In order to protect users from accidently installing malware, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is preventing Windows and Mac users from loading Chrome extensions not present in the official Chrome Web Store. The company began applying this policy for Windows users from May last year. However, it gave people using the developer version of Chrome the freedom to install extensions as per their choice. According to Google, hackers followed a strategy of forcing users to use the developer version of the browser before making them unknowingly install malware. As a result, the users got malicious extensions from a Chrome channel, not of their choice.
Google to push for more enforcement
Mac users will be under the purview of this policy from July 2015 onwards. Currently, Google says it has experienced a seventy-five percent decline in customer support help requests for uninstalling unwanted extensions. However, the company is not resting on its laurels and claimed that not making this policy mandatory on the Windows developer channel led to more issues.
As a result, the organization is presently enforcing the policy on all Windows channels. It’s but natural to extend the same policy to Mac users. However, developers are still able to install extensions through inline installation.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) recommends that if user’s extensions are presently hosted outside the Chrome Web Store then they should migrate them to the Chrome Web Store as soon as possible.
The policy is analogous to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s tight leash over the App Store, which will mostly result in some users complaining that it makes Chrome less open. Google’s policy has attracted criticism of monopolism. However, the organization maintains the changes are purely related to security. There’s some substance in the criticism as Google can block extensions which it simply doesn’t like.
