back to article Chrome add-ons just became less scary, security-wise

Google has tightened the rules for admission to the Chrome Web Store, the online bazaar for add-ons to its browser. The big change to the Alphabet subsidiary's User Data Policy is that third-party party developers are no longer permitted to move personal data in plain text. Developers must also create and publish a privacy …

  1. Oengus

    “Prominent Disclosure Requirement”

    Now when will Google publish the same for Chrome and Android (and all other Alphabet properties)?

    1. Mark 85

      Re: “Prominent Disclosure Requirement”

      What do you think? Then again, since you posted it, I'll infer that you're doubtful also. The other question is: If they post it for the Alpha properties, would they actually abide by it?

  2. jake Silver badge

    That's nice.

    I'll pass.

    Have a nice day :-)

    1. Kurt Meyer

      Re: That's nice.

      Yep.

      You too.

  3. å³°

    It's called "Extensions", not "Add-ons".

  4. Whitter
    Megaphone

    How about a set of permissions that can allow for security?

    For example: "access to files" refined into a set of permissions such as "access to files written and maintained by this application" (general app); "access to all file names and dates" (file manager app) and so on.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: How about a set of permissions that can allow for security?

      Would that do any good for the average user? Or would they just click through the default "we're taking everything" prompts?

      1. solo

        Re: for averge user

        +1. Average user is earning them money and they click "OK, I got it!". The techno-aware handful lot can keep their circles out.

  5. s. pam Silver badge
    Holmes

    Perhaps they'll fix all their damn crashing on iOS then?

    I can't count the number of times/day/week Chrome on iOS crashes when view simple UK news sites. Perhaps this will make them clean up their house, AND add support for some functionality to users with their browser on iOS?

    1. JLV

      Re: Perhaps they'll fix all their damn crashing on iOS then?

      Hum, you know how iOS works? Per the developer doc, when the system is low on memory, apps using a lot of it get a notice to slim down and release some. If they don't, a hard termination soon follows. That's not exactly a crash, though it looks very much like it from a user POV.

      The one difference is that when you know the reason you can anticipate on it by closing other apps before running a hog.

      For me (iPad 4 on 9.3.0) Chrome is now relatively stable, but it was very glitchy in the first months after iOS 9 came out.

      1. s. pam Silver badge

        Re: Perhaps they'll fix all their damn crashing on iOS then?

        I have a latest-generation iPad AIr^2 with nothing running and very few apps enabled tested latest Chrome on 9.3.1. Try going to places like www.standard.co.uk as a good one to watch it randomly crash and burn either when just "on" a page, or scrolling for a good example.

        31 reported crashes since latest updates -- I've filed a report on every one of them.

        Something bad happened to Chrome around the 9.3.0 time and it wasn't good.

  6. oceanhippie

    Presumably these will be rigorously enforced for any app that does ad blocking or YouTube downloading and ignored for all that display Google's ads?

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