Are extensions safe to block ads on the websites?

What are browser extensions? What do we need these for?

A browser extension is like an add-on that adds certain functions and features to your browser. Extensions can change the user interface or provide some web service functionality to your browser.

For example, they can block ads on web pages, translate text from one language to another, and add pages to third-party bookmark services such as Evernote or Pocket. They're not just counting extensions: there are hundreds, even thousands, of extensions for productivity, personalization, shopping, gaming and more.

Nearly all of the commonly used browsers support extensions. Including Chrome, Chromium, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer and Edge. Extensions are available in a wide area and some are quite useful. That's why people use multiple extensions, and sometimes the number of extensions on a single computer can reach double digits. But as we noted, extensions can be as dangerous as they are useful. 

Problems we may encounter when using an extension 
Malicious extensions

First of all, extensions can be completely malicious. We see more of this in extensions downloaded from third-party websites. But in some cases, malwares are also infiltrating official markets such as Android and Google Play.

For example, security researchers recently discovered an innocent application that looks like a little sticky notes on  Google Chrome Web Store, but in fact it secretly clicks on paid ads per click that provided the extension developers with profit from it.

How can an extension do that? 

Extensions need permissions to be able to do anything. Among the most popular browsers, only Google Chrome and Brave Browser is prompting the user to provide these permissions. By default, other browsers allow extensions to do what they want, and the user has to accept it.

But even in Chrome, this permission management only works in theory. We can't say it works in practice. Even the simplest extensions ask for permission to ”read and change all your data on all the websites you visit." This gives extensions the power to do almost anything about your data. If you do not grant the required permission, the extension is not installed.

However, Brave Browser provides you a better browsing experience simply just by not having you to download and install extensions for instance to block ads on web pages, to block ads on YouTube or on any websites you visit. Blocking ads feature of Brave Browser comes by default once you download and install it. You can visit Official Website of Brave Browser and download it for free by clicking here