Google’s Chrome Web Store is a great place for finding really useful Google Chrome extensions. But like many app marketplaces, Google’s Chrome Web Store has a lot of spam and low-quality extensions that do not benefit the user.

Google is finally taking actions against such extensions, the company announced on Wednesday. It’s introducing a new set of policies designed to get rid of such spammy apps from the Chrome Web Store.

“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,” Google’s Chrome Policy and Anti-Abuse Team wrote in a blog post.

Google is introducing a number of updates to the Chrome Web Store’s spam policy as a result. The new policies ensure that the Chrome Web Store does not include copycats, extensions with misleading functionalities, and doesn’t mislead the user with fake reviews or ratings.

Here is the full set of changes:

• Developers or their affiliates should not publish multiple extensions that provide duplicate experiences or functionality on the Chrome Web Store.
• Extensions should not have misleading, improperly formatted, non-descriptive, irrelevant, excessive, or inappropriate metadata, including but not limited to the extension’s description, developer name, title, icon, screenshots, and promotional images. Developers must provide a clear and well-written description. Unattributed or anonymous user testimonials in the app’s description are also not allowed.
• Developers must not attempt to manipulate the placement of any extensions in the Chrome Web Store. This includes, but is not limited to, inflating product ratings, reviews, or install counts by illegitimate means, such as fraudulent or incentivized downloads, reviews and ratings.
• Extensions with a single purpose of installing or launching another app, theme, webpage, or extension are not allowed.
• Extensions that abuse, or are associated with the abuse of, notifications by sending spam, ads, promotions, phishing attempts, or unwanted messages that harm the user’s browsing experience are not allowed. Extensions that send messages on behalf of the user without giving the user the ability to confirm the content and intended recipients are also not allowed.

More details about the new spam policy can be found here, and if you are an extension developer, it is important to read through the FAQ to ensure your extension does not violate any of the new rules. That’s because Google wants developers to comply with the new policies by August 27th — and after that, the company will start disabling and taking down extensions that violate the updated policy.

Tagged with Chrome Web Store, Google, Google Chrome