Google bans all crypto mining extensions from the Chrome Web Store

Google has announced that it will immediately ban all Chrome extensions from the Web Store that contain a crypto mining component. That does not apply to extensions that are related to blockchain instead of mining.

According to the search giant, extensions that mine cryptocurrencies are no longer accepted since Monday. The company does not say how this ban will be enforced. Existing extensions will be removed from the Web Store at the end of June, Google further announces. ‘Blockchain-related extensions’ are acceptable, although the company does not provide a definition.

Google writes that there has been an increase in the number of malicious extensions in recent months. They apparently have a legitimate purpose, but also contain a mining component. This means that the CPU of the users is used for mining cryptocurrencies, without asking permission for this. In that case, there is also talk of cryptojacking. This in turn affects energy consumption and performance of the device on which the software runs, according to Google.

Until recently, it was allowed to offer mining extensions in the Chrome Web Store, provided certain conditions were met. For example, mining had to be the only function of the extension and the developer had to sufficiently inform the user about this. Google reports that 90 percent of mining extensions did not meet these conditions, causing it to block or remove them.