This page explains how you can adjust the 'permissions' for browser extensions in CCleaner Browser. It also goes into why extensions need 'permissions' and the different levels of these 'permissions.'
If you only want the instructions for CCleaner Browser, skip to How to check or adjust the 'permissions' of your browser extensions below.
What are browser extensions?
These are like 'added extras' that you can download and add CCleaner Browser (or another web browser) that do things like block online ads, check your spelling, launch video calls, and more.
Note: The paragraph above is not meant to be an exact description of the types of extensions you can install on CCleaner Browser.
How do browser extensions impact your online privacy?
Extensions can track your online activity, but they don't all do it in the same way. To help you understand this, we've broken down this concept into three levels.
- High level: the extension can access everything on your PC and on the websites you visit
- Medium level: the extension can access most of the data on the websites you visit
- Low level: the extension can only access specific data
How to check or adjust the 'permissions' of your browser extensions
Open CCleaner Browser and follow the instructions below. If you're viewing this page with CCleaner Browser, you can still follow the same instructions.
- Right-click on the extension icon in the toolbar or find your extensions on the extensions page
(Settings > More Tools > Extensions) - Go to Manage extensions
- Here you can choose how much access a specific extension has to your data on the websites you visit:
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- On click
- On specific sites
- On all sites
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- You can see the permissions that are already set
Another way to view extension 'permissions' in CCleaner Browser:
- Click on the three dots in the top right of your browser window
- Navigate to More Tools
- Click on Extensions
- Click Details (on the extension with the 'permissions' you want to look at)
Note: If you're not sure about installing an extension, it's a good idea to look up other peoples' reviews and opinions about it first.
Why do browser extensions need 'permissions'? What are they for?
Certain types of apps and software make it easier to accept or decline 'permissions' related to sharing data. Browser extensions tend to be more basic with the available 'yes' or 'no' options. Still, many need 'permissions' so they can work properly.
An example of how browser extensions need 'permissions':
If an extension needs to access a website you're looking at on your web browser, it usually asks for your permission. However, it could also have an automatic 'permission' already ready and working, such as "Read and change all your data on all the websites you visit."
Would this kind of website data 'permission' put me at risk?
An extension that asks to read all of your data isn't necessarily unsafe, but it’s a good idea only to install extensions that come from verified authors (or ones you really trust).
If you choose to install an extension from the Chrome Web Store, make sure you read every permission it asks for. If it asks you for permissions that have nothing to do with its intended purpose, we don't recommend installing it.
