Is Maxthon web browser safe to use?

Gone are the days when there were only a few browsers to choose from. Today, there are many options available to you, all of which offer different features, perks, and downsides. Maxthon is such a browser, it receives both praise and criticism. So is Maxthon really safe to use or should you avoid it altogether?

What is Maxthon?

Created in 2002 by the Chinese company Maxthon International, the Maxthon browser can be used on Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems, there is even a mobile version for Android and iOS.

Maxthon offers many useful features, including a password manager, split screen option, notes section and a "Resource sniffer" that can extract URLs of photos, videos and other file types on any page. which web page you currently have open.

Maxthon also has many extensions to choose from, such as AdBlock, Google Translate, Office, Honey, Zoom, and Dark Reader. You can also choose from available themes so you can personalize your browsing experience.

In recent years, Maxthon has also focused more development on web3, the latest version of the World Wide Web. Although web3 has yet to take over web2, many people are excited about its capabilities and the Maxthon browser that can be used in web3. The Maxthon browser has some web3-related features, such as the VBox blockchain wallet that allows cryptocurrency payments.

The latest major version of Maxthon is Maxthon 6, although this version has been updated a few times.

But can you trust Maxthon with your online traffic and other private data?

Is Maxthon safe to use?

The Maxthon browser has mixed reviews, but the general consensus is that Maxthon isn't quite as secure as many popular browsers today.

Much of the speculation surrounding Maxthon stems from the privacy issue it faced a few years ago. For example, in 2016, many websites (such as Security Week) reported that Maxthon was sending sensitive data to China. According to reports, Maxthon was found to be sending a ZIP file to a server located in the Chinese capital Beijing. In it is an encrypted file that stores data on the websites the user visits, their operating system and CPU, as well as other suspicious data. CEO Jeff Chen explained on Quora that the issue was quickly fixed and that the Chinese government has not made any data requests (though that doesn't mean it won't happen in the near future). future, or indeed since Chen made that statement).

On top of that, many people don't trust Maxthon because of its Chinese origin. China is known to have various controversial online protocols, such as the "Great Firewall" that blocks VPN connections, and various popular platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Some news sites are even blocked on the Chinese Internet, including The Guardian, The New York Times and Bloomberg.

Another cool thing about Maxthon is that it offers a VPN. While VPNs are legal in China, there are many restrictions around their use, and only government-approved VPN services are allowed in the country. This raises the question of whether these approved VPN services are truly anonymous and private and whether they are censoring certain platforms (as is the case with the use of the Chinese Internet). without VPN).

Maxthon has some questionable elements

While Maxthon is not a rogue browser, there are a few factors to keep in mind around its origins and features that make Maxthon a somewhat dubious browsing choice. If you take privacy and security very seriously, then this browser might not be the right choice for you right now.

Lesley Montoya

Update 17 February 2023