Google's Chrome Web Store under fire for shoddy service and cryptic policies

Google is still working on a much-needed and overdue revision to its Chrome Extensions platform known as Manifest v3, but extension developers complain that the ad-slinger doesn't do enough to support them. About three weeks ago, a developer build of uBlock Origin, a popular content blocking extension, was rejected from the …

[sbt]

The consistency of blancmange

That is, consistent with how Google treats devs on their App store.

They justify locked-down stores for third-party software by claiming to prevent exploitation of, and harm to, the users. They fail at that, adding insult to the injury when they exploit and harm the users themselves.

[RegGuy1]

Chrome?

Chrome, is that like Firefox?

I like Firefox because I can install AdBlock Plus and No Script.

That is all.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Chrome?

"I like Firefox because I can install AdBlock Plus and No Script."

I hate to tell you this mate but AdBlock Plus has been compromised long ago.

AdBlock sells API keys to unscrupulous malvertisers that allows them to bypass AdBlock and pwn your device.

https://threatpost.com/malvertising-ad-blockers-mac-malware/146861/

An attempt was made to pwn my iPhone using a text message that was supposedly from my data provider asking me if I wanted to opt-out of targeted advertising.

The link provided in the text message lead to a domain parking site that also contained an API key to bypass AB+ that would have used a zero-day on my Safari browser had I not been vigilant.

You might want to use a more trusted ad blocker than AB+ such as the open source adblock solutions like this: https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix

[Irongut]

This isn't a CWS problem, its a Google problem. They treat third party devs like shit and don't care if they are making money off them or not because theres always another dev to replace them. Just look at the ongoing issues with Play.

[Oh Homer]

It's a money problem

I think there's this general misconception that Google is somehow "benevolent" because it provides nearly everything for "free", but it isn't, it's basically just a glorified spammer that's cleverly spun its spam operation into a "service" using various cool delivery vehicles, and Chrome is one such vehicle.

Like any monopoly, Google has zero incentive to engage in good faith undertakings unless it brings in huge wads of cash. This is why it so ruthlessly euthanizes its own services the minute they stop making money. It's also why it has zero interest in providing support for pretty much anything. You're a captive audience in its monopoly. Just eat your gruel and shut the hell up!

[karlkarl]

People exist who still faff around with app stores? That is very old fashioned. I guess it is sometimes hard to learn new knowledge.

[jelabarre59]

...Chrome won...

And that in itself is a SERIOUS problem. The idea that we have surrendered ourselves (well, not me in particular, but a large multitude of the web-browsing lemmings out there) to MSIE6-version2 (AKA Google Chrome) bodes ill for the future of the internet.

[Lutter]

I just submitted an update to my extension, with a minor change, and for the first time ever (4 years) it is going through a compliance review. The message was that its permissions are too broad, since it will run on every web page. Of course it would be useless if I would limit the permissions. I let the users whitelist or blacklist URLs as they wish.

[Anonymous Coward]

I have the same experience since 2019

My extension which adds Ambilight to YouTube video's has been on the store for almost 3 years now. I've never seen the Pending Review state, but since the summer it appears for every update. I got no feedback from Google so I don't know what triggers that state.

And the worst is knowing that the bugfix that I'm implementing and uploading in a few hours will go through the Pending Review state for at least 2 days. Which means some of my users will have a broken extension in the mean time.

Oh, and did I tell you already that an update to the store description of the extension also requires a manual review for some strange reason?

[Jazzwhistle]

OAuth Consent Screen Verification

It's taken me 6 months of back-and-forth to get my Chrome Extension verified, then I had another 4 apps verified in the space of a week, so either things are getting better or it was just finally my turn. They also use a 'user cap' system to allow new users to keep using unverified apps, but at 100 users this means many devs are dealing with unhappy users wondering why the software is suddenly "temporarily disabled".

I understand why Google cracked down on the scopes being requested as many apps were requesting very broad permissions unnecessarily... Hopefully once the initial massive verification of existing apps is done the process will be quicker, and people will feel reassured that extensions and add-ons are now being thoroughly vetted.

I agree with most that's said in the article though, deploying Extensions and Add-ons is complicated, confusing, inconsistent and poorly documented, especially regarding integration with CWS Payments which is MIA.