Do you know what Searchprivacy.live is?
Searchprivacy.live is a promotional webpage that has been identified with the questionable browser extension, Search Privacy, it promotes and thus became labeled as a potentially unwanted program, or PUP. This browser extension initially affected Google Chrome browsers only, but later on Mozilla Firefox as well. Now it seems that even Internet Explorer will have its extension in the future. Although this tool claims to give you privacy security while running web searches, our researchers have found that you could be exposed to potentially risky content when using it. It is also worrisome that this PUP can be found distributed in questionable ways. All in all, we believe that you should remove Searchprivacy.live from your computer if you plan to keep it safe. Please read our full report for more information about this potential threat source and how you can avoid similar ones in the future.
First, let us tell you how you can install this PUP officially. You can find the promotional webpage at searchprivacy.live and the other official page in the Chrome web store, chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/search-privacy/ccchgpflllapfcnllmdncjhckclmmcfh. We have found that these pages are almost the same as 1.5 years ago when an identical tool was released. You can see for yourself if you visit info.searchprivacy.co and chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/search-privacy/gnocdobpfcjjkbegibgedfcddnkbdpdk. It is worth checking out the reviews on the older web store page because they are quite revealing. Some claim that this PUP is spreading with malware infections and some say that the search results "are a joke" and contain links to fake or malicious websites instead of the ones displayed. We believe that this already should be enough for you to delete Searchprivacy.live from your computer, but we have more to add.
If you have not visited any of these webpages and yet you have this PUP on board, chances are that you have installed a questionable freeware bundle recently that you downloaded from a shady file-sharing website. This is one of the most frequent ways for unsuspecting computer users to infect their system. Hundreds of thousands of people search the web daily for free files, free programs to download. Most of them are probably not aware of the myriad of fake and malicious P2P websites (torrent and freeware) that host and promote unsafe software bundles. These sites also may contain malicious scripts as well as corrupt third-party content. In other words, wherever you click on such a page, you can easily drop a bundle of threats. If you want to use a secure computer, you need to run a reliable online malware scanner right after you delete Searchprivacy.live.
When you install this PUP, it sets its own search engine, "searchprivacy.co," as your new default search provider. However, it does not seem to change other settings like your homepage and new tab page. Still, it can be annoying and potentially risky. If you use this search engine, you could be introduced to compromised links and corrupt third-party ads. If you click on these, you may be redirected to malicious websites and you could be scammed by cyber crooks. It is also possible to infect your computer by clicking on corrupt content. It is also possible that this PUP gathers data about your searches and online activities, which can be used to create a profile on you and trick you with relating advertising. So, if you want to protect your PC from further system security threats, you should remove Searchprivacy.live.
We have included our guide below, which you can use to remove this unwanted browser extension from the affected browsers. Please remember that this will not clean your whole system, though. But leaving other threats on board would be a huge mistake. If you cannot take care of this yourself, we recommend that you install a trustworthy malware removal program, such as SpyHunter.
Remove Searchprivacy.live from your browsers
Mozilla Firefox
- Tap Alt+T and go to Add-ons.
- Select Extensions on the left.
- Locate the extension and click Remove.
Google Chrome
- Tap Alt+F and open More tools.
- Select Extensions.
- Locate the extension and click on the Trash iconon its right.
- Press Remove in the pop-up window.
In non-techie terms:
Searchprivacy.live is questionable website that promotes a potentially unwanted program called Search Privacy. As a matter of fact, this site and the browser extension as well are identical clones of a previous product that surfaced a good 1.5 years ago. Our researchers say that this PUP can show up on your system under shady circumstances, which usually means the possible presence of malicious threats as well. This browser extension promises you secure web search; however, using is may take you to search results pages that may contain several questionable third-party advertisements and sponsored links as well. In other words, this search page is used to promote questionable affiliates to generate income. We advise you to act now and remove Searchprivacy.live from your computer. Keep your PC clean and safe by installing a proper anti-malware program.