‘It feels like malware’: This Chrome extension redirects your web searches to monetized results and was promoted by a VPN with 50 million downloads

Planet VPN has 50 million downloads on Android and says that its free VPN has “no limits on traffic, bandwidth, or time.”

However, free VPNs often come with caveats and need to earn money somehow. In the case of Planet VPN, this may be achieved via Planet Search — a Chrome extension that re-routes users' internet searches through intermediary platforms before they reach monetized Yahoo search results.

Planet Search has 2 million users, according to its Google Web Store page, and its parent company, Free Planet VPN S.R.L., was recently referenced in an investigation by Socket into ‘searchjacking’ apps.

While its role modifying a user's search engine has previously been documented and is identified in the Chrome Web Store, our investigation reveals that the developer was actively funneling users from its VPN product to its Chrome extension until at least mid-January this year.

Planet search, redirect & monetize

...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to www.techradar.com. To see the full text click HERE