Chrome extensions: changes announced for better privacy

Google implements changes for Chrome extensions, related to privacy. Until now, extensions could by default access all addresses visited by the user. This will no longer be the case in 2021.

From 2021, the user will have to tell the extension which sites they can access. This preference can be saved for one or more domain names. The user can also decide to grant an extension access to all sites. But this behavior will no longer be the default for better confidentiality.

In addition, Google is adding a new “Privacy Practices” section to the Chrome Web Store. This section will provide at-a-glance information about the data collected by the extension and how it is used. This will let the user know if an extension respects privacy before downloading it. Google also limits how this data can be used by the extension. This change will be implemented on January 18.

Beyond extensions, Google promises more protections for Chrome users. This will again be available in 2021, through Enhanced Safe Browsing. This system sends the sites to Google for security verification. Further details will be available over the next few months.