Google bans 'extensions that steal affiliate revenue'
Some Chrome extensions have been known to rewrite existing affiliate codes and steal affiliate revenue. Chrome's extension policy has been updated to prohibit the act of rewriting affiliate codes.
Affiliate Ads | Chrome Web Store - Program Policies | Chrome for Developers
https://developer.chrome.com/docs/webstore/program-policies/affiliate-ads
A representative example of an extension that rewrites affiliate codes is the Chrome extension 'PayPal Honey,' which has been downloaded by 17 million people. PayPal Honey is an extension that has the function of 'automatically searching for coupons when shopping online,' but it has been discovered that it deletes existing affiliate-related cookies without permission and replaces them with its own cookies when purchasing products. This action meant that influencers who directed users to product sales pages were no longer able to receive revenue, and instead the PayPal Honey management team received the revenue.
Popular browser extension 'PayPal Honey' has been found to be stealing influencers' affiliate revenue and offering unfavorable deals to users - GIGAZINE
Meanwhile, Google updated its Chrome extension policy on March 11, 2025. The new policy prohibits the behavior of 'continuously inserting affiliate links in the background regardless of user actions.' For this reason, PayPal Honey and extensions with similar functions will violate Google's policy.
At the time of writing, PayPal Honey has not been removed from the Chrome Web Store and remains available for installation.
Honey: Automatic Coupons & Rewards - Chrome Web Store
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/honey-automatic-coupons-r/bmnlcjabgnpnenekpadlanbbkooimhnj
Related Posts:
in Software, Posted by log1o_hf