Chrome Permission Audit

Chrome 'history' permission vs 'tabs': can an AI extension read your past browsing log?

Learn the exact technical difference between Chrome's 'history' permission (which reads your past chrome://history database) and the 'tabs' permission—and how to audit AI extensions.

Best fit

Best for privacy-focused users who want to ensure an AI extension cannot read their historical browsing log.

Technical Manifest Audit

Permission specification & risk profile.

Review how Chrome enforces history in Manifest V3 and how to tell legitimate user-triggered extensions apart from intrusive tools.

Risk level: Higherhistory
Chrome install-time warning
"Read and change your browsing history on all your signed-in devices"
Manifest V3 declaration
{
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "permissions": ["history"]
}
Legitimate uses vs. red flags
What to verify before granting this permission to an AI browser tool.

Legitimate AI reading uses

  • Dedicated history-replacement extensions or local bookmark/history search launchers

Red flags to watch for

  • An AI webpage summarizer or sidebar requesting `history`—allowing it to query `chrome.history.search()` for every URL you visited over the past 90 days
How Vezz me handles this: Vezz me does NOT request the `history` permission and never collects a browsing-history log. Its own conversation history feature only saves the questions and answers you explicitly triggered.
Step-by-step workflow

How to run this workflow in place.

1

Look for the phrase 'on all your signed-in devices'

Chrome's warning for `tabs` says 'Read your browsing history', while the warning for `history` says 'Read and change your browsing history on all your signed-in devices'.

2

Verify in manifest.json

Check that `"history"` is not in the extension's `permissions` array.

3

Separate conversation history from browser history

Vezz me's Conversation History stores only your past AI Q&A threads in local storage—never the URLs you browse.

Key details

Why this approach works better than switching tabs.

Why an AI reading assistant never needs `chrome.history`
To explain the webpage you are currently reading, an extension only needs the text you selected right now—not where you browsed last Tuesday.
  • `chrome.history` exposes `search()`, `getVisits()`, and `deleteAll()` across your synced Chrome history
  • Vezz me never requests `history` and has zero access to your past browsing log
Frequently asked questions

Common questions about chrome permission audit.

What is 'Conversation history' in Vezz me if it doesn't use the history permission?

Vezz me's Conversation History is a local log of the specific AI questions and answers you asked inside the extension (stored in `chrome.storage`), so you can revisit an explanation you generated earlier.

Related workflows & guides

Explore connected pages.

Chrome tabs permission
Why the tabs permission triggers a history warning string.
Open guide
Vezz me Privacy Policy
Full data collection and retention policy.
Open guide
All Extension Security & Permissions
Browse the complete directory of extension security & permissions on Vezz me.
View hub directory
Available for Chrome and Firefox

Ready to try this workflow on your own reading?

Install Vezz me free, highlight text on any webpage, and press your customizable shortcut (default: Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) to get an answer right beside the source.

Install free for ChromeInstall free for FirefoxCompare plans