Have you ever gone to use an extension and suddenly been unable to access it without warning? Google is attempting to make this a little less of a surprise by notifying you when it removes an extension from the Chrome Web Store. Of course, this will only be for ones you currently have installed, not just anytime the store’s offerings change.
With this new update, you should receive a notification if one of three things occurs: A developer unpublished an extension you use, if it’s marked as malware or if it’s removed from the Chrome Web Store due to policy violations — such as hate speech or spyware. You won’t receive a notification if Google has given a developer time to fix or appeal a possible violation. Google already had steps in place to protect users if the company found an extension to be malware. As before, once marked as such, the extension should be automatically disabled and unable to cause harm.
These new notifications will appear in the “privacy and security” tab of Chrome’s settings under a section called “safety check.” You’ll be told how many extensions Google removed from the store and have the option to review more details. The new feature will be available in Chrome 117, which is set to come out in early September. Other updates will accompany it, such as a tune icon replacing the current lock symbol next to the search bar.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chrome-will-soon-explain-exactly-why-your-extensions-were-removed-114519317.html?src=rss