Is Trending News & Search safe?
Trending News & Search redirects user searches to Yahoo using hardcoded affiliate tracking codes with no disclosure to users.
When a user submits a search, the extension constructs a Yahoo Search URL containing hardcoded affiliate codes (hspart=ata, hsimp=yhs-001) and navigates the browser to it. The extension's UI presents only a generic 'Search the web' prompt with no indication that searches are monetized through an undisclosed affiliate arrangement. User search queries are transmitted to search.yahoo.com alongside the affiliate tracking parameters.
AI-generated. Findings may contain errors. Those marked Verified have been manually reviewed.
Publishers can request a review.
Findings
Search box sends queries to a Yahoo affiliate URL
When you search, the extension builds a Yahoo URL with your terms plus fixed tracking parameters.
The box reads only "Search the web" while using hspart=ata, hsimp=yhs-001, type=9024444-aal-180001-180002, param1=180001, param2=180002.
What actually happens
You submit a search in the extension's search box.
The visible placeholder says "Search the web".
The extension sends the browser to Yahoo Search with your query and fixed partner tracking values.
The redirect is assigned directly to the page location after the form is submitted.
Fields placed into the Yahoo Search URL
- Your search termsweather
The words you typed are sent as the search query.
- Yahoo search endpointhttps://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search
Your browser is sent to Yahoo Search instead of staying inside the extension.
- Partner sourcehspart=ata
This fixed value marks the request as coming through a partner search integration.
- Partner implementationhsimp=yhs-001
This fixed value adds another partner tag to the same search request.
- Campaign typetype=9024444-aal-180001-180002
This fixed value can group the request with a specific traffic source or campaign.
- Additional partner IDsparam1=180001¶m2=180002
These fixed values add more attribution context to the same search request.
Captured request
The code that does this
The form submit handler that builds the Yahoo redirect
Readable version of the same submit handler
assets/index-6fa193f8.jsfunction Uu() { const e = U.useRef(null), t = n => { var i; n.preventDefault(); const r = (i = e.current) == null ? void 0 : i.value.trim(); if (r) { const o = `https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=ata&hsimp=yhs-001&grd=1&type=9024444-aal-180001-180002¶m1=180001¶m2=180002&p=${encodeURIComponent(r)}`; window.location.href = o, e.current && (e.current.value = "") } }; return w.jsx("div", { className: "search-wrapper", children: w.jsx("div", { className: "search", children: w.jsx("form", { id: "yahooSearch", onSubmit: n => t(n), children: w.jsx("input", { id: "yahooSearchQuery", ref: e, type: "text", placeholder: "Search the web", autoComplete: "off" }) }) }) })}Destination named by the redirect code
- search.yahoo.com
Receives the submitted search query through Yahoo Search with fixed partner attribution parameters.
What it can do
Permissions this extension asks for, as declared in version 1.0.2. Asking for a permission is not a finding on its own - it is what the extension can do if it chooses to.
Read and change your data on trendingnews.com
*://trendingnews.com/*
See the address and title of every tab you have open
tabs
Store data in your browser
storage
Act on the current tab, but only after you click the extension
activeTab
Where it sends data
Destinations our analysis observed Trending News & Search contacting. Sending data somewhere is not a finding on its own - an extension that syncs your settings has to talk to its own server - but it is where your data can go, and who else it goes to.
- search.yahoo.comwidely used
Trending News & Search sends data to search.yahoo.com. A widely used service: 39 other extensions we have analyzed send data here.