Privacy explained

Can Chrome extensions track your browsing history?

Yes. Depending on its permissions and code, an extension may observe visited URLs in real time, read stored browser history, or record pages where its content scripts run.

Three common ways it can happen

History permission. The extension can query the browser’s history database.
Tabs and navigation events. Background code can observe tab URL changes as you browse.
Access to website pages. A content script running across many sites knows which pages loaded and can send that information elsewhere.

Access is not the same as tracking

An extension may need the current URL to perform a legitimate feature. A page translator, password manager, or site-specific tool cannot always work without page context. The stronger evidence is code that stores or transmits browsing URLs, ties them to a persistent identifier, or collects them on sites unrelated to the feature.

Questions a useful report should answer

Which sites can the extension access?
Does it listen for tab or navigation changes?
Does it create a persistent user or device identifier?
Are complete URLs, titles, referrers, or searches sent to a server?
Can remote settings turn tracking on later?

Permissions alone can miss this. Scan the extension’s actual code to look for URL collection and transmission.