Is Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy Safe? — Extension Safety Profile

Ghostery requests broad permissions typical of ad and content blockers. It can read and alter data on all websites, including WebSocket connections, and uses APIs like declarativeNetRequest, webRequest, scripting, and cookies to filter content, block trackers, and manage privacy settings. The host access and permission scope are necessary for real-time blocking and are expected for this category, though they grant significant control over your browsing.

As with any ad blocker, users should be aware that such extensions have the capability to observe and modify all web traffic. This makes trust in the publisher essential. Ghostery’s developer-declared privacy practices state that user data is not sold or used for unrelated purposes, which aligns with its reputation as a privacy tool. Still, careful users should consider that look-alike extensions or compromised updates could pose risks, so it is wise to verify the official listing.

The fact sheet shows a 100% Community Reputation score, reflecting strong user trust and a large, highly-rated user base. The weakest dimension is Publisher & Identity at 25%, which suggests less confidence in the publisher’s verified identity or transparency relative to other factors. Combined with a Permissions & Access score of 45%, the overall grade B indicates that while the extension is widely relied upon, its broad permissions and publisher visibility warrant a cautious approach.