Uninstall ‘Web of Trust’ add-on now

The browser add-on Web of Trust (WOT, www.mywot. com), which claims to keep people safe online, has been caught selling users’ data – including phone numbers.

Launched in 2007, WOT checks a website’s safety using ratings and reviews provided by users. Once installed, its icon changes colour (to red) to indicate a potentially dangerous site.

The add-on, which has been downloaded 140 million times worldwide, had long been regarded as an effective way to avoid malware and scams online. But an investigation by German broadcaster NDR discovered that WOT had sold user data to marketing companies without first making it anonymous.

NDR said it had obtained data that WOT had sold to one particular company, and found that it didn’t disguise users’ email addresses and phone numbers. Using this data, NDR’S reporters were able to identify individuals, and discover what they had been looking at online and what documents they had sent to other people.

Mozilla removed WOT from its add-ons store within days of the report. Soon after, WOT voluntarily pulled the add-on from all other stores, including those for Chrome and Opera.

In a statement ( www. snipca.com/22507) WOT apologised for any “anxiety” caused. It said that although the privacy lapse affected “a very small number” of users, it was still “unacceptable”.

The company added that it will review its privacy policy “to determine which changes need to be made in order to enhance and ensure that our users’ privacy rights are properly addressed”.

It also plans to make it easier for users to opt out of having their data shared with other companies, although it will come as a shock to many that WOT does this at all.

Until further notice, we advise our readers to uninstall WOT. We’ll let you know if it becomes safe again.