Google Chrome Web Store

Chrome Web Store is a part of the project of Google on development of the cloud operating system. It was going to release the first netbooks on its basis at the end of 2010, however after receiving a set of negative reviews about the pilot version of a system in Google transferred start to the middle of 2011.

Google takes 5% of the commission from developers who will sell the applications in Chrome Web Store. Apple, for comparison, set in the App Store the commission in the amount of 30%.

History

2020: Detection of three hundred vrodonosny expansions

On August 5, 2020 it became known that specialists of the AdGuard company specializing in solutions for advertizing blocking detected three hundred harmful expansions implementing advertizing in search results of Google and Bing in Chrome Web Store.

Harmful expansions were detected during studying of several counterfeit disablers of advertizing extending through Chrome Web Store. During the subsequent investigation specialists revealed 295 harmful expansions loaded from shop more than 80 million times.

In addition to counterfeit disablers of advertizing fraudulent widgets for display of a weather forecast and the utility for screenshots were also detected. However the majority (245 of 295) expansions was represented by the simplified utilities which had no functions, except installation of the user background for the New Tab page in Chrome.

After installation counterfeit expansions loaded on the user's devices a malicious code from the domain fly-analytics.com, and then imperceptibly implemented advertizing in search issue of Google and Bing.

Google for the beginning of August, 2020 began to delete harmful expansions from Chrome Web Store. When expansions are deleted from shop, they will also be turned automatically off on the device of the user and marked as the malware in the section of Expansion of the browser. Users should delete counterfeit expansions manually^[1].

2019: Google will introduce new restrictions for expansions in Chrome Web Store

The Google company announced^[2] in May, 2019 about implementation of new rules for the expansions in the Chrome Web Store online catalog directed to gain of privacy protection of users. New measures will be implemented within the Project Strobe project which main objective is minimization of these users available to third-party applications through services, API and tools of the company.

The first measure concerns the permissions requested by expansions for Chrome in installation process. In particular, expansions should request access only to those data which are necessary for its functioning.

"If for implementation of function several permissions can be requested, developers should use the permission getting access to the smallest number of data", - it is specified in the blog of the company.

Earlier Google only recommended such approach, now this requirement will become obligatory for all expansions in Chrome Web Store.

The company will provide to developers of 90 days on elimination of all problems with permissions if creators of programs ignore requirements, their applications will be deleted from Chrome Web Store and deactivated in browsers of users.

Google also expanded the requirement concerning personal data processing. In particular, the developers of expansions for Chrome processing "personal communications and the user content" should place the privacy policy describing, collected data are how exactly processed and stored.

The company promised to publish more detailed information on new requirements for three next months. It is planned that new rules will become effective in the fall of this year.

Besides, the tekhnogigant intends to limit "types of applications" to which broad access to user data through API of a Google service the Disk is allowed. The company did not report about what types of applications there is a speech, but noted that developers of the mentioned programs will receive adequate notices.

2018

Prohibition of applications with the obfustsirovany code

On October 2, 2018 Google updated the policy of Chrome Web Store, having added five rules designed to prevent placement in the online catalog of the malware and also to provide protection of users.

In particular, from now on Chrome Web Store will not adopt the annex with the obfustsirovanny (tangled) code. According to the company, about 70% of expansions dlyachrome, blocked by Google, contain the obfustsirovanny code. Obfuscation of the code influences performance and has no advantages, consider in Google. In this regard the company decided to prohibit similar applications completely. The Tekhnogigant provided to developers term till January 1, 2019 for reduction of expansions in compliance to the stated requirements and removal of the obfustsirovanny code.

The company also intends to add to Chrome Web Store supplementary procedure of check of the expansions requiring a wide number of permissions in the browser and also applications whose code is stored on the remote systems. So according to this requirement, expansion should request only permissions, necessary for work, and its code should be included directly in a packet.

The third change belongs to function in Chrome 70, planned to release in October, 2018. With Chrome 70 release users will have an opportunity to limit expansions to certain websites that will allow to prevent execution of harmful expansions on confidential pages (Internet banking, cryptocurrency wallets, mailboxes and so forth). Besides, expansions will be able to be performed only if the user selects the corresponding option from the Chrome menu.

Since 2019, developers will have to use mechanisms of two-factor authentication of Google. This measure is directed to prevention of cases of interception of accounts of developers and implementation of a malicious code in official applications.

The fifth requirement concerns upgraded version of the guide to creation of manifestos for files of.json which contain instructions for interaction of expansions with Chrome. This version of the guide will be submitted only in 2019, however Google believes that developers should be trained beforehand. Generally changes in Manifest v3 are connected with the provided functions in Chrome 70, in particular, the mechanisms allowing users^[3] to control permissions of expansions^[4].

Chrome Web Store became the only source of additions

Google made changes in instructions for use of online store browser Chrome according to which users of the browser will not be able to install the extensions and applications from foreign sources any more. The company explains need of similar changes with care of safety of users^[5].

Earlier developers had an opportunity using special instructions to place the button on the website, on clicking which the pop-up window with the offer to install the extension without transition to official shop of the browser appeared. The present possibility called "inline-installation" (Inline Installation) appeared in Chrome of version 15 in 2011.

Since June 12, 2018 Inline-installation of new expansions is prohibited. From now on users in attempt to set something by a similar method will be automatically redirected on the page of official shop Chrome. By September 12, 2018 and an exit of Chrome of version 71 it is going to disconnect this opportunity for all expansions.

The possibility of implementation of the installer on own website was provided for convenience of promotion of expansions. To detect recently published product, the ordinary user should pass into official shop and touch the huge mass of different options before he would come across that it is really necessary for it.

Inline-installation allowed the developer to work and realize the strategy of promotion of a new product independently, and to the end user – to begin to apply this product by means of clicking the only button.

At the same time, developers of the malware never do nothing and constantly think out new methods of deception of trustful users. So, for the last several years swindlers actively used technology of creation of the counterfeit websites or advertisements misleading the user and forcing to follow the link for installation of doubtful addition.

For example, on the web page imitating online movie theater the notification that the current version of the Flash-player of the user became outdated could appear, and it needs to be updated urgently if the user wants to watch the movie. The link, certainly, conducted not on a distribution kit of the new version of a Flash-player at all, and on the expansion published by the malefactor.

More than 100 thousand users caught the malware from Chrome Web Store

More than 100 thousand people became the victims of the malware placed in Chrome Web Store. It is capable to steal data of users and to install miners of cryptocurrencies on their computers. Experts of Radware warned about a serious campaign of cybercriminals ^[6].

It is about 7 expansions for Google Chrome which cornerstone the malware Nigelthorn is. It extends through links in Facebook according to which after transition users get on the false page of YouTube service. There to them suggest to load the expansion necessary for further watching video.

After that the malware executes a script as a result of which the infected device became a part of a botnet. At the user abducted data of accounts of Facebook and Instagram which used for further mailing according to the list of friends. And the computer began to mine the Monero, Bytecoin and Electroneum cryptocurrencies at this time. Only for the last 6 days, according to experts of Radware, malefactors earned thus more than $1 thousand.

2017: Google closes applications for the Chrome browser

The Google company closed in the fall of 2017 that section of Chrome Web Store online store in which the Chrome Apps applications intended for the Chrome browser were placed. Now they can be downloaded and set, only having the direct reference, and they from now on appear in shop as expansion. The company began to send e-mails to Chrome Apps developers in whom notifies that appendices are had the status now "not recommended"^[7].

Earlier set Chrome Apps still work, however the Chrome browser will lose functionality necessary for this purpose already in the first quarter 2018. Changes will concern Windows, Mac and Linux, but not Chrome OS, there Chrome Apps will continue to function.

Solution reasons

In August, 2016 Google reported that support of Chrome Apps will be deleted from versions of Chrome for Windows, Mac and Linux. In a blog-post the company explained the reason: only 1% of users of these three OS actively uses applications. A part of Chrome Apps — it simply in a special way the issued tabs that makes not enough sense on desktop OS, notes the ARS Technica resource, however it is quite convenient on Chrome OS as allows to tie tabs to different parts of the interface.

Among Chrome Apps there are also full packed applications which can work in a background and have access, for example, to USB ports of the device. As well as the issued tabs, they were available only on desktop PCs. Now users of Chrome OS will be able to use them only.

What will be instead of Chrome Apps

In the browser there will still be Chrome Extensions expansions which are also available only in the desktop version, and are not going to disappear anywhere. It is possible to set them too through Chrome Web Store. Control of expansions is exercised using the special buttons located to the right of an address bar. Among expansions there are password managers, advertizing disablers, tools for check of mail and even full-function applications like Google Hangouts.

Besides Google intends to start one more type of applications, so-called Progressive Web Apps (PWA) in the desktop version. They have the same purpose, as at Chrome Apps — to add to websites the functionality of applications, such as full-screen interface, own icons, push-notifications and offline opportunity. Such applications already work in Chrome for Android, in the desktop version they should appear approximately in the middle of 2018. The analogs PWA develop many companies: such applications are for browsers of Samsung, Firefox and Opera on Android.

2016

Browser Google Chrome in very fast future will lose support of applications what the Internet giant already notified all developers by means of the publication of the statement in the official^[8]. In it there is no need in view of excessively small percent of the users starting these applications any more.

Support of utilities will disappear from the Google Chrome browser for platforms Windows, macOS and Linux, reports the Liliputing portal. The exception will make only operating system Chrome OS in view of its unique features and lack of a possibility of start of full programs as it is implemented in the listed spheres.

Applications for Google Chrome appeared in 2010. It something between expansions for the browser and normal computer utilities, but this permanent throwing between two fires also did not allow them to become popular. As a result, six years later from the moment of the debut, only 1% of users of Chrome start them on the PCs and notebooks.

The termination of support of Google applications of Chrome is expected multi-stage, and everything will begin with the Chrome Web Store directory — in December of the current year all applications which are again loaded in it will be visible only from under Chrome OS, and earlier provided applications will be available on all platforms.

It will last till July, 2017 then in the macOS, Linux and Windows browser all applications will cease to be shown in general. Removal of already installed applications will become the third stage – it will begin in the first quarter 2018, and then there will be new versions of Google Chrome, already without the corresponding source code.

Whether will affect all this Chrome OS, so far it is precisely unknown, but Google assures of inviolability of offline-applications for it. However developers like not be pleasant that instead of four platforms there will be one and besides the least popular therefore the number of new applications can sharply be reduced, as well as emergence of new versions of earlier released programs.

2011

On February 3, 2011 Google announced opening of app store Chrome Web Store for all American users. It is possible to get to shop according to the link located in a window of a new tab browser Google Chrome. Applications in Chrome Web Store are created based on web standards and are intended for work in the browser.

The Moscow team of engineers of Google company announced in October, 2011 start of the new version of Chrome Web Store in which development the Russian office took active part. The Chrome online store is applications, expansion and a subject for the Google Chrome browser. At each new visit the user will see the updated list of applications and expansions. The majority of applications are free and are established in the browser by a one click of the button.

Having opened a window with detailed information on the application, it is possible to look at the video overview or screenshots, to read responses of other users and also to write the. The Chrome applications can be stored both on a developer's site, and on the user's computer. In the latter case the application will work even then when connection to the Internet is absent - for example, during air flight. Secondly, many applications are used by enhanced capabilities of the Chrome browser which are unavailable to normal websites.

In the near future we is going to add even more innovations to make process of search and installation of applications, expansions and subjects the most convenient and pleasant. In the new version the Javascript-library with the open code Google Closure in combination with the relevant library of processing of templates is used. Google Closure adds to the Javascript language support of data types, inheritance and encapsulation for classes, turning Javascript into a full-fledged object-oriented language and also offers a large number of means for work with HTML objects that in general strongly facilitates development of difficult web applications.

2010

The Chrome Web Store shop which opened in August, 2010 originally was intended only for developers of Web applications. Authors of applications could upload them to the site and experiment with installation options. Infrastructure of payment acceptance and authentication of users was already implemented, but during the period of testing to see the loaded applications, expansions and subjects for Chrome could only their authors. It was planned that over time Chrome Web Store will replace the website of gallery of applications Chrome existing now.

Many applications in Chrome Web Store were used by widespread Web technologies and are, theoretically, compatible to any modern browser, and not just to Google Chrome. Subjects and expansions, however, are intended only for Google Chrome.

The applications installed from Chrome Web Store are divided into placed which code in a work progress is loaded from the external website, and packed, containing all necessary code in a setup package. The placed applications represent just links to the websites with some additional information, but they, as well as the packed applications, are shown in the Chrome browser in the form of icons.

You See Also

• Mobile applications
• Mobile applications (market of Russia)
• Mobile applications (world market)
• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store Google Play of Muzyka Google Chrome Web Store
• Windows Store Microsoft Store Windows Azure Store Microsoft Office Store
• Huawei AppGallery
• Yandex.Store
• Opera Mobile Store
• App stores for Android
• Mobile applications of SAP

Notes