How to set different privacy links to different extensions in dashboard?

[Z Yin]

In dashboard -> Account -> Profile, there's a place to provide a link to my "Privacy policy", which will show up on the right side of each of my extensions when the users view them. This link is also mandatory – I'd receive warnings if it's left blank.

However, I have published multiple extensions, and they have completely different privacy policies. The current setting doesn't make sense. I think the policy links should be per-item, not per developer profile.

@Simeon could you please shed some light?

[Robbi]

Even better, you can think of a generic page for policies in which you put links to more specific pages for your extensions.

In this way, you would avoid creating other developer accounts.

Il giorno mercoledì 4 agosto 2021 alle 22:11:01 UTC+2 Simeon Vincent ha scritto:

Chrome Web Store does not currently support per-extension privacy policies. There is only one privacy policy for the entire developer account. To work around this limitation, you can create a different developer account for privacy policy. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Simeon - @dotproto

Chrome Extensions DevRel

[Z Yin]

Thanks Robbi! @Simeon do you agree on this practice (linking to different policies from one link)? I'm a little worried if this can pass the review. 

[Simeon Vincent]

I just had a chance to speak with the review team about this and they recommend going with Robbi's suggestion. I'm going to delete my last message in to help make sure people don't follow my previous advice 😅

Simeon - @dotproto

Chrome Extensions DevRel

[Z Yin]

Cool!

[Z Yin]

Hi @Simeon, this approach seems to have stopped working. My extension ndbaejgcaecffnhlmdghchfehkflgfkj received a "Purple Nickel" warning (see below) because I used the strategy mentioned above. Any suggestions?

Violation(s):

User Data Privacy:

• Violation reference ID: Purple Nickel
• Violation: Privacy policy link does not lead to a valid privacy policy
• How to rectify: Ensure the link leads directly to a privacy policy page. (Owner sites are not considered valid privacy policies)
• Relevant section of the program policy:
  • If your Product handles personal or sensitive user data, then your Product must post a privacy policy. (learn more)

[Simeon Vincent]

Z, have you attempted to appeal that verdict as described in the email you recieved?

Simeon - @dotproto

Chrome Extensions DevRel

[Z Yin]

Hi Simeon, no I just received the email and didn't appeal. I'll submit the appeal now, and let you know the result. Thanks.

[Jackie Han]

Maybe, It doesn't talk about the privacy link, it talks about the content of that link.

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[Z Yin]

OK, so I did the appeal. tl;dr: if you published multiple extensions with one developer account, then you must paste multiple privacy polices into one page, then link to that page in the dashboard. You can't provide a hub page which links to different policies, the content must be on the page. 

This is bad user experience because when users click on a privacy policy link, what they expect to see is the one regarding the extension that they clicked from, not a jumble of different polices of other irrelevant extensions. (You could mitigate this by using accordions, which is what I did.)

Below is the gist of the conversation:

Me: 

[Filed appeal, explained that I published 5 different extensions, which need 5 different privacy policies, so I provided a page which links to 5 polices]

CWS dev support:

Upon a subsequent review, we found that your extension is not compliant with the “User Data privacy” policy.

• Violation : 
  • Privacy policy URL is indirect. Upon clicking the PP link it is leading to a page where different PP links are provided for different extensions.
  • Post clicking on the PP link it has to redirect to a valid privacy policy web page .

• How to rectify: Please provide a valid and direct privacy policy link for each extension.

Me:

From the dashboard, is there a way to set different privacy policy links for each of my extensions? 

CWS dev support:

Thank you for getting back to us. We request you to provide a single privacy policy link by mentioning the user data collection of all your extensions in a single privacy policy link. 

Privacy policy URL is related to account level so it will be visible for all the extensions uploaded by you. The privacy policy needs to contain information about user data collection, sharing, handling and usage. For more information, please refer to the FAQ. 

Me:

I don't understand, the 5 different extensions I published are totally different in what they do, how can they use a single policy?

I could, however, put all 5 different policies into one page - I'll just create 5 sections on the page. Is that what you suggest me do? Thanks! 

CWS dev support:

Thank you for getting back to us. We request you to provide a single privacy policy link with sections respective to each extension.

Me:

[did it, republished, then passed review] 

Note: I received another Purple Nickel after re-publish so I had to contact again, but eventually it's resolved.

[hrg...@gmail.com]

I can see that having a conversation with the CWS support people is still as frustrating as it's always been. You get nothing but dumb robotic answers, and they take 24 hours per reply. An awful experience.

[Jackie Han]

Yes, this is the only way to do it at present for CWS. But other extension stores support different links for different extensions.

PS: I found an account (https://mybrowseraddon.com/) has lots of extensions on CWS, but their privacy links are different links for different extensions.

[PhistucK]

I guess that means those are multiple accounts and all of them are linked to the same website, right?

☆PhistucK

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[Jackie Han]

(Check "Related" -> "More from this developer")

There are multiple accounts, but not one account for one extension.

One account that has many extensions has no privacy link.

Another account that has many extensions has a privacy link. From that link, you can see the same way to show privacy content.