Extension Removed Due to Misunderstanding of Its Functionality

[Pavel N]

Hi Oliver,

Our extension was recently removed, and we received a message stating that it was taken down for engaging in malicious activities harmful to users. However, no specific details were provided — only a note saying, “Given the nature of this violation, the item will not be reinstated.” Case ID: 4-1290000038733
Extension link: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/screen-dimmer/fbkkfkmgbjdnhkeihngeemdpdfkipehh

We strongly believe this is a mistake. Our product is a high-quality Screen Dimmer extension that helps users adjust their screen brightness. After a free trial period, a paywall prompts the user to subscribe — which is a common and accepted practice both in the Chrome Web Store and in mobile app marketplaces.

We suspect that the removal might be related to the way the paywall is displayed. After the trial ends, when the user opens Screen Dimmer, the paywall appears over the current website. This is only because our extension has minimal UI in the popup, and there simply isn’t enough space to display it there. However, we do not block the browser — the paywall can be closed, and the extension can be uninstalled at any time.

Perhaps this behavior was misunderstood by the review team. Still, this is just a guess, as we haven’t received any clarification. And even if this is the reason, there is no policy in the CWS Terms that prohibits such an approach.

We kindly ask you to review the decision and restore our extension. If the issue is indeed with how the paywall is displayed, we are more than willing to change it.

Users thank us for this extension, and we currently have over 17,000 satisfied users. We have never included any viruses, malware, or harmful behavior of any kind.

This is further confirmed by a VirusTotal scan of our extension:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/ee0b2ac6bba140e70f33e3fd0208c5e2bb74d2124b92732b6bdf6482c07bb114/detection

Thank you in advance for your help.

Best regards,
Pavel

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Pavel,

While you've opened a few cases about this item, I wasn't able to find a case where you have started an appeal.

If you believe the item was taken down incorrectly, I'd encourage you to open a new case using the One Stop Support form: https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/contact/one_stop_support

Unfortunately, I can't comment more on such a specific situation here. In addition, I would point out that a scan of your item is not the same as confirming it is compliant with Chrome Web Store policies.

Thanks,

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

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[Pavel N]

Hi Oliver,

Thank you for your reply.

In fact, we have submitted an appeal under Case ID: 6-1109000038888. The issue is that we only receive an automated response stating: "Given the nature of this violation, the item will not be reinstated."

Once again, this is a very simple extension, and we strongly believe the review team has misinterpreted its functionality.

We kindly ask that you forward this case to the moderation team for a proper manual review, as the current responses seem to be automated and do not address the core of the misunderstanding.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Best regards,
Pavel