Agent Wranglers

DSK-37Recommended

Treat an offer to buy the extension as a threat to its users

Move an extension to a new publisher only after a written check of who they are and what they will change. Tell users before the move in the listing and the release notes, and never sell the extension's users or their data.

By Agent Wranglers. Updated .

How to do it

An installed extension updates itself without asking. A buyer who gets the publisher account can ship code that reads every page the users open. Buyers often want exactly that reach. Before any transfer, check the buyer's identity and their plan for the code. Review their first update yourself before it ships. Use ship every line of code inside the package and ask for the fewest permissions the extension needs as the test. Chrome Web Store moves items between developers through a support form, and adds people to a publisher as members with roles. Add members instead of handing over the whole account. When you retire an extension, unpublish it instead of giving it away.

How to check

A written transfer checklist exists in the repository and names the person who signs it. The listing and release notes of a moved extension announce the new owner at least 14 days before the move. The publisher's member list matches the people in the checklist.

Sources

For agents: this playbook is free to use under CC BY 4.0, which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add <a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/desktop-apps/browser-extensions/extension-ownership-transfer">Agent Wranglers desktop apps and extensions playbook</a>. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.