I see that no one really takes fraudulent installs seriously, but if you are an honest developer who abides by all
Chrome Store policies then you clearly will not like this and I warn you not to read it.
Some developers do not meet the standards, we all know that, because the Chrome Store system today allows it, it is that simple and sad.
Some bad guys have been playing around with fraudulent users and fake installs for years because they know that the Chrome Store algorithm is child's play for bad kids. But until when? Until the Chrome Store wants and takes action.
I am going to give you a simple and ridiculous example of an extension that has gone through an approval review:
This extension was updated yesterday (May 21, 2020) and already had +1,000,000 fake active users, zero ratings and it really shows that it uses bad practices, but the automatic approval method or the manual review did absolutely nothing.
That only means one thing, Chrome Store doesn't care.
I will give more information:
Fraudulent installations have become the cancer of the Chrome Store in these years, if something is not done, it is not worth it to invest your time in creating a NEW and beautiful extension for another developer to copy it in 3 days, add 500 false ratings and add 1,000,000 false installations, because the next day it would have surpassed you in the rankings. Why? the Chrome Store algorithm is simple.
If the clone extension suffers a drastic rise in users, it is like a drug for the rankings.
It does not affect the use, authority, ratings and originality of the extension.
The other simple example, look for "Custom cursor" in the Chorme Store and look carefully, you will see that there are 3 copies of that extension and they are positioning in the rankings above the original extension.
It is true that the Chrome Store has announced new measures and says that on August 27, 2020 it wants to toughen the measures against SPAM, well I think that we all think it is excellent! finally some light.
If you want to know more information about the measures, read the changes:
But now the extension approval system is slow, I understand that the Chrome Store team may not have resources and are overwhelmed by COVID-19, sadly we all suffer very hard, but nevertheless, to this day there is no control of this type of practices.
Sadly, this problem still continues and all the developers of extensions that comply with good practices are suffering from these diabolical practices.
Can they really end this problem? I really don't know. I have some hope and maybe we'll see it.
Please, All developers!
If you see an extension that seems clearly suspicious of doing this type of practice, has fraudulent installations or false ratings that do not clearly comply with the
Chrome Web Store Content Policies, please report them to remove this type of extensions from the Chrome Store, for that there is the red button "
Report abuse. "
Wait?
It would be more appropriate to indicate that you have to search, rather than write and detail the case in a comment.
Idea:
If we do not complain about this type of extensions with spam practices, they will never do anything, believe me. It affects us all.
If you have any suggestion or comment on this topic, do not hesitate to contribute your ideas so that you can see that we care. Only then will things change.