3 ms·
> At install time there is no reason Google can't say this extension uses Google Analytics to track where you are clicking etc and what data and how much data i
by robryk 10y ago
> At install time there is no reason Google can't say this extension uses Google Analytics to track where you are clicking etc and what data and how much data is being sent off everyday to god knows who.
Let's say Google started to do this in a way that causes people not to want to use such extensions. Why do you think extension authors would stop using analytics as opposed to use some other analytics provider (that is on average more fishy security-wise)?
Disclaimer: I work at Google, but not on anything Chrome-related.
- kettl3 10y agoThe extension framework already requires the developer to get permission for which URL's the extension is sending http requests to, in the manifest. All I want is, to see that list of who is being sent data, before I install anything. Especially in those extensions where no one would assume data is being sent at all - like in this example - When I look at the "details" in Chrome it says no special permissions requested. When I look at the code its busy talking to Google Analytics and Firebase. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-tasks/bngpflcpbefndiblbdjokgpmbldcoplk https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-tasks...
- hvis 10y agoThen the extension would have to similarly say, on install, that it sends analytics to <fishy provider>. Which would make the user want to use them even less.
- geofft 10y agoThere are self-hosted analytics solutions, and worst case, you can always reverse-proxy to Google Analytics. So the extension will say "MyExtension needs to comunicate with MyExtension.com" and nobody will know why. (Unless you have a manual review process, of course.)