Is It Safe? AI Chrome Extension Security Reviews
Looking up whether an AI Chrome extension is safe to use? We ran automated security scans on 5 AI browser extensions (latest scan 2026-07-31): 80% request access to every site you visit. 4 request permissions broader than typical for their category, and 1 stay within it. Each page answers “is [tool] safe?” with permissions, data-flow domains, and privacy-policy findings — not a paid ranking.
How we produce each disclosure: security methodology. Prefer tools by job-to-be-done? AI Tool Finder.
Comparison table — scanned AI extensions
Sorted A–Z. Open a row for the full “is it safe?” disclosure (permissions, privacy score, FAQ).
| Extension | Category | Permission profile | All sites? | Privacy score | Scanned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is DeepL Translate safe? | translation | Broader than typical | No | 7.7/10 | 2026-07-31 |
| Is Grammarly safe? | writing assistant | Broader than typical | Yes | 7.3/10 | 2026-07-31 |
| Is Merlin AI Assistant safe? | ai sidebar | Broader than typical | Yes | 5/10 | 2026-07-31 |
| Is Monica safe? | ai sidebar | Typical for its category | Yes | 4.1/10 | 2026-07-31 |
| Is Sider safe? | ai sidebar | Broader than typical | Yes | — | 2026-07-31 |
Individual security reviews
Is DeepL Translate safe?
DeepL is ISO 27001 certified and GDPR-compliant. Free-tier translations may train AI models; paid plans do not. The browser extension requests broader permissions than typical for translation tools, but they serve legitimate translation functionality.
Scanned 2026-07-31
Is Grammarly safe?
Grammarly holds SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, and HIPAA compliance — one of the broadest security portfolios among AI writing tools. Users can opt out of AI training on their content. The extension requests broader permissions than typical, supporting desktop app integration and signed-in web app access.
Scanned 2026-07-31
Is Merlin AI Assistant safe?
Claims SOC 2/GDPR/ISO compliance for paid users only — not independently verified. Privacy policy scored 5.0/10 with three red flags: no data deletion rights, unclear GDPR handling, and AI training on user content.
Scanned 2026-07-31
Is Monica safe?
No ISO or SOC 2 certifications found. Privacy policy scored 4.1/10 with four red flags: no data deletion rights, no policy change notification, no children's data policy, and AI training on user content with no disclosed opt-out.
Scanned 2026-07-31
Is Sider safe?
No security certifications found and privacy policy could not be assessed by our scanner. The extension routes queries to multiple AI providers (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and requests broad permissions including custom script execution and tab capture.
Scanned 2026-07-31
FAQ
How do you decide if an AI Chrome extension is safe?
We do not issue a pass/fail verdict. We disclose the permissions requested (compared to a category baseline), whether the extension has all-sites access, domains observed by static analysis, and privacy-policy findings against 11 fixed criteria. You decide based on your threat model. Details on the methodology page.
Which AI extensions request access to all sites?
80% of the 5 extensions we scanned request access to every site you visit (as of 2026-07-31). Use the comparison table above for the current list.