It is that ratings, download counts and even store badges are not a guarantee.

Who is behind the product?

Ownership matters for any VPN or proxy because the provider can see where your traffic goes, and a 1 April 2025 Tech Transparency Project report on free VPN apps with undisclosed owners shows why it is worth asking who runs a service (we cover how to check in Free vs paid VPN).

Checklist before you install

  • Check the publisher. Is there a real company name, website and contact address? Does it match the privacy policy?
  • Read the permissions. Broad access to all websites is common for proxy extensions, but ask whether the extension also wants things it shouldn't need, such as your browsing history or clipboard.
  • Read the privacy policy for specifics. Look for what is collected, whether it is shared or sold, and for vague phrases about "browsing data" or "analytics partners".
  • Be wary of "free forever" with no visible business model. Running servers costs money; ask how the service pays for itself.
  • Keep the number of extensions small. Each one is another publisher you trust with future updates. Remove extensions you no longer use.
  • Review after updates. If an extension suddenly asks for new permissions or shows a new consent screen, stop and read it.
  • Test for leaks. Browsers can expose addresses through WebRTC; our WebRTC leak test shows what yours reveals.
  • Treat AI chats as sensitive. Avoid pasting passwords, ID numbers or private documents into AI assistants, whatever extensions you use.

Where the VPNRice extensions fit

VPNRice offers extensions for Chrome and Firefox. Like other proxy extensions, they route only the browser's traffic through a VPNRice server, so websites see the server's IP address instead of yours. They let you choose which sites go through VPNRice and which stay direct, and they do not create a system VPN tunnel. Sites opened over HTTPS stay encrypted end to end. For whole-device protection, for example on public Wi-Fi, use the full VPNRice app for your computer or phone instead.

Key takeaways

  • A browser extension usually changes your IP for one browser; a VPN app encrypts traffic for the whole device.
  • Extensions update silently, so you are trusting the publisher's future behaviour, not just today's version.
  • In 2025, a "Featured" free browser extension marketed as a VPN, with millions of users, was found collecting AI chats, according to Koi Security's research.
  • Check the publisher, permissions and privacy policy, keep few extensions, and test your browser for leaks.