u/monkey-majiks

TLDR: when you install Claude Desktop (Not Claude Code), it installs a manifest that is accessing your browser with full rights and access to your sessions.

"The bridge runs outside the browser's sandbox at user privilege level [1], and Native Messaging hosts do not surface in any standard macOS process or permission UI, they are invoked by the browser and communicate over stdio.

This is the capability that Anthropic pre-stages on my laptop the moment I install their desktop application. Without telling me. Without asking me. Without offering me the chance to say no."

This is basically violating GDPR amongst other offences.

Technical breakdown here:

https://www.thatprivacyguy.com/blog/anthropic-spyware/