Google a result, new submissions will not be accepted, while existing extensions will be removed by the end of June.
Until now, Google allowed mining extensions in the Chrome Web Store, as long as they were legal. However, the rise of malicious add-ons that hog CPU resources to run mining scripts in the background has apparently changed the company's mind.
Some of the effects of malicious add-ons are the dampening of the Chrome browser experience, slowing down systems, and reducing battery life.
Approximately 90% of all extensions with mining scripts do not comply with the company's security policy, so they have either been removed or rejected by it.
The good news is that Google, despite now banning mining, still allows blockchain-related Chrome extensions.
"The extensions platform allows developers to create a broad catalog of extensions that help users get the most out of Chrome. Unfortunately, this feature has caught the eye of malware developers who want to abuse the platform to the detriment of users," a Google spokesperson explains.
For information, Google Chrome is currently the number one browser worldwide, with a market share exceeding 60%. In second place we find Chrome's worthy replacement, Microsoft Edge, which is of course far from becoming a strong alternative, even though it is offered as the default browser in Windows 10.
