Jump to content

Browser extension

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abrowser extensionis asoftwaremodule for customizing aweb browser.Browsers typically allow users to install a variety of extensions, includinguser interfacemodifications,cookiemanagement,ad blocking,and the customscriptingandstylingofweb pages.[1]

Browserplug-insare a different type of module and no longer supported by the major browsers.[2][3]One difference is that extensions are distributed assource code,while plug-ins areexecutables(i.e.object code).[2]The most popular browser,Google Chrome,[4]has over 100,000 extensions available[5]but stopped supporting plug-ins in 2020.[6]

History[edit]

Internet Explorerwas the first major browser to support extensions, with the release ofversion 4in 1997.[7]Firefoxhas supported extensions since its launch in 2004.Operaand Chrome began supporting extensions in 2009,[8]andSafaridid so the following year.Microsoft Edgeadded extension support in 2016.[9]

API conformity[edit]

In 2015, a community group formed under theW3Cto create a single standardapplication programming interface(API) for browser extensions.[10]While this particular work did not reach fruition,[11]every major browser now has the same or very similar API due to the popularity ofGoogle Chrome.[4]

Chrome was the first browser with an extension API based solely onHTML,CSS,andJavaScript.Beta testing for this capability began in 2009,[12][13]and the following yearGoogleopened theChrome Web Store.As of June 2012, there were 750 million total installations of extensions and other content hosted on the store.[14]In the same year, Chrome overtookInternet Exploreras the world's most popular browser,[15]and itsusage sharereached 60% in 2018.[16]

Because of Chrome's success,Microsoftcreated a very similar extension API for itsEdgebrowser, with the goal of making it easy for Chrome extension developers to port their work to Edge.[17]But after three years Edge still had a disappointingly small market share, so Microsoft rebuilt it as aChromium-based browser.[18][19](Chromium is Google's open-source project that serves as the functional core of Chrome andmany otherbrowsers.) Now that Edge has the same API as Chrome, extensions can be installed directly from the Chrome Web Store.[20]

In 2015,Mozillaannounced that the long-standingXULandXPCOMextension capabilities ofFirefoxwould be replaced with a less-permissive API very similar to Chrome's.[21]This change was enacted in 2017.[22][23]Firefox extensions are now largely compatible with their Chrome counterparts.[24]

Applewas the last major exception to this trend, but support for extensions conforming to the Chrome API was added toSafariformacOSin 2020.[25]Extensions were later enabled in theiOSversion for the first time.[26]

In 2021, these browser vendors formed a new W3C community group, called WebExtensions, to "specify a model, permissions, and a common core of APIs".[27]However, Google joined this during its overhaul of Chrome's extension API, known asManifest V3,which greatly reduces the capability ofad blockersandprivacy-related extensions.[28][29][30]Thus the WebExtensions group is viewed by some extension developers as nothing more than Google imposing its Manifest V3 design.[31][32][33]

Unwanted behavior[edit]

Browser extensions typically have access to sensitive data, such asbrowsing history,and they have the ability to alter some browser settings, add user interface items, or replace website content.[34][35]As a result, there have been instances ofmalware,so users need to be cautious about what extensions they install.[36][37][38][39]

There have also been cases ofapplicationsinstalling browser extensionswithout the user's knowledge,making it hard for the user to uninstall the unwanted extension.[40]

SomeGoogle Chromeextension developers have sold their extensions to third-parties who then incorporatedadware.[41][42]In 2014,Googleremoved two such extensions from theChrome Web Storeafter many users complained about unwanted pop-up ads.[43]The following year, Google acknowledged that about five percent of visits to its own websites had been altered by extensions with adware.[44][45][46]

References[edit]

  1. ^"What are extensions?".MDN Web Docs.Retrieved5 August2019.
  2. ^ab"Plugin".developer.mozilla.org.9 September 2022.Retrieved7 December2022.
  3. ^"Why Browser Plug-Ins Are Going Away and What's Replacing Them".howtogeek. 8 January 2014.Retrieved6 June2023.
  4. ^ab"StatCounter Global Stats".StatCounter.Retrieved11 November2020.
  5. ^Cimpanu, Catalin."Half of all Google Chrome extensions have fewer than 16 installs".ZDNet.Retrieved19 February2021.
  6. ^"Google Chrome 88 released: RIP Flash Player".Retrieved29 January2021.
  7. ^"Browser Extensions".15 August 2017.Retrieved29 September2020.
  8. ^Edwards, Lin; Phys.org."Google Chrome extensions to be officially released".phys.org.Retrieved27 April2023.
  9. ^Bright, Peter (18 March 2016)."Edge browser now has extensions in the latest Windows 10 preview".Ars Technica.Condé Nast.
  10. ^"Browser Extension Community Group Charter — Browser Extension Community Group".browserext.github.io.Retrieved14 December2018.
  11. ^"Re: One question from Florian Rivoal on 2017-07-29 ([email protected] from July 2017)".lists.w3.org.Retrieved14 December2018.
  12. ^"Extensions Status: On the Runway, Getting Ready for Take-Off".Chromium Blog.Retrieved14 December2018.
  13. ^"Extensions beta launched, with over 300 extensions!".Chromium Blog.Retrieved14 December2018.
  14. ^Vikas SN (29 June 2012)."The Lowdown: Google I/O 2012 Day 2 – 310M Chrome Users, 425M Gmail & More".MediaNama.Retrieved14 June2013.
  15. ^"Internet Explorer usage to plummet below 50 percent by mid-2012".3 September 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 20 November 2011.Retrieved4 September2011.
  16. ^Statcounter."Browser Market Share Worldwide | StatCounter Global Stats".gs.statcounter.Retrieved20 October2018.
  17. ^"Porting an extension from Chrome to Microsoft Edge".Microsoft.Retrieved30 December2018.
  18. ^"Microsoft Edge: Making the web better through more open source collaboration".Windows Experience Blog.6 December 2018.Retrieved14 December2018.
  19. ^Keizer, Gregg (8 December 2018)."With move to rebuild Edge atop Google's Chromium, Microsoft raises white flag in browser war".Computerworld.Retrieved14 December2018.
  20. ^"Add or remove extensions in Microsoft Edge".Microsoft.Retrieved8 June2020.
  21. ^"The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons".Mozilla Add-ons Blog.21 August 2015.Retrieved15 December2018.
  22. ^"Upcoming Changes in Compatibility Features".Mozilla Add-ons Blog.10 August 2017.Retrieved15 December2018.
  23. ^"How to enable legacy extensions in Firefox 57 - gHacks Tech News".ghacks.net.12 August 2017.Retrieved14 December2018.
  24. ^"Porting a Google Chrome extension".Mozilla.Retrieved30 December2018.
  25. ^"Safari 14 Release Notes".2020.Archivedfrom the original on 23 March 2022.Retrieved4 April2022.
  26. ^Ortolani, Parker (21 September 2021)."Here are the best new Safari extensions to download for iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 (Updated)".9to5Mac.Retrieved5 April2022.
  27. ^"WebExtensions Community Group".w3.org.Retrieved24 March2024.
  28. ^Barnett, Daly (9 December 2021)."Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 is Deceitful and Threatening".Electronic Frontier Foundation.Retrieved22 November2023.
  29. ^Amadeo, Ron (1 December 2023)."Chrome's next weapon in the War on Ad Blockers: Slower extension updates".Ars Technica.Retrieved2 December2023.
  30. ^"Inside the 'arms race' between YouTube and ad blockers".Engadget.1 December 2023.Retrieved2 December2023.
  31. ^Stuwe, Cuyler (29 December 2021)."Re: Do not outlaw dynamic code".GitHub.Nobody outside of Google really has any meaningful sway, since Chrome currently owns nearly all of the market share; Google sets the rules, other people nitpick minor details, and everyone pretends that everyone had a meaningful say.
  32. ^"Re: Do not outlaw dynamic code".GitHub.2 January 2022.Google has shown no interest whatsoever in deviating from their original plans. So, it's quite clear what's happening here. MV3 is a business decision, not an engineering decision.
  33. ^"Re: Manifest v3 background scripts should not be killed when there are active listeners".GitHub.7 January 2024.
  34. ^"Protect User Privacy".Google Chrome Docs.18 March 2018.Retrieved15 December2018.
  35. ^"Add-on Policies".MDN Web Docs.Retrieved15 December2018.
  36. ^"Security firm ICEBRG uncovers 4 malicious Chrome extensions - gHacks Tech News".ghacks.net.16 January 2018.Retrieved15 December2018.
  37. ^"Google's bad track record of malicious Chrome extensions continues - gHacks Tech News".ghacks.net.11 May 2018.Retrieved15 December2018.
  38. ^"Chrome Extension Devs Use Sneaky Landing Pages after Google Bans Inline Installs".BleepingComputer.Retrieved15 December2018.
  39. ^"Google Chrome extensions with 500,000 downloads found to be malicious".Ars Technica. 17 January 2018.Retrieved30 December2018.
  40. ^"PUP Criteria".Malwarebytes.Retrieved13 February2015.
  41. ^"Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates".Ars Technica.17 January 2014.Retrieved20 January2014.
  42. ^Bruce Schneier (21 January 2014)."Adware Vendors Buy and Abuse Chrome Extensions".
  43. ^Winkler, Rolfe (19 January 2014)."Google Removes Two Chrome Extensions Amid Ad Uproar".blogs.wsj.Wall Street Journal.Retrieved17 March2014.
  44. ^"Ad Injection at Scale: Assessing Deceptive Advertisement Modifications"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 5 June 2015.
  45. ^"Superfish injects ads into 5 percent of all Google page views".PC World.IDG.
  46. ^"Superfish injects ads in one in 25 Google page views".CIO.IDG.Archived fromthe originalon 11 December 2019.Retrieved16 June2015.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Browser_extension&oldid=1231224708"