Automatically replaces insecure GET requests of search providers with secure/private POST requests.

Latest Version

Version
1.0.2
Update
March 22, 2021
Size
21.53KiB
Developer
Category
Users
237
Rating
5 ★
Manifest Version
2
Web Store Status
Languages Support
English
See more
Permissions
Http://duckduckgo.com/?*q=*
Https://duckduckgo.com/?*q=*
Http://start.duckduckgo.com/?*q=*
Https://start.duckduckgo.com/?*q=*
Http://www.startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*
Https://www.startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*
Http://startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*
Https://startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*
Http://www.startpage.com/do/search?*q=*
Https://www.startpage.com/do/search?*q=*
Http://startpage.com/do/search?*q=*
Https://startpage.com/do/search?*q=*
Tabs
WebRequestBlocking
WebRequest
See more

POST Search Privacy Extension

Automatically replaces insecure GET requests of search providers with secure/private POST requests.

Version: 1.0.2

Supported Search Engines:

- Startpage
- DuckDuckGo

Tried to add the qwant privacy-centric search-engine but they don't support HTTP POST. Imagine my surprise.

Motivation

This is a pretty simple yet longstanding problem. We all know that if we visit a site with `https://` in the link, it means our web browser has an encrypted (SSL) connection to the web-site. This is great for securely submitting passwords and other personal data. The problem is, the characters that comprise the URL in a GET request are not private at all.

- POST requests aren't cached by the browser or search history (GET requests are).
- POST requests on an `https` site are hidden from your ISP (GET requests are not).

GET & POST Requests?

Let's say Alice visits `https://acmebank.com` where she logs into her bank account. To login, she submits a form on the bank's web-site containing her username and password. When she clicks the login/submit button, her username and password are sent securely to `acmebank.com` because:

- Login forms traditionally use the HTTP (Over HTTPS) method called POST.
- POST requests (Forms) are transmitted to the website via HTTP headers. If the URL starts with `https://`, the POST request is encrypted. No outside entities (Her ISP, governments, etc.) can directly spy on what Alice submitted. If it had instead been a GET request, Alice would see something like this in her address bar after clicking submit: `https://acmebank.com/login/?user=alice&password=monkey123`.

Search Engines Use GET? WHY!

It doesn't make much sense, does it? Go to just about any search engine, even the privacy-centric ones (DuckDuckGo, Startpage, etc.), and search for `test123`. You'll see that the address in the address-bar now contains your search query (Like `https://www.startpage.com/do/search?query=test123` ). Congrats. You now have zero privacy of your search habits.

The Conspiracy

I'd take the odds of a conspiracy here. You have a superior programming method which all web developers know to use by default, yet magically:

- All major search engines, including the privacy-centric ones (DuckDuckGo & Startpage) use GET requests by default.
- No major web browser, including the privacy-centric one (Brave), supports POST requests for search providers.

It's not like they don't support POST. Both DuckDuckGo and Startpage both support it but it's off by default and not supported by browser search providers. The NSA and British intelligence have clearly infiltrated our search infrastructure.

Hail Hydra (Or don't and use this extension)

The Simple Solution

The extension monitors your searches in the background. If it sees a GET request being used to search a popular search-engine, it converts it to POST on-the-fly. The extension doesn't keep any records of your search history and can't transmit it anywhere except securely to the engine you're searching. Alice's ISP, government, etc. will only see that she visited `https://www.startpage.com/do/search`. Her search query `test123` (And all future searches) is now transmitted securely and privately.

For we who install extensions, problem solved. What about everyone else? Well, there have been massive feature request threads going back several years. I participated in some of them. Here we sit.

------------ Changelog ------------
1.0.2
- Removed build cache from vcs with BFG for #2
- Moved Web Store art to art.zip & moved art.zip to root for #3
- Minor refactoring.
1.0.1
- Fixed the bug which was breaking Startpage searches from the address bar.
- Added dark theme styles to the search loading page so that it looks nicer.
- Made some improvements (675c642 & ebe3cbb) to the README.md file.
- Created Chrome Web Store tile images.
1.0.0
- Initial release version.
Read more

Source Manifest.json

{ "background": { "persistent": true, "scripts": [ "./src/background.js" ] }, "description": "Automatically replaces insecure GET requests of search providers with secure/private POST requests.", "homepage_url": "https://github.com/TensorTom/POST-Search-Privacy", "icons": { "128": "static/img/icon128.png", "16": "static/img/icon16.png", "32": "static/img/icon32.png", "48": "static/img/icon48.png" }, "incognito": "split", "manifest_version": 2, "name": "POST Search Privacy", "permissions": [ "http://duckduckgo.com/?*q=*", "https://duckduckgo.com/?*q=*", "http://start.duckduckgo.com/?*q=*", "https://start.duckduckgo.com/?*q=*", "http://www.startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*", "https://www.startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*", "http://startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*", "https://startpage.com/sp/search?*query=*", "http://www.startpage.com/do/search?*q=*", "https://www.startpage.com/do/search?*q=*", "http://startpage.com/do/search?*q=*", "https://startpage.com/do/search?*q=*", "tabs", "webRequestBlocking", "webRequest" ], "update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "version": "1.0.2"}
Read more

Similar Extensions

icon

Private.sh - Private Search Extension · Productivity 237 2 ★ 3.25MiB

icon

Duck Duck Private Extension · Productivity 237 0 ★ 14.0KiB

icon

BangDD Extension · Productivity 237 7 ★ 5.82KiB

icon

DuckDuckGo !bangs but Faster Extension · Productivity 237 4 ★ 12.03KiB

icon

DuckDuckGo Search Engines for Chrome Extension · Productivity 237 0 ★ 534KiB

icon

Private Surfing Extension · Productivity 237 1 ★ 160KiB

icon

DuckDuckGo Hider/Disguiser Extension · Productivity 237 2 ★ 53.89KiB

icon

EveryTube Extension · Productivity 237 8 ★ 1.06MiB

icon

Privacia - Fast and Private Search Engine Extension · Productivity 237 3 ★ 56.12KiB

icon

Torry Extension · Productivity 237 7 ★ 227KiB

icon

Search with DuckDuckGo Extension · Productivity 237 9 ★ 562KiB

icon

Privoogle — Private Search Engine Extension · Productivity 237 1 ★ 11.45KiB

icon

Omnibang Extension · Accessibility 237 2 ★ 9.33KiB

icon

DuckDuckGo Search - Context Menu and Omnibox Extension · Productivity 237 6 ★ 8.84KiB

icon

DuckDuckGo Enhancer Extension · Productivity 237 6 ★ 13.94KiB

icon

Anonymous Extension · Productivity 237 45 ★ 10.13KiB

icon

Deep Link Extension · Developer Tools 237 3 ★ 220KiB

icon

Deep Link Extension · Productivity 237 3 ★ 4.13KiB

icon

SearchMage Extension · Productivity 237 3 ★ 153KiB

icon

Many search engines Extension · Productivity 237 4 ★ 69.35KiB

icon

Open in Onion Browser Extension · Productivity 237 2 ★ 207KiB

icon

YouTube Swapper Extension · Accessibility 237 4 ★ 11.58KiB

icon

Search Engine AI Chat Web Video Image Social Extension · Productivity 237 12 ★ 33.65KiB

icon

Site Bleacher Extension · Productivity 237 3 ★ 23.54KiB

User reviews

icon

Maria Guadalupe Curiel MacDonald (curielmg) (ID: 000000c29fab1fca) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 03/01/2022 privacy and security ask i do not mind great application i set up not sure youtube duckduckgo.thank youi add manually best to my knowledge i say prsonal private unique application

icon

Fu Manchu (FuManchu) (ID: 00000003975e74f8) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 02/20/2021 Finally: Both Startpage & DuckDuckGo using POST even from the search bar!