Google has removed two extensions for its Chrome browser from the web
store. The extensions were removed after it was found the software
included certain codes which injected ads in browsing sessions in a way
that violated the terms of service from Google.
The two extensions
- Add to Feedly and Tweet This Page had less than 100,000 users, and
were found to display unwanted ads to users. Amit Agarwal,
who is the developer behind Add to Feedly extension, said in a blog post
on Labnol
that he sold the extension for a four-figure sum, but a month later,
the new owners updated the extension, adding that code that silently
injected the unwanted ads.
Ars Technica also reported
that "Tweet This Page", the other extension found to be injecting
adware by Google, was altered to do so after it had been purchased.
According to WSJ, Google removed the two extensions after being
contacted by it.
It has been understood that the update was easily
made to the extensions because Google did not review them after giving
the initial approval for the Chrome Web Store, and then allowed updates
to be pushed through automatically. There is no clear fix to this
problem, but it might be resolved stricter controls for practices such
as adding scripts that inject adware.
Google tweaked its policies
back in December which prevented the software developers to insert ads
via extensions. The company also mandated that Chrome extensions would
have to be simple and single-purpose in nature, with only a single
visible UI "surface" in Chrome, such as a single browser action or page
action button. This was to avoid among things, the crowding of the
Chrome UI resulting and slower web browsing caused by multi-purpose
extensions.
While Google is taking care of its Chrome extensions,
the firm is also said to work on its Android fitness API
to allow developers to harness the potential of smartphone hardware,
based on code found by a blog.
In a report, Google Operating
System claims to have found code for an upcoming 'Android Fitness API'
that will let the applications view and edit various sensor data.
Quoting the spotted API, the report states: "View and edit your fitness
tracking, health and activities data, including reading and writing raw
and transformed data."
Google Chrome Update Patches Security Flaw That Granted Attackers Access When Users Visited Malicious Websites3 July 2025
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