Is The Great Suspender Safe? — Extension Safety Profile
Quick verdict: The Great Suspender earns a safety grade D, 36.3 out of 100, based on 5 of 5 dimensions.
36.3/100
Grade D · 5 of 5 checks
What we found
Suspends inactive tabs to save memory (removed from store)
Automated safety profile from public signals (the extension's manifest & permissions, store listing, publisher, privacy policy). A full review hasn't been published yet.
What The Great Suspender's safety grade means
⚠️ Safety concerns on record
- A major publicly documented security/data incident is on record (see our removed & compromised tracker for sourced details).
- A recent change of developer/ownership is on record — a known vector for trusted extensions turning malicious.
The Great Suspender earns a safety grade of D (36.27/100), measured across 5 of 5 dimensions. Its strongest area is Community Reputation (54%). The weakest is Data & Privacy (0%) — what holds its grade back the most.
On the public records we can check, The Great Suspender raises a few flags worth weighing. 2,000,000 active users/installs reported on the store. Store rating 4.0/5 from 9,200 user ratings. Last updated on the store 2021-01-04 (65 months ago). This is an automated profile, not a hands-on review — so treat the grade as a starting point: open The Great Suspender's own store listing and privacy policy before installing, and weigh it against the other tab management extensions we track below.
Safety Signals
Based on 5 of 5 safety dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Bar | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher & Identity | 35% · of 20 pts | Automated signals | |
| Permissions & Access | 42% · of 25 pts | Automated signals | |
| Data & Privacy | 0% · 4/20 pts assessed | Automated signals | |
| Maintenance & Ownership | 15% · of 15 pts | Automated signals | |
| Community Reputation | 54% · of 20 pts | Automated signals |
In-depth safety analysis
The extension requests the tabs, storage, and webNavigation APIs along with host permission for <all_urls>, giving it the ability to see all open tabs, read and modify content on any website, and track navigation. For a tab manager that suspends inactive tabs, these permissions are functionally expected, but they also provide broad access to your browsing information.
A key safety concern typical for this category is a change in ownership. This extension was acquired in June 2020 and its publisher is now unknown. When extensions change hands, the new owner can silently modify behavior, so users should be especially cautious. Combined with the full site access, this makes it important to verify that the party behind the extension is actively maintained and trustworthy, as the permission scope could be misused to inject ads, track browsing, or redirect pages.
The fact sheet’s strongest dimension is Community Reputation (54%), reflecting a large user base and generally positive ratings over time. The weakest is Data & Privacy (0%), meaning there is no disclosed privacy policy or any transparency about data handling. This gap, together with the unknown publisher and low maintenance score, makes it impossible for a user to know how their information is treated or secured.
AI-assisted analysis of the documented signals above (permissions, store data, privacy practices) — explains what they mean and the risks typical for this category. Not a hands-on test.
What The Great Suspender's store listing shows
Who's Behind The Great Suspender?
- Publisher Unknown (acquired June 2020)
How The Great Suspender compares
Among the 48 browser extensions we track, The Great Suspender has one of the lowest safety scores.
Computed from our own database of assessed browser extensions — updated as we track more.
Evidence on File (15)
The Great Suspender FAQ
- Is The Great Suspender safe?
- The Great Suspender earns a safety grade of D (36.3/100) on our evidence-based assessment, based on 5 of 5 safety dimensions we could verify from public records. This is an automated profile built from public records, not a hands-on review.
- Who is behind The Great Suspender?
- The Great Suspender is operated by Unknown (acquired June 2020).