Turn Off Search Tracking Ads

Posted by Sarah Stewart on August 16, 2017

What is Turn Off Search Tracking Ads?

Turn Off Search Tracking Ads which is also called Privacy Switch is a browser extension developed for Google Chrome whose only apparent purpose is to replace the homepage and new tab page of your web browser with its featured search engine and make you use it to search the web. The problem is that that search engine is highly unreliable and can subject you to promotional links that come from questionable sources. In the worst case scenario, its promotional links can get your PC infected with malware. Therefore, to be on the safe side of things, we invite you to remove Turn Off Search Tracking Ads along with its search engine.

What does Turn Off Search Tracking Ads do?

Turn Off Search Tracking Ads is promoted as a tool to protect your privacy. However, it does nothing of the sort. Its main distribution website at Myprivacyswitch.com/private makes the claim that Google is tracking your searches and that is entirely accurate because that information is used to genuinely improve its services and provide you with customized search results. Moreover, its featured search engine collects the same information and uses it for the same advertising purposes.

The reality is that this browser extension is nothing but a tool to get its featured search engine Search.myprivacyswitch.com to replace your default homepage and new tab page. The reason is to make you use Search.myprivacyswitch.com as a regular search engine. While this engine did not work when we tested it, it is evident that it can collect information about you to show customized search results. According to its privacy policy, this search engine collects information to “provide search results to you and to optimize and improve our service.” Furthermore, the policy states that “we may share the anonymous information we collect with others for in order to serve you search results and advertisements within the browser.” As you can see, this search engine’s creators can share this information with other companies to show ads. Hence, it does not look like Turn Off Search Tracking Ads’s developers have any interest in protecting your privacy as they share your information with other entities that can be unreliable, we might add.

According to the privacy policy, Search.myprivacyswitch.com can collect information that includes your search terms, browser version and type, IP address, and operating system type. This information is non-personally identifiable and is used, primarily, for assigning targeted advertising that generates Turn Off Search Tracking Ads’s developers ad revenue. Collection of this information is legal, but you may not want to share it with shady entities, so we suggest getting rid Turn Off Search Tracking Ads and its accompanying search engine.

Where does Turn Off Search Tracking Ads come from?

Turn Off Search Tracking Ads and Search.myprivacyswitch.com are both owned by Plasko Interactive, a company that offers web monetization solutions to what appears to be anyone willing to pay. You can learn more about this company by visiting its webpage at Plasko-interactive.com that uses weasel words to say that it offers advertising services.

As mentioned at the beginning, Turn Off Search Tracking Ads is featured on its dedicated distribution website at Myprivacyswitch.com/private, but you can also get it from the Chrome Web Store. Nevertheless, these are no its only distribution channels. While previous channels require your willingness to get this extension, bundled software installers can inject Turn Off Search Tracking Ads into your browser without your authorization. A bundled installer from a freeware website can install this extension as a “bonus” without your consent.

How do I remove Turn Off Search Tracking Ads?

As you can see, Turn Off Search Tracking Ads is nothing more than a browser extension dedicated to replacing your browser’s homepage and new tab page addresses with Search.myprivacyswitch.com — a shady search engine that can feature questionable ads in its search results. To avoid getting your PC’s security compromised, we suggest that you remove this extension as soon as the opportunity arises. You can use the guide below on how to do that.