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Chrome Bitcoin IT Technology

Google Bans Chrome Extensions That Mine Cryptocurrencies From the Web Store (bleepingcomputer.com) 49

An anonymous reader writes: Google announced that effective today, the Chrome Web Store review staff would stop accepting new extensions on the Web Store that perform cryptocurrency mining. Existing Chrome extensions that perform cryptocurrency mining will be delisted sometime in late June. The decision came after Google saw a rise in extensions that performed hidden in-browser mining (cryptojacking) behind the users' backs, in background processes.

Even if Google has not said it outright, the company has taken this step to protect Chrome's image. Cryptojacking scripts have a huge impact on a computer's responsiveness, and when most users investigate, they see Chrome's processes hogging CPU resources. Very few of these users will be able to track the spike in CPU usage back to an extension. Google has worked incredibly hard to create the image that Chrome is today's fastest browser, and the company isn't going to stand by and watch some extension developers ruin Chrome's brand so that some devs can make a few Monero on the side.

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Google Bans Chrome Extensions That Mine Cryptocurrencies From the Web Store

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    I'm sure some names on the list would surprise us.

  • Who knew? (Score:3, Funny)

    by suman28 ( 558822 ) <suman28NO@SPAMhotmail.com> on Monday April 02, 2018 @03:34PM (#56368453)
    I had no idea you could mine Cryptocurrencies from the Web Store.
    You learn something new everyday!
  • How would I know they did this? Unless the extensions are open source I have no idea what they are doing. Google should be requiring open source.
  • Not anymore, Firefox is faster now.
  • Because some scripts like Iridium kindly ask for your donation trough mining. (That's the most right way, that it could be used)
  • Google Bans Chrome Extensions That Mine Cryptocurrencies From the Web Store

    Why are cryptocurrencies even in the web store?!? Maybe the tool is doing everyone a favour?

  • by Gonoff ( 88518 ) on Tuesday April 03, 2018 @06:38AM (#56371659)

    Why have large corporations, central banks and other rich people united behind their opposition to cryptocurrencies?

    It's almost as if they are protecting us peasants from making, or even having, a tiny amount of money outside their control!

  • was thinking about this yesterday but not doing it. afraid of hacks to my chrome

Get hold of portable property. -- Charles Dickens, "Great Expectations"

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