PayPal Honey extension has again "featured" flag in Chrome web store

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Chrome, Manifest V3, and Browser Control

  • Several comments tie Honey’s re-featured status to Google’s broader move away from Manifest V2 and toward limiting powerful ad-blockers, interpreting it as prioritizing ad/affiliate revenue over user control.
  • Some frame Chrome’s rise (and Google’s decision to build its own browser) as fundamentally about owning the data and ad surface, not just speed or fighting IE.
  • Others push back slightly, noting Chrome was initially much faster than Firefox and primarily a response to IE, though the ad-driven incentives are acknowledged.

How the Chrome Web Store “Featured” Badge Likely Returned

  • Multiple commenters explain that “Featured” is usually not paid placement but a nomination process: developers fill out a form; a team reviews listing quality and best-practices; approval takes a few weeks and can be re-applied for every six months.
  • Theory: Honey likely lost the badge after mass reporting during the scandal, then reapplied later and passed a fairly low-friction review, with reviewers either unaware of or indifferent to past controversy.
  • Contrast is drawn with Firefox, which removed Honey’s highlight quickly and appears more responsive.

Honey’s Alleged Misconduct and User Impact

  • Summarized accusations from prior investigations:
    • Hijacking or replacing others’ affiliate referrals at checkout.
    • Claiming to “find the best coupon” while letting merchants restrict which codes are shown, sometimes omitting better discounts or claiming no coupon exists.
  • Some see this as effectively malware-like “referral theft”; others argue it’s just a sleazy but predictable coupon/affiliate model and primarily harms creators, not users.
  • There is mention of ongoing or planned lawsuits; outcomes are still unclear.

Ratings, Availability, and Store Moderation

  • People are surprised Honey still has ~4.6 stars on Chrome while ratings cratered on Firefox.
  • Explanations proposed: median/Bayesian averaging, huge pre-scandal review base, weak fake-review moderation, and in-app “happy path” review prompting.
  • Some users report the extension is now unavailable in certain regions and speculate about geoblocking to dampen 1‑star spam; this remains unclear.

Influencers, Affiliate Links, and Trust

  • Honey’s success is attributed heavily to influencer promotion; most users don’t analyze business models and just follow trusted personalities or the easiest link.
  • Debate over whether users should deliberately avoid affiliate links versus using them to support creators when prices are equal.
  • Many note that Honey’s behavior directly undercuts influencers’ own referral income, which helped drive the backlash.

Why People Still Use Chrome / Alternatives

  • Some commenters are baffled that technically literate users still run Chrome, citing Manifest V3 and Google’s incentives.
  • Counterpoints:
    • Chrome’s sync (especially tab sync) is described as “worry-free” compared with Firefox’s spottier experience on Android.
    • Some keep Chrome strictly as a “work browser” without adblockers, using Firefox or Vivaldi for personal browsing.
    • Vivaldi is praised for configurability and good sync, with caveats (no bookmarklets, historically flaky sync; recently reworked).

Outrage Cycles and “Manufactured” Anger

  • Several comments zoom out to the meta-level: the Honey scandal is cited as an example of intense but very short-lived online outrage, especially on YouTube and social platforms.
  • Discussion centers on how algorithms amplify “outrage porn,” driving cortisol and engagement for 48–72 hours before attention shifts elsewhere.
  • There’s disagreement over whether the Honey backlash was “manufactured” or just organic swarm behavior around a real grievance.
  • Broader concerns are raised about how this pattern erodes thoughtful, sustained responses (e.g., legal action, regulatory pressure) in favor of dopamine/cortisol cycles.

Privacy and Extension Risk

  • Some commenters are uneasy that an extension monitoring all browsing activity for coupons could become a multi‑billion‑dollar acquisition at all.
  • Honey and similar tools are described as high-privilege trackers; people contrast that with the relatively greater perceived value of platforms like Google/Facebook that at least provide core communication utilities.
  • There’s a general sense that Chrome’s extension ecosystem has too little oversight given the power extensions wield, and suggestions that holding Google partially liable for abusive behavior could improve standards.