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Google said this week that it plans to add a new section on the Chrome Web Store. It is intended for extension developers, who will be required to show what user data they are collecting and what they plan to do with the data collected.

The section will go into effect on January 18, 2021. It will appear under a button that says “Privacy Practices” on every extension’s Chrome Web Store listing.

The process will be helped along with a new section, which Google added in the Web Store. Extension developers can start to disclose the data they have collected from users and what they are using it for.

What does the policy do for the user?

The new ‘data usage’ dashboard on Google will be released with a limited set of preset options that will prevent Chrome developers from some data practices like:

  • The sale, in bulk, of user data, done by ensuring that the use or transfer of user data is for the benefit of the users and is following the purpose of the extension.
  • The transfer or use of user data for microtargeting or personalized advertising.
  • The use or transfers of data for lending qualifications, creditworthiness, or selling to data brokers or information resellers.

All of this is about making sure that the customer data is protected.

A growing trend

This new policy from Google is not new. At the WWDC 2020 developer conference in June, Apple said that all its App Store app listings would be required to include a label that will list each app’s data points.Included are data points that are used to track users across apps. Apple’s privacy labels will be active on December 8, 2020.

Tip: Are browser extensions still safe to use?