The Chrome extension Browse Secure may sound like it wants to do nothing but make your browser more secure.

And yet this extension is collecting contact data from Facebook and LinkedIn once the user is logged in, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security has discovered.

The extension has already been removed from the Chrome Web Store, but anyone who thinks they might still have it installed should make sure to uninstall it.

Generally speaking, browser extensions and smartphone apps should always be thoroughly checked before installation. The best way to do this is to read the reviews in the store or to look for them online using the name of the extension or app.

They usually do little more than spy on users and their surfing behaviour or display advertisements.

Extensions can be installed and uninstalled in Chrome via the settings menu. The button with three horizontal lines is located in the upper right corner of the browser. Under “Add-ons”, users can click on the recycle bin icon next to the entry showing the respective extension.