Do you know what Macsafesearch.net is?
Macsafesearch.net is a search engine that will affect your browsers after you install the browser extension promoting it. Research conducted by our team of experienced researchers has shown that it should be possible to download this piece of software directly from the Chrome Web Store (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kabjgfhbfoafaackbiopkmlifjppdkjb?), but it is, surely, not the only source. Once the extension is installed, Macsafesearch.net should be immediately set as a new search provider. As the name of the search provider suggests, it primarily targets MAC users. Theoretically, they might find it set on all popular browsers, including Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Have you already found Macsafesearch.net set as your new search tool on your MAC computer? If “yes” is the answer to this question, you should not let it stay because it is not very likely that it is a search provider that can be fully trusted. In the worst-case scenario, it might even turn out to be the one responsible for exposing you to potential threats by causing all these redirections to shady websites.
We cannot confirm that Macsafesearch.net is trustworthy, so if you have found it set on your browsers, you should remove it right away. It might be quite risky to use suspicious search providers, specialists say, because they often present users with untrustworthy search results that might redirect them to dubious third-party websites. Yes, we do not think that it is a very good idea to use Macsafesearch.net to perform web searches even though it is presented as a tool that can enhance the web searching experience by showing improved search results (“Use Mac Safe Search to improve your search results!”). If this search tool presents you with untrustworthy search results, it is not very likely that you will recognize them since they do not have any distinctive features. It is hard to say how Macsafesearch.net treats the users’ privacy either because it was impossible to open its Privacy Policy document at the time of research. According to our researchers, the chances are high that it gathers information about users automatically. Luckily, untrustworthy search providers cannot access any personal details if users do not provide them willingly, so Macsafesearch.net should only record such details as search queries, the browser type, search results clicked, and more. We could not access its Privacy Policy document, so we are not 100% sure, but it is very likely that it will share all recorded details with third parties.
There are two possible reasons why you have found Macsafesearch.net set on your browsers. First, it has changed your browsers’ settings because you have installed the extension Mac Safe Search from http://www.macsafesearch.net/, the Chrome Web Store, or another source. Second, the browser extension promoting it could have been installed on your machine without your knowledge. Suspicious extensions promoting search tools are often spread bundled, so if you do not know anything about the appearance of Macsafesearch.net on your browser, this suggests that you have installed the software bundle too and allowed changes to be applied to your browsers. Do not let the history repeat itself – install security software designed to work on MAC computers and keep it active all the time.
As you should already know if you are reading this article from the beginning, it is very likely that the appearance of Macsafesearch.net is directly associated with the installation of the browser extension (Mac Safe Search) promoting it. Therefore, to remove Macsafesearch.net, you will need to erase that extension fully. Use the removal guide (see below) to delete it manually, or you can use an automated malware remover instead. If you are looking for a quicker way to erase undesirable software, the automated removal method is the one you should adopt.
Delete Macsafesearch.net
Mozilla Firefox
- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Click the menu button and select Add-ons.
- Select the add-on promoting Macsafesearch.net and click Remove.
Google Chrome
- Start Google Chrome.
- Open the browser’s menu and click More tools.
- Click Extensions.
- Select the untrustworthy extension.
- Click Remove.
- Click Remove again in the confirmation window.
Safari
- Open Safari.
- Choose Preferences and click Extensions.
- Select the extension you want to get rid of from the list.
- Click the Uninstall button.
In non-techie terms:
Macsafesearch.net is a search tool that will be set on your browsers after you install Mac Safe Search. Even though at the time of writing it was still in development, it is very likely that it will look like a legitimate search provider once it is officially released. Unfortunately, it does not mean that it is safe to use a search provider that has been set on your browsers without your knowledge. It might not only show sponsored search results, but it might also record various details and then disclose them to third parties.