CWS just taken down one of my extensions without any email notification.

[Buff]

extensionID: inkncgklbglecgdlcpfpajejocdpbpbd

The extension had been live for about six months. It was a tool for downloading Instagram images and had received over 200 comments with an average rating of 4.92.

I put in a lot of effort to maintain it. However, today, a user reported that the links were not working. When I checked the developer dashboard, I saw that the extension had been taken down. I went through every record in my email and couldn't find any notification or warning from CWS. They just took down my extension, and I don't even know the reason behind it. 

This extension is the best one for downloading Instagram photos. Many users are now asking us why it's no longer working. We hope CWS can inform us about the reason for removal so that we can further improve the extension and bring it back to life as soon as possible.

Has anyone gone through this? Any suggestions on what we can do? 

Our team has spend years diligently building a  brand and service around this tool and have a 4.96 rating, and very popular. So thing is surprising and troublesome. All our success depends on this tool. 

We are a bit desperate now, so any help will be deeply appreciated.

[Patrick Kettner]

Hi Buff

I am very sorry to hear about that. Checking the extension, it looks like it would have been sent to a google group email rather than the email you are using to post this. Is it possible an email was filtered by the group?

Additionally, have you opened a ticket via One Stop Support?

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[Buff]

Thank you for your response.
 I have checked the email accounts of the 4 accounts under Google Groups, but none of them have received any emails from CWS.
Are you referring to the email of the owner of the Google Group that you mentioned?

[Buff]

tbh, this morning I saw the extension being taken down in the developer backend, and my heart almost stopped. It was the result of 6 months of continuous effort, and it almost defeated any Instagram downloader out there. I worked hard to maintain it, and user reviews were mostly 5 stars.

[Patrick Kettner]

I can only imagine how stressful that would be. I am sorry.

Not to repeat, but only to emphasize, there isn't much anyone here can do to help. You will need to contact One Stop Support to get things sorted. If I had to wager a guess, it would be that it was taken down because it isn't obviously not officially affiliated with Instagram. You can see the guidelines for this here - https://developer.chrome.com/docs/webstore/program-policies/impersonation-and-intellectual-property

I am not able to change or update your extension, nor am I sure if this is even the case. You will need to talk to One Stop Support about it to move forward.

>  I have checked the email accounts of the 4 accounts under Google Groups, but none of them have received any emails from CWS.

It would have been sent to the email for the group. If you are set up to filter, or to get updates weekly/daily rather than as they come in, then it may not have been sent over from the group to the individual emails yet.

Regardless, One Stop Support will be able to tell you why it was taken down, and how you can rectify it.

best

patrick

[Buff]

Thank you for your reply. I have already sent an email requesting to get in touch with them.

[Buff]

@Simeon
Hi. Simeon.
I apologize for @ you. Since morning, I have thoroughly researched all the relevant policies for Chrome extensions. Although @Patrick mentioned that it could be due to “Impersonation & Intellectual Property concerns”, I have clearly stated in the extension that it is developed by an independent developer. I have also used the Instagram™ trademark and included the disclaimer "Instagram™ is a trademark of Instagram Inc." I am unsure if this is the reason for the violation. Since the removal of the extension from CWS, I have tried contacting the CWS developers through “Chrome Web Store One-Stop Support”, but I haven't received any response. If you have the time, could you please help me investigate the potential reasons for the policy violation? We would be more than willing to make the necessary modifications to the extension. Some users are reaching out to us on the FB page, inquiring about what happened. We hope to restore the normal functionality of the extension as soon as possible since it is considered the best Instagram image downloader to date. I do not believe any other Instagram image downloader surpasses its capabilities.

[Buff]

It has been more than a day now, and this morning I eagerly checked my emails because I know many CWS developers are based in LA. However, I'm disappointed to say that I still haven't received any response. I understand that you have a heavy workload and receive numerous complaints from users regarding similar issues. Feeling helpless, I have no choice but to fill out the "Chrome Web Store One-Stop Support" form once again.

[Patrick Kettner]

Can you share the case number you were given?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/chromium-extensions/c9be1638-83ec-466d-9352-2716d3880074n%40chromium.org.

[Buff]

Thank you very much for your inquiry. Here are the case IDs I have submitted:
2-4228000034125
8-1467000034335
2-2636000034983
and one that I just submitted:
0-8921000034798

Honestly, after my conversation with my Therapist yesterday, my emotions have calmed down a lot. Now, all I want to know is the reason for its removal and inform it to my client.

[Patrick Kettner]

Thank you - I will follow up with the team to see if they can share an update with you.

Note that creating multiple cases will slow down the responses.

[Simeon Vincent]

Since I was called out by name, I should mention that I no longer work at Google and therefore can't do much to help other than offer abstract advice.

Below is a repost of my (now deleted) reply from an orphaned thread.

My guess is that your extension was flagged as malware. "Unlike other enforcement actions, notification is not sent to the publisher's email address when the extension(s) are taken down" (source).

You can try to appeal the takedown using the One Stop Support form. You'll want to select "My item (extensions, app, or theme)" > "My item was warned / removed / rejected" > "I did not receive any communication".

In my experience the most common reasons extensions get flagged as "malware" are:

• Collecting more data than necessary.
• While you may think it's innocuous, others may view it as data harvesting
• Remotely loading code in Manifest V3 extensions.
• While this is covered by other policy, a reviewer may consider the workarounds you have to implement to accomplish this to be obfuscated or subversive.
• Implementing functionality that isn't tied to the extension's single purpose and that may degrade the end user's experience.
• For example, injecting affiliate links on web pages to monetize a note taking extension.

Best of luck getting this resolved!

Simeon - @dotproto

incremental.software

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/chromium-extensions/CAPAuxoBdUkdjS-K9ouurABvKrZT0L5Cuph9gmQsyOtj6BRJp4w%40mail.gmail.com.

[Buff]

Thank you for your suggestions Simeon. I have spent the couple hours to checking the code, including exploring the UI library antd. I did not find anyone else loading remote code. It may be due to malicious reporting from our competitors leading to a wrong judgment. I am currently trying to contact the CWS developers for more details, but it seems like they don't have time to reply to me.

Regardless, thank you for offering me this advice. It has been very helpful to me.

[Buff]

If they still don't reply to me after three days, I'll have no choice but to resubmit the extension. I hope this is a mistaken judgment, as I'm truly disappointed by the inefficiency of the CWS developers in handling the issue. :(

[Patrick Kettner]

Hello again

I dug into the system a bit, and it does show that the group email listed on your account was sent an email notification on July 25 and August 1 for the relevant infractions. I don't have access to the contents of the email, but as Simeon pointed out, we do not contact the authors of malware takedowns. Since our system did send the email, it must not be for malware.

I just sent another message to the support team asking for some kind of update for you.

[Buff]

Ohhh, Sweet. At least they attempted to get in touch with me, but I haven't actually received any emails. If they could resend it, we will promptly make the necessary adjustments to comply with CWS policies. Thank you for your concern, Patrick.

[Buff]

I would like to inquire if I can re-upload the extension. It appears that the CWS developers have been unable to contact me through "Chrome Web Store One Stop Support". This has already been affecting our customers' interests over the past couple of days. After discussions, we are disappointed with the slow problem resolution process by the CWS developers. We now wish to re-upload the extension so that users can start using it as soon as possible.

[Buff]

Praying to wake up tomorrow and receive an email reply from the CWS developers. It seems like they are dealing with the data analysis bug regarding installation and uninstallation, or maybe they are on vacation, who knows? XD

[Buff]

Why do CWS developers on average take 3 days to respond to an email? I understand that y'all receive a lot of complaint tickets. Have you considered recalling developers who are on vacation?