Is Copyfish 🐟 Free OCR Software Safe? — Extension Safety Profile

Copyfish requests permissions that allow it to capture visible page content, inject scripts, read and write the clipboard, show notifications, and communicate with a native application on your computer. For an OCR tool that may rely on a companion desktop program to process images, this scope is fairly typical. The activeTab and scripting permissions are used only when you invoke the extension, and clipboard access lets it copy recognized text. The nativeMessaging permission means it can exchange data with software outside the browser, so you should only install the companion app from a trusted source.

As with any extension that can read screen content and interact with the clipboard, a careful user should consider what sensitive information might be visible on screen when using the tool. OCR extensions in general can be targeted by clones or phishing attempts, so it is wise to verify you are installing the genuine version from the official store listing. The privacy practices declared by the developer indicate data is not sold or used for unrelated purposes, which is a positive sign.

The fact sheet shows the extension is actively maintained and has a strong community reputation, but the publisher identity dimension is weaker. This suggests the developer’s transparency about their organization could be improved, which is worth noting given the native messaging capability. Overall, the permissions align with the extension’s function, and the maintenance record is reassuring.