Google is now blocking Chrome extensions from changing affiliate links and codes “without providing a tangible benefit to users.” The move is likely a response to the controversy around Honey’s Chrome extension, which was accused of taking affiliate revenue from creators.
Google has updated its policies for the Chrome Web Store with new rules for affiliate ads and programs, which require all affiliate programs to “be described prominently in the product’s Chrome Web Store page, user interface, and before installation.” It also states that “Affiliate links, codes, or cookies must only be included when the extension provides a direct and transparent user benefit related to the extension’s core functionality. It is not permitted to inject affiliate links without related user action and without providing a tangible benefit to users.”
Affiliate programs are one of the main ways for websites, content creators, and publishers to make money. For example, if you click on a link from a YouTube video to buy a phone, the link might give the YouTube video’s creator a small commission on the purchase.
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Earlier this year, YouTuber MegaLag published a video outlining how the Honey browser extension was overriding affiliate links with its own codes, which would allow Honey (owned by PayPal) to receive the commission instead. Honey is a browser extension intended to give you discounts and rewards with online purchases. The video went viral, racking up more than 17 million views and prompting at least one class action lawsuit and another one potentially coming.
The Honey extension is still on the Chrome Web Store, with the description explaining, “When you use Honey, merchants may pay us affiliate commissions. We share those commissions with our users in the form of rewards.” The extension is also still available on Firefox Add-ons and Microsoft Edge Add-ons, though the message about affiliate commissions is not present on the Firefox listing.
Google says extensions cannot insert affiliate links when no discount, cashback, or donation is provided. They also can’t continuously inject affiliate links in the background without a related user action—for example, clicking a button to accept a discount. One of the class action lawsuits alleged that Honey used “deceitful and clandestine” popups to insert its code, which might be close enough to Google’s requirement for a user action to replace affiliate links.
It’s worth noting here that affiliate links and codes can be replaced for many reasons, not all of which are necessarily nefarious. For example, if you click an affiliate Amazon link from one website but don’t complete the purchase, then click another website’s affiliate link and finish a purchase, the second website is the one that gets the affiliate revenue.
It remains to be seen how well these new rules will be enforced, and if the Honey extension will have to make more changes to comply with them. Browser extensions are a frequent delivery method for malware and spyware, since many of them have permission to view and modify all the pages you visit as part of their advertised functionality, and the code isn’t always fully reviewed by the browser vendor. That’s why one of the best ways to improve your security and privacy is to uninstall most (if not all) of your browser extensions—browsing activity data is extremely valuable to advertisers and data brokers.
Source: Chrome for Developers via The Verge
