Much like in the time before “app stores” and “extension stores” existed, you are ultimately on your own when you install something from the web and you should verify that the developer is trustworthy before allowing their code to run on your computer. What these suggestions are really telling us is that AdGuard believes that the Chrome Web Store is like The Wild, Wild West, where almost anything goes, except for the minimum limitations put in place by the Chrome browser’s API support.

Don't use the WebStore internal search, install extensions from the trusted developers' websites directly.

These two extensions had excellent reviews and yet they were malicious.

Reading the users' reviews won't help as well.

Be aware that there's almost no review process, and this can easily be a fake.

Don't believe what you read in the extension's description.

If you're going to install a browser extension, think again.

In particular, you can see which filtering rule was used to block this or that rule.

How do you protect yourself until that happens? AdGuard recommends these options to start: AdGuard Browser extension, based on Manifest V2, has a filtering log that shows all the requests sent by your browser and detailed information about them. In fact, the AdGuard team agrees with the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s proposal that Google should instead just review its extension store better. The AdGuard team said that it doesn’t believe Google’s proposed and highly controversial Manifest V3 change, which is supposed to increase user security and privacy, will solve this issue of fake ad blocking extensions.

Adguard chrome store