ClearURLs Privacy Extension Removed from Chrome Web Store

The tech publication Bleeping Computer has reported that the privacy-focused browser extension ClearURLs, which cleans URLs of tracking and analytics parameters, has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. ClearURLs is available for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Journalists explain that many websites use long URLs with extra parameters that serve no functional purpose but are used to track users. This often applies to links in newsletters, for example:

https://example.com?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sale&some_other_tracking_bits=…

Google search result URLs are no different and also contain numerous trackers. Reporters from The Register demonstrated the difference in Firefox with ClearURLs enabled and disabled.

Developer Responds to Removal

Now that the extension has been removed from the Chrome Web Store, its developer, Kevin Roebert, stated: “The reasons [for the block] are ridiculous, probably made up, and the real issue is that ClearURLs harms Google’s business model. ClearURLs fulfilled its mission of preventing URL-based tracking, which is exactly how Google makes money. I think ClearURLs now has so many users that Google doesn’t like it, and the company would prefer this add-on to disappear forever.”

The developer shared that Google told him the extension’s description was “too detailed,” violating Chrome Web Store rules: “Mentioning everyone who helped develop and translate ClearURLs goes against Google’s rules because it could ‘confuse’ users. Absurd. The ClearURLs description is considered misleading because it’s too detailed and describes irrelevant things. Google didn’t specify what exactly was irrelevant, so it’s hard for me to fix it.”

Google also claimed the description failed to mention certain features, including import/export settings, a logging feature, and a donation button, which could allegedly mislead users. Additionally, the company objected to ClearURLs requesting clipboard write permissions unnecessarily.

Roebert responded that this was untrue and that all requested permissions are listed in the Chrome Web Store Developer Dashboard. He initially refuted Google’s claim, explaining that the clipboardWrite permission was used to copy “clean” links to the clipboard via the context menu. Later, he told Bleeping Computer that clipboardWrite was no longer needed, calling it a “leftover from an old version of ClearURLs,” and that he had since switched to a different method for copying to the clipboard.

Security Concerns and Community Reactions

Interestingly, during discussions on Y Combinator’s Hacker News, some users reported that the extension previously had a vulnerability allowing arbitrary code execution. Other commenters noted additional security concerns: “The extension can redirect script URLs to arbitrary sources, and the filter list is periodically updated from a GitLab page, which could allow the filter list provider to carry out targeted attacks.”

Overall, some users doubted that a company as large as Google would be concerned about a small extension potentially impacting its business model. Others argued that Google’s massive influence over extension development and web standards for Chrome could eventually become a problem, and the ClearURLs case might indicate the company is actively monopolizing this area. Some users also said the incident only strengthened their resolve to continue using Mozilla Firefox.

Journalists note that users can still download and manually install ClearURLs for Chrome from GitHub. Moreover, Roebert has prepared a new version 1.21.0, which will soon appear in the Mozilla and Edge extension stores (pending review).

Google representatives have not yet commented on the situation.