How to Know If It’s Safe to Use a Google Chrome Extension
Chrome extensions are great . They can help you write better , get rid of annoying ads , and save money while shopping , among hundreds of other tasks. However, like Android apps in the Play Store, extensions in the Chrome Web Store aren’t always what they seem. Malware is a major concern, and you certainly don’t want to compromise your privacy and security by trying to download an ad blocker.
Google seems to be aware that the quality and security of many Chrome extensions are not particularly consistent. That’s why the company has implemented a new system for identifying verified extensions and creators . As you browse extensions for download, you’ll begin to notice two new badges on authoritative options, both of which stand for different ways in which that particular extension and/or its publisher has been considered legitimate.
Featured Icon
The Favorites icon appears as a blue ribbon icon on some extensions. According to Google, the company awards this badge to extensions that “follow our best technical practices and meet our high standards of user experience and design.” What’s nice about this badge is that it’s a sign that the extension has been manually reviewed by members of the Chrome team and not awarded by an algorithm or another program.
These team members look to see if the extension has a solid store page with a clear view of its features; that it works well for those who download it; that it uses the latest Chrome APIs; and most importantly, in my opinion, that it respects user privacy. While Google itself doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to user privacy, it’s good to see that the company is at least acknowledging that it’s worth making sure the extension isn’t explicitly stealing your data.
Installed publisher icon
When Google believes that a publisher has demonstrated that it is operating within its developer program policies and has verified its identity with Google, the company awards the established publisher badge. You’ll see this check mark icon next to the publisher’s website. This icon offers another good way for users to trust the extension they want to install, as it means Google knows who they are. If a developer tries to do something funny, their account will most likely be terminated.
What else can you do to make sure a Chrome extension is safe?
Even with these two new icons, you should continue to use best practices before downloading extensions to your browser:
- Read the full description to know exactly what you’re downloading and what it promises to do.
- Review all the permissions that the extension requests. If you don’t think there’s any reason an extension should be asking for access to your camera, that’s a big red flag.
- Review on the developer’s site , which is always marked on the extension page in the store. If you’re getting a weird vibe from a site, or if it doesn’t live up to the promise of the extension you’re considering, trust your intuition and leave it alone.
- Don’t forget to read the reviews. If customers have had a questionable experience with an extension, they are more likely to report it in the comments. On the other hand, if most of the comments are quite old and you can’t find any new ones, you might want to stay away. Make sure the extensions you download are kept up to date to reduce the chance of them being hacked.