[Bud]

It's inserting fake search results and running a keystroke monitor. To me this isn't even a close call; of course it's malware. I would also say that any developer who would do this simply can't be trusted; if he will do this, he might do just about anything else. He doesn't seem to have any regard for others.

[prafuitu]

It is not inserting fake search results nor is it logging any of your keys! Look a the source code at http://ionut-botizan.net/window-resizer

It is just proxying clicks on real results through Ecosia's servers instead of Google's.

[orf]

a hell of a lot of chrome extensions inject adverts and other tracking code into websites you visit, like Facebook and youtube. would you class those extensions as malware as well?

[dudus]

I would. Why wouldn't you?

[orf]

I would, but that then means that the chrome web store is riddled with malware which isn't a nice thought and doesn't bode well for its future as something that is supposed to be more secure than traditional native platforms.

[JohnTHaller]

Considering that Google search result ads are riddled with malware* and Google AdSense ads are riddled with malware and that Google Play has numerous ongoing issues with Android malware, I don't think it's really surprising that the Google Chrome Extensions store is also riddled with malware.

* Which my mother confirmed JUST THIS WEEKEND by searching Google for Firefox and Spider Solitaire clicking one of the Google ads up top for each to get the download and... 2 hours of cleaning later and removing 18 different malware apps. Then just deciding it was faster to restore it to a factory image.

* * Which I'm trying to block one by one using the pitiful tools that Google makes available to block individual adsense advertisers.

[hrjet]

Something that was supposed to be secure is not. So you stop calling malware, malware?

Move on.

[orf]

I was agreeing with him, perhaps I should have phrased it better.