HealthGuard

HealthGuard's ratings help users know which health news and medical information websites to trust.
What is HealthGuard?
HealthGuard is a Chrome extension that acts as your guide to trustworthy health news and information. It is a tool provided by NewsGuard that rates hundreds of health and medical information websites based on nine journalistic criteria. However, HealthGuard is not a substitute for a doctor's advice or expertise, and should only be used as a guide during your online health-related searches. Commercial use of HealthGuard is strictly prohibited by the NewsGuard Terms of Service.

Extension stats

Users: 1,000+
Rating: 4.76 (17)
Version: 5.6.5 (Last updated: 2024-07-31)
Creation date: 2020-08-29
Risk impact: High risk impact
Risk likelihood: High risk likelihood
Manifest version: 3
Permissions:
  • tabs
  • storage
Host permissions:
  • https://*/*
  • http://*/*
Size: 1.64M

Other platforms

HealthGuard (v4.3.0)
4.11 (9) 69
HealthGuard (v4.3.0)
5.00 (7) 494
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Extension summary

HealthGuard, a service of NewsGuard, helps you identify trustworthy sources of health news and information as you browse the web — and warns you when you encounter links to sites with unreliable health or medical information.

A team of trained HealthGuard analysts has reviewed and rated hundreds of health and medical news and information sites, assessing each site based on nine journalistic criteria. Generally credible sites get a “Green” rating, meaning they adhere to basic standards of accuracy and transparency. Sites that publish health misinformation such as unproven treatments or bogus medical studies are flagged with a “Red” rating, meaning you should read them with a grain of salt.

Even if you find information on health sites that HealthGuard has identified as generally trustworthy, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about any issues, rather than trusting information you find online. Even accurate information may apply differently to different patients, and there’s no substitute for years of medical training and expertise. The internet should not be your doctor, and neither is HealthGuard.

Instead, think of HealthGuard as a trusty sidekick to keep you away from untrustworthy health advice, and to point you toward more trustworthy sources, as you browse the web.

HealthGuard is for personal use only. Any commercial use of HealthGuard is strictly prohibited by the NewsGuard Terms of Service.

https://www.newsguardtech.com/terms-of-service/

User reviews

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.
Pros
  • High quality help in identifying misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.
  • Easy to navigate with transparently displayed metrics.
  • Helps users identify trustworthy sources of health information.
  • Very useful during uncertain times, especially for educators and researchers.
  • Thorough ratings and reviews on healthcare sites and misinformation.
Cons
  • Requires an access code to function, which is unclear to some users.
Most mentioned
  • Identifying misinformation about health and COVID-19.
  • Helpfulness and accuracy of the tool.
  • Importance for educators and researchers.
User reviews
It asks me for an access code, and I don't know how to get it, without that code it won't work.
by Adolfo Grosso, 2021-11-19

High quality help in identifying misinformation about covid-19 and vaccines.
by Mateja Keber, 2021-04-21

Incredibly useful for finding misinformation! It's really easy to navigate, and metrics used are transparently displayed!
by Daniela Czem, 2021-03-01
View all user reviews

Extension safety

Risk impact

HealthGuard requires some sensitive permissions that could impact your browser and data security. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk likelihood

HealthGuard may not be trust-worthy. Avoid installing if possible unless you really trust this publisher.

Upgrade to see risk analysis details

Promo images

HealthGuard small promo image
Small promo image

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