Quiclean

The Quiclean browser extension is promoted to users as a useful tool for making sure their cookies, downloads log, and history are cleaned every time they hit the 'Quiclean' in their navigation bar. The developer of the Quiclean extension claims the Quiclean extension is a reliable way to secure your privacy online, but privacy-oriented users should not hurry to install the app. Web surfers should note that cleaning your cookies, browser history, and downloads log can make it hard for another individual to know what you have been up to, as well as free up some space on the memory drive. However, your machine has a unique identifier, a MAC address, an IP address, and can be traced across sites by advertisers without the usage of cookies and Web beacons. Extensions like the Quiclean app may be appealing to many users, but you should make an educated decision to keep it installed or remove it. The Quiclean app is deemed as a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP) because it requires rights like:

• Read and change all your data on the websites you visit.
• Manage your apps, extensions and themes.
• Display notifications.

You should pay attention to the 'Add to Chrome' installation pop-ups because Quiclean is not supposed to have access to your extensions, themes and apps, or display notifications if it is cleaning temporary Internet files only. In reality, the Quiclean app might collect non-personally identifiable information like the details it deletes from your computer and send it to the servers of advertisers. The developer of Quiclean can profit from the activity while you think your traces are deleted by Quiclean securely. It is true that information like your searches, Internet history, recently downloaded files, and cookies is very cheap, but the Quiclean extension can be installed on hundreds of browsers and then the picture changes. Also, the Quiclean program appears to have a clone on the Chrome Web Store:

• "Quiclean" can be found at Chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/quiclean/adabkdnhibpjeiajccbmgghnojkmckpe.
• "Clean My Chrome" can be found at Chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/clean-my-chrome/ieinnneanoadfjcfhpjjncohgejljopj.

Both apps are identical in functionality, the drop-down menu is the same, and both ask for the same level of access to your data. As funny as it may sound, both apps were published on the Chrome.google.com/webstore/ on the same day — September 4th, 2017. It is possible that the creators of the Quiclean might want to push several versions of their product and aim to lure as many users as possible into installing the program. Consequently, the profit from Quiclean and its clones would increase proportionally. You can remove the Quiclean software by loading the Extensions Manager in Chrome and purge the residual files with a credible security scanner.