Published
July 21, 2026
Urban VPN, 1ClickVPN, and Urban Browser Guard were marketed as privacy tools — but security researchers say they did the opposite, quietly capturing private AI conversations and browsing activity from more than 8 million users. If you installed one of these extensions before June 25, 2025, attorneys want to hear from you.
Allegations Only · Investigation Stage
This page describes findings by security researchers and an ongoing legal investigation. The statements that these extensions collected private data without meaningful consent are unproven allegations. Urban Cyber Security has not been found liable by any court, no class has been certified, and there is no settlement fund or claim form at this time. This page is informational, is not legal advice, and links to a sponsored free case review.
What Is This About?
In December 2025, security researchers reported that a family of free browser extensions operated by Urban Cyber Security was capturing users' private AI chat conversations — including prompts and responses on platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini — and transmitting that data to company servers. According to the researchers, the collection ran in the background whether or not the VPN was turned on, could not be switched off in settings, and the data was allegedly shared with a data broker.The research, published by the security firm Koi Security and reported by outlets including The Hacker News, Dark Reading, and Infosecurity Magazine, described the behavior across six extensions on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, together installed by more than 8 million users. The flagship extension, Urban VPN Proxy, carried a “Featured” badge and a high rating on the Chrome Web Store. Researchers said the data-collection code was added in a mid-2025 update and rolled out automatically, so many users received it without any notice or a fresh consent prompt. Following the disclosure, the flagship extension was reported to have been removed from the Chrome Web Store.
Attorneys are now reviewing whether affected users may have a privacy claim. Nothing has been decided, and the allegations remain unproven — but if you installed one of these extensions, you can find out where you stand with a free, no-obligation case review.
Status
Under Investigation — Attorneys Reviewing Claims
Allegations only · no class certified · no settlement or claim form yet
Who May Be Affected
Chrome & Edge users who installed the extensions before June 25, 2025
Urban VPN Proxy · 1ClickVPN Proxy · Urban Browser Guard — over 8 million installs reported
Best Proof
A screenshot of your extensions page
Open chrome://extensions or edge://extensions and capture the extension before removing it
Can I File a Claim?
Not yet — start with a free case review
This is an investigation, not a class action payout; the review is free and carries no obligation
The Extensions Named by Researchers
Researchers said the same data-collection code appeared across six extensions from the same publisher — three apps, each in a Chrome and a Microsoft Edge version:- Urban VPN ProxyChrome The flagship extension, with more than 6 million users and a “Featured” badge on the Chrome Web Store.
- 1ClickVPN ProxyChrome A separate VPN extension from the same publisher that researchers said carried the same data-collection code.
- Urban Browser GuardChrome Marketed as a browser security tool, yet said to include the identical harvesting functionality.
- Urban VPN ProxyMicrosoft Edge The Edge version of the flagship extension, with more than a million additional installs.
- 1ClickVPN ProxyMicrosoft Edge The Edge version of 1ClickVPN, said to share the same collection backend.
- Urban Browser GuardMicrosoft Edge The Edge version of the security tool, also included in the researchers' findings.
What Data Was Allegedly Collected
According to the researchers, the extensions captured full conversations with AI platforms — including both the prompts users typed and the responses they received — along with browsing data tied to persistent identifiers. Coverage of the findings reported that the capture reached across several major AI services, and that it ran continuously in the background even when the VPN was disconnected and could not be turned off in the extension's settings.The core concern is consent. These products were marketed as privacy and security tools, so the allegation is that users had no meaningful way to know their AI chats and browsing were being collected and, per the researchers, passed to a data broker. Whether that conduct gives rise to a legal claim — and under which privacy laws — is exactly what attorneys are now evaluating.
Who May Qualify
You may be able to take part in the investigation if this sounds like you:• You installed Urban VPN Proxy, 1ClickVPN Proxy, or Urban Browser Guard on Chrome or Microsoft Edge, generally before June 25, 2025.
• You used your browser while the extension was installed — including for AI chat platforms, email, banking, or everyday browsing.
• You never knowingly agreed to have your conversations and browsing data collected and shared.
• You can take a screenshot of the extension, or you removed it recently.
Important: if you still have the extension installed, do not uninstall it before taking a screenshot. A screenshot of your extensions page (chrome://extensions or edge://extensions) showing the Urban VPN, 1ClickVPN, or Urban Browser Guard extension is the simplest proof of your claim. Once the screenshot is saved, you can remove the extension.
How It Works
1. Check your eligibility. Answer a few questions about which extensions you had installed and when. It takes about two minutes, and there is no obligation.2. Document your claim. A screenshot of the extension in your browser is the easiest way to support it. If you already uninstalled it, the intake team can help you with alternatives.
3. Sign and submit. Review and sign the agreement electronically. Your submission then goes into review, typically with a response within 24 to 48 hours.
Is There Money to Claim Right Now?
No. This is an early-stage investigation, not a settled class action. There is no settlement fund, no claim form, and no guaranteed payout — and you should be cautious of any site that promises one, because that is not how these cases work at this stage. What a free case review does is let attorneys evaluate whether the facts of your situation fit a potential privacy claim. It costs nothing, carries no obligation, and any representation would typically be on a contingency basis — fees only come out of a recovery if there is one.Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Urban VPN investigation about?
Security researchers reported that Urban VPN Proxy and related browser extensions were collecting users' private AI chat conversations and browsing activity and sending that data to company servers, where it was allegedly shared with a data broker. The concern is the collection of this private data without meaningful consent, by products marketed as privacy tools. These are unproven allegations.
Which extensions are involved?
Urban VPN Proxy, 1ClickVPN Proxy, and Urban Browser Guard, on both Chrome and Microsoft Edge — six extensions in total, all published by Urban Cyber Security.
Do I need proof that I installed the extension?
A screenshot of the extension in your browser is the easiest proof, and the intake form lets you upload one. If you already removed the extension, you may still qualify — complete the form and the team will walk you through it.
How much does it cost?
Nothing out of pocket. The case review is free, and any representation is on a contingency basis — fees only come out of a recovery if there is one. If there is no recovery, you owe nothing.
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Status
Investigation — attorneys reviewing potential privacy claims
Products
Urban VPN Proxy, 1ClickVPN Proxy, Urban Browser Guard (Chrome & Edge)
Publisher
Urban Cyber Security Inc.
Allegation
Captured AI chats & browsing data without meaningful consent; allegedly shared with a data broker
Reported Reach
More than 8 million installs across six extensions
Eligibility
Installed one of the extensions, generally before June 25, 2025
Sources
• Koi Security — 8 Million Users' AI Conversations Collected by "Privacy" Extensions (original research)• The Hacker News — Featured Chrome Browser Extension Caught Intercepting Millions of Users' AI Chats
• Dark Reading — Browser Extension Harvests 8M Users' AI Chatbot Data
• Infosecurity Magazine — Urban VPN Proxy Accused of Harvesting AI Chat Conversations
• Malwarebytes — Chrome Extension Slurps Up AI Chats After Users Installed It for Privacy
OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not a law firm, a lawyer referral service, or a settlement administrator. The free case review linked on this page is attorney advertising, routed to a sponsored intake partner (urbanvpnlawsuit.com, operated by Injury Claims) that connects people with participating attorneys; OCA may earn a fee from referrals, which is disclosed under FTC rules. Submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Some links on this page are sponsored. See our California Privacy Notice for how consumer information is handled.
