Chrome extensions: They will show what user data they are collecting

Η Google announced yesterday that it intends to add a new section in the Chrome Web Store, where developers creating extensions for Chrome will be able to specify which ones data users collect and how they use or intend to use this information.

The new section for Chrome extensions can be used from 18 January 2021 and will be displayed with a button called "Privacy practices".

To help the process and put developers in the mood, the Google has added a new section to the Web Store dashboard, where developers will be able to reveal which ones data Chrome collects their extensions and for what purposes.

Google's new data usage dashboard will come with a limited set of predefined options, which will prohibits developers from creating extensions Chrome, to follow specific practices. The practices that will be banned are:

• The mass sale of user data. The data Users should only be collected and transported if it is for the benefit of the user and only for the purposes of the extensions (which purposes must be stated).
• Use or transfer data user for targeted ads.
• The use or transfer of user data to data brokers or other information vendors.

Η new data disclosure policy Chrome extensions are nothing new. At the WWDC 2020 developer conference in June, η Apple announced that all applications of the App Store should soon include a "privacy prompt (label)" which will list all the data collected by the applications from users as well as the points used for user monitoring.

Apple's new feature will enters into force on 8 December.

Google has stated that it intends to display notifications to all developers in the Web Store developer dashboards. With notifications, it will ask developers, who make extensions Chrome, to create the section "privacy practices".

Source: ZDNet