The upcoming major release of Google’s popular web browser, Chrome 117, will alert users if an installed extension is no longer offered by the Chrome Web Store.
For a variety of reasons, Google may remove browser extensions from the official Chrome Store for extensions: extension authors may remove them from the Store, and Google may remove them due to malware or rule violations.
Users are informed when an extension is no longer offered by the Chrome Web Store as with Google Chrome 117. Google currently only sends alerts in the three scenarios described.
The modification has been “designed to keep the ecosystem safe for users while limiting the chances that this will impact genuine extensions,” according to Google.
Users who enter the Extensions administration page in the browser or who are in the Chrome settings’ Privacy and security section may notice the alerts. If any of the installed extensions are no longer offered by the Chrome Web Store, they will be notified there. The review button opens a page with details when clicked.
The tense “this extension contains malware” alert is included in Google’s explanation of the removal on the page.
The planned modification will make Chrome extension withdrawals from Google’s web store more transparent. Although it would increase visibility, the browser does not show notifications, for instance, through the extension icon in the main toolbar.
