Browser extensions have been a part of browsers for many years. And they are one of the most important parts of its operation. Thanks to them we can provide the program with very useful functions that are not available as standard. The problem is that hackers are aware of this, and often take advantage of its popularity to compromise users’ security. Now, thanks to these two new badges, Google tries to end these problems in its Chrome browser.
When a developer publishes an extension in the store, or releases an update, Google’s own people usually check it to make sure it’s safe. Or at least that’s what they say, although it’s not the first time that malicious extensions have sneaked into the store that, before being detected, have exposed the security of hundreds of thousands of users.
Controlling everything that is uploaded, or updated, within the store is complicated. And, for this reason, Google has decided to change the approach to its security. In this way, instead of warning about malicious extensions, users can see all those extensions that are 100% trustworthy.
The two new badges to look for in the Chrome Store
Just this week, Google has put these two new badges into operation in Chrome extensions. The first one, called “Featured«, is in the form of a medal and is assigned only to those extensions that follow the best technical practices. They must also meet a high standard of design and user experience. In other words, this badge will only be awarded to those extensions that stand out for providing a pleasant and intuitive experience, the use of the most recent APIs and respect for user privacy. It should also have a quality description as well as quality images.
The second of the badges is that of the Editor. In this case, the badge is in the form of a tick, and is assigned primarily to those developers who have verified their identity. In addition, they must demonstrate that they comply with the policies of the developer program. This is automatically assigned when a developer meets two conditions: they have verified their identity, and they have a positive and consistent history of using Google services.
No developer can pay to earn either badge. Google’s goal is not to make (more) money with this, but to offer users a minimum of security. Still, the company is working on a new feature that allows developers to nominate extensions for the Featured badge, as long as certain criteria are met.
Of course, these two new medals are an excellent way to know, at a glance, which extensions are 100% safe and reliable, and which developers we can trust, and which we can’t. We hope that these types of validations will also reach other app stores. One of the most compromised, for example, is the Microsoft Store. And it is necessary to protect users from the increasingly frequent threats that we can find.
