How to remove Chromium Shield browser

Chromium Shield browser – a potentially unwanted program that knows a lot about you

Chromium Shield browser is an application that can be used instead of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, or another web browser. It is based on the open-source project, where any developers can take the official code and modify it in order to make an application with specific traits. This particular program boasts its ability to provide anonymity while browsing by providing an allegedly free VPN, ad blocking, reduced tracking, and much more.

Adware application hides behind an agenda of “anonymous” browsing, all while collecting all types of information about its users. Additionally, the browser engages in data sharing with third parties and delivers banners, coupons, deals, discounts, promotional offers, and other intrusive ad campaigns with the help of a virtual layer used for ad injection.

Over the past few years, users got growingly concerned about their privacy: data breaches leak millions of records of information,^[1] ransomware developers behind Maze and similar strains threaten to publish stolen sensitive data. Without a doubt, privacy becomes one of the main priorities of many individuals that use the internet every day, and Adware is offered as one of the tools that can help them with that:

Chromium Shield is an open-source desktop browser derived from Chrome. Its main purpose is to provide you with the fastest, most efficient, secure and private browsing experience. With Chromium Shield’s many private conscious features you are guaranteed full anonymity and freedom when searching the web.

Allegedly, Chromium Shield provides a completely free VPN and other features for the above-mentioned goals to be reached easily. However, the developers are very deceptive, as by no means users who install the app will be exempt from data tracking.

VPNs, such as Private Internet AccessPrivate Internet Access are not free, but they do retain the strict no-log policy, which means that VPN developers or their affiliates are not there to track you but rather provide true anonymity. Free VPNs run a business model that relies on data tracking and advertisements, which, essentially, defeats the purpose of a VPN. 

In fact, just looking at the Privacy policy, it becomes clear that the app developers collect all types of information about you, as long as you have the app installed. Here are some examples:

• IP address
• Links clicked and sites visited
• Applications installed
• Technical device info
• E-mail (it can also be shared with affiliates to send you “promotional offers,” aka. spam;
• Other personal details if linked with Facebook or other social media account (name, gender, profile picture, etc.).

There are plenty of browsers created in a similar way, although many of Chromium virus variants use the open-source code to hijack users' searchers and monetize on their clicks, all while collecting a substantial amount of user data. Examples of other deceptive apps include BrowserAir, Chedot, Fusion Browser, eFast, and many others. Nonetheless, Chromium can also be used for a good cause, and several privacy-focused browsers were released over the years (including the new MS Edge).

Since potentially unwanted programs often travel within software bundles, you might have found this browser as your default seemingly out of nowhere. If that is the case, remove adware without thinking twice – it is only there to track you, deliver you ads, and straight out lie about the anonymity promise.

Adware removal can be easily performed by accessing the installed apps section on Windows or macOS computers. If you are not sure about this process, we provide detailed instructions below. Once you uninstall this PUP, we strongly recommend you scan the machine with SpyHunterCombo Cleaner security software and then perform further checks with FortectIntego for the best results.

Choose browsers that are truly focused on your privacy

Chromium project is great – it allows developers to modify the browser code and provide users a unique experience. Without a doubt, some apps simply operate a model of data gathering and ad delivery (and many users are fine with that), but apps that pretend to secure one's privacy but instead track users are just plain out scams.

It is not a secret that Chrome by Google gathers a large amount of data for marketing purposes, and many users are already turning away from the web browser precisely due to this reason.^[2] However, if you do not care about this, you should rather choose Chrome than a third-party app that pretends that it does not gather any logs about you. In fact, on many occasions, such programs collect much more information than even Chrome does.

If you do care about your privacy, equip your machine with a browser that focuses on your online anonymity without hidden features – MS Edge, Brave, and similar are good examples of apps that hold the opt-in rather than opt-out policy, which means that you need to go to settings and change the preferences in order to be tracked by websites and other parties.

Keep in mind that many Chromium-based browsers are considered to be potentially unwanted programs and are often distributed via software bundles. To avoid unintentional installation of PUPs, you should always prefer downloading apps from official sources rather than third-parties. If you really have to, always pick Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended ones during the installation and remove ticks from all the checkboxes that would otherwise result in the installation of optional apps.

Uninstall Chromium Shield browser in several easy steps

If your default web browser, search engine, or homepage changed seemingly out of nowhere, it is a clear sign that your browser has been hijacked. Although it is not a virus, but rather a potentially unwanted program, it will set itself as your default browser as soon as it is installed intentionally or via third-parties.

If you want to remove adware from your Windows or Mac computer, you have to uninstall it like any other program – we provide instructions for that below. In some cases, security applications that detect the app as adware^[3] can do this job for you automatically.

After removal, you should perform a full system scan with SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, MalwarebytesMalwarebytes, or another anti-malware software to ensure that your computer is clear from other (invisible) threats. If something was indeed found by the security app, you could also employ FortectIntego to perform other checks, such as damaged registry entries.