The Alexa Toolbar Internet browser plugin displays traffic trends, related links and traffic rank for any site a user visits. It also helps Alexa determine these trends and rankings by monitoring the web usage of the individuals who install the toolbar. Until the July 2007 release of "Sparky," the Firefox version of the toolbar, The Alexa Toolbar was only available for Internet Explorer.
Privacy Concerns
Because the Alexa toolbar collects the browsing history of its users, there has been some concern about potential misuse of this information. The Alexa Toolbar privacy statement says that Alexa collects and stores personally identifying information, but they do not use this information in a way that reveals any person's individual identity.Official Site: Alexa Internet Privacy Policy
Sunbelt Software, makers of Windows security software, consider the Alexa Toolbar to be a potential privacy risk.Sunbelt Software: Alexa Toolbar McAfee SiteAdvisor recommends using caution when downloading from Alexa, and the Windows anti-spyware tool, Windows Defender, labels the Alexa Toolbar a Trojan.McAfee SiteAdvisor: Alexa.com TCMnet Voip & Gadgets Blog: Windows Defender Calls Alexa Toolbar Trojan (March 2, 2007)
Featured Video
Sparky (Alexa Toolbar for Firefox)
- Official Alexa Site: Sparky | Quick Tour | Help
Download Sparky
- Sparky: Install
Internet Explorer Alexa Toolbar
- SpywareGuide: Alexa Toolbar
Associate Toolbar (Alexa Custom Toolbar)
- Official Alexa Site: Associate Toolbar
References
Fast Facts
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Originally released
July 17, 1997
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Firefox version released
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To improve accuracy, Alexa filters out the information received from most of their toolbarsAlexa Web Discovery Machine Blog: Alexa's Traffic Panel Is Increasingly Global (February 2, 2007)
