Programmer Christian Haschek is constructing a web-based tool to allow users to assess whethre their free proxy is among the few, or is possibly collecting their details to be comparatively secure.

In evaluations of 199 proxy services that were free, Haschek found 33 are changing HTML and likely stealing 17 tinkering with JavaScript, cookies, and 157 sent user traffic in exposed cleartext.

“It may be because they would like you to use HTTP to allow them to analyse your traffic and steal your logins.

“Just 17 of 199 of the proxies changed JS and the majority of them were to inject advertising to the customer.”

Haschek says he found cases of subtle and obvious adware injection the latter pointing to malicious JavaScript that is local to prevent cross-domain name detection.

Those found to haven’t tried to change user content are dangerous. He says free proxy services ought to be prevented and only considered if it uses the user as well as HTTPS sticks to HTTPS -applied sites.

“Free” is a word that raises worldwide doubt on the other side of the protection and secrecy domains, since it frequently entails a tradeoff for private advice.