Search.mysafesearch.net

Search.mysafesearch.net description might say the search engine can help users protect their privacy, but you should know that the application itself can collect both your private and anonymous information. Therefore, the search tool might appear to be not as trustworthy as users may think it is. Our researchers found out it travels with a browser hijacker called MySafeSearch. This extension alters user’s default browser settings to replace the homepage, search engine, and new tab page with Search.mysafesearch.net. The worst part is that afterward, it might not only gather information related to you or your browsing but also display questionable advertisements, which could redirect you to dangerous web pages. If you do not want to encounter such content, we advise you to get rid of this doubtful search tool. To eliminate it users should remove the browser hijacker manually as it is shown in the instructions located below this article or with reliable antimalware software.

According to our researchers, the application should work only on Google Chrome browser. Consequently, the search tool is distributed not just on extension’s official site called mysafesearch.net, but also on the Chrome Web Store page. Both of the mentioned sources provide links to the browser hijacker’s End User License Agreement (EULA) and Privacy Policy (PP) documents. Needless to say, such documents should be studied carefully if you do not want to install an application that could violate your privacy or work in an unwanted manner. Sadly, while dealing with untrustworthy programs, you may find that their description can provide different statements than the EULA and PP documents.

The browser hijacker’s description says it can “Help you protect your privacy” and “Prevent the tracking of your searchs by the search engines.” However, if you read Search.mysafesearch.net Privacy Policy statements you may realize the application itself could collect personal information that the user provides voluntarily, e.g. email address, “social network identifier or your profile details.” Plus, the extension could gather anonymous data such as “the type of browser and operating system your device uses, operator, language preference, access time,” etc. Moreover, users should know that all of the gathered information can be shared with the software’s third-party partners. It is entirely possible such associates could use the mentioned data for marketing purposes, e.g. to provide you with targeted ads and offers.

Unfortunately, Search.mysafesearch.net creators “do not warrant, endorse, guarantee or responsible for any third party content or materials.” This means there are no guarantees the application’s displayed third-party ads will be reliable and safe to interact with. For instance, provided advertisements could promote similar threats to the browser hijacker, such as adware, potentially unwanted programs, etc. Some of the advertisements might also redirect you to sites created for malicious reasons, e.g. to distribute malware, steal user’s private data, and so on. Our specialists noticed the third-party advertisements could show up while surfing the Internet with Search.mysafesearch.net. Therefore, to avoid the risk of encountering dangerous ads, we would advise you to replace this search engine with a more trustworthy one.

The only way to get rid of this suspicious search tool is to remove the extension related to it. If you want to delete the browser hijacker manually, you should slide a little below and follow the provided instructions as they will guide you through the process. However, if you suspect there could be other suspicious applications on the computer, it might be best to use a trustworthy antimalware tool. Scan your system with it, and the device should detect Search.mysafesearch.net and other possible threats automatically. It is enough to click the deletion button once, and all the threats that could have been identified during the scan should be removed at the same time.

Erase Search.mysafesearch.net from Google Chrome

1. Press Win+E.
2. Navigate to given paths separately:
   %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
3. Look for folders called iamehioebdppceakgholgfjhapaacmep, right-click them and press Delete.
4. Find the following directories:
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
   %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
5. Locate the listed files:
   chrome-extension_iamehioebdppceakgholgfjhapaacmep_0.localstorage
   chrome-extension_iamehioebdppceakgholgfjhapaacmep_0.localstorage-journal
6. Right-click the listed files separately and press Delete.
7. Locate this path: %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
8. Right-click files called Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data separately and press Delete to erase them.
9. Exit the Explorer.
10. Empty the Recycle bin.