Google responds to dubious shopping extensions for Chrome.

      Chris DeGraw/Digital Trends

      Google has revised its policies regarding Chrome extensions following a backlash concerning the Honey extension. The extension, developed by PayPal, has been accused by creators of improperly using affiliate links without informing users, and Google now states that similar extensions are banned from its Chrome Web Store.

      The controversy surrounding Honey emerged in December 2024 when YouTubers labeled the extension a scam. The extension purported to search for discount codes and apply them automatically to users' shopping carts across various websites. Critics claim it injected its own affiliate links into user transactions without their knowledge, depriving content creators who also utilize affiliate links of revenue. Ironically, this likely harmed the same tech influencers that Honey employed for promotional purposes.

      Now, Google has clarified its Chrome extension policy to prohibit such practices. “Affiliate links, codes, or cookies must only be incorporated when the extension offers a direct and clear user benefit directly tied to the extension's primary function. Injecting affiliate links without user action and without providing a tangible benefit is not allowed,” Google stated.

      To further elaborate, Google listed specific violations that are prohibited, including “An extension that modifies a shopping-related cookie without user awareness while browsing shopping sites,” “An extension that adds an affiliate code to the URL or modifies an existing affiliate code in the URL without the user being fully aware or without corresponding user action,” and “An extension that applies or changes affiliate promo codes without the user being explicitly informed or without corresponding user action.”

      However, as of now, the Honey extension is still available for download from the Chrome Web Store. It remains unclear whether Honey has made necessary updates to comply with the policy or if it will need to implement changes to stay on the Web Store.

      Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends for six years, focusing on human space exploration and planetary topics…

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