Google Plans to Remove Spammy Extensions from Chrome Web Store

Google has recently come up with a new set of policies to fight against the spammy extensions from Chrome Web Store. Since its inception in the year 2011, it has the largest catalogue of browser extensions. Apart from gaining popularity among masses in all these years, it has also garnered fraudsters and spammers who don’t miss an opportunity to dupe its millions of users from money and data thefts. Due to this, Google plans to remove spammy extensions from Chrome Web Store.

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The policy manager for the Chrome Web Store, Rebecca Soares and Benjamin Ackerman have recently posted, “The increase in adoption of the extension platform has also attracted spammers and fraudsters introducing low-quality and misleading extensions in an attempt to deceive and trick our users into installing them to make a quick profit. We want to ensure that the…Chrome Web Store is clear and informative and not muddled with copycats, misleading functionalities or fake reviews and ratings.”

Taking everything into account, Google plans to remove spammy extensions from Chrome Web Store from August 27 onwards. The policy manager for the Chrome Web Store have divided the company’s anti-spam policy into five categories as follows:

1. Add-ons having more than five keywords inserted in the metadata, or which use the same phrase or word for more than five times in the description of Chrome Web Store. Other than that, it will remove irrelevant or potentially misleading metadata.
2. Those multiple extensions which offer the same experience or carry out the same task.
3. It forbids developers who try to manipulate the add-ons placement add-ons in the e-market which could result in the inflating installation counts.
4. Add-ons which makes the use of notifications to send ads, phishing attempts, spam or unwanted messages.
5. Removing those extensions whose only motive is to launch, install or open another website or app.

With all these precautions in Google plans to remove spammy extensions from Chrome Web Store two days after the planned release date for Chrome 85.

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