Protecting users and their data is a fundamental aspect of the work we do on Chrome. Last year we announced a set of policies to protect users and their data by requiring that extensions request the narrowest possible permissions, and we required more extensions to post privacy policies and handle user data securely.
Today, we are announcing policy changes that build upon those protections by:
Limiting what extension developers can do with the data they collect.
Requiring developers to certify their data use practices.
Starting January 2021, each extension’s detail page in the Chrome Web Store will show the data collected by the extension, in clear and easy to understand language.
Data privacy policy update
We’re introducing an additional policy focused on limiting usage of user data collected through a Chrome extension. More specifically:
Reiterating that the sale of user data is never allowed. Google does not sell user data and extension developers may not do this either.
The use or transfer of user data should be for the primary benefit of the user and in accordance with the stated purpose of the extension.
The use or transfer of user data cannot be used for creditworthiness or any form of lending qualification.
The Chrome Web Store will also help users understand an extension’s privacy practices directly on the Chrome Web store listing.
On each extension detail page, the data collected by the extension will be displayed in a standardized manner. Additionally, whether a developer has certified their compliance with the limited use policy will also be displayed.
Developer-provided privacy disclosures
To publish or update an extension, developers must provide data usage disclosures directly from the developer dashboard. These disclosures include:
The nature of the data being collected from users.
The developer’s certification that they comply with the new policy on limited use.
The content of the form is grouped by category to make it simpler for developers, and maps exactly to the disclosures that will be displayed to Chrome users. Most of this information should be consistent with the existing privacy policies that developers have provided to the Chrome Web Store.
Implementation timeline
Data disclosures collection will be made available to developers today and will be displayed on the Chrome Web Store listing starting January 18, 2021.
Starting in March 2021, the Chrome Web Store team will reach out to developers with a warning to complete the disclosure requirement. Inaction after 30 days of the warning will result in the suspension of affected items and the deactivation of the existing user base.
See the limited use policy FAQ and the corresponding blog post for additional detail.
Thank you for your cooperation, and for your participation in the Chrome extension ecosystem!
adrienjoly
commented
3 years ago
Like for https://github.com/openwhyd/openwhyd/issues/403, cf email from Google:
Dear Developer,
Protecting users and their data is a fundamental aspect of the work we do on Chrome. Last year we announced a set of policies to protect users and their data by requiring that extensions request the narrowest possible permissions, and we required more extensions to post privacy policies and handle user data securely.
Today, we are announcing policy changes that build upon those protections by: Limiting what extension developers can do with the data they collect. Requiring developers to certify their data use practices. Starting January 2021, each extension’s detail page in the Chrome Web Store will show the data collected by the extension, in clear and easy to understand language. Data privacy policy update We’re introducing an additional policy focused on limiting usage of user data collected through a Chrome extension. More specifically:
Reiterating that the sale of user data is never allowed. Google does not sell user data and extension developers may not do this either. The use or transfer of user data should be for the primary benefit of the user and in accordance with the stated purpose of the extension. The use or transfer of user data cannot be used for creditworthiness or any form of lending qualification. The Chrome Web Store will also help users understand an extension’s privacy practices directly on the Chrome Web store listing.
On each extension detail page, the data collected by the extension will be displayed in a standardized manner. Additionally, whether a developer has certified their compliance with the limited use policy will also be displayed.
Developer-provided privacy disclosures To publish or update an extension, developers must provide data usage disclosures directly from the developer dashboard. These disclosures include:
The nature of the data being collected from users. The developer’s certification that they comply with the new policy on limited use. The content of the form is grouped by category to make it simpler for developers, and maps exactly to the disclosures that will be displayed to Chrome users. Most of this information should be consistent with the existing privacy policies that developers have provided to the Chrome Web Store.
Implementation timeline Data disclosures collection will be made available to developers today and will be displayed on the Chrome Web Store listing starting January 18, 2021.
Starting in March 2021, the Chrome Web Store team will reach out to developers with a warning to complete the disclosure requirement. Inaction after 30 days of the warning will result in the suspension of affected items and the deactivation of the existing user base.
See the limited use policy FAQ and the corresponding blog post for additional detail.
Thank you for your cooperation, and for your participation in the Chrome extension ecosystem!