This is very disappointing, and points to a weakness in these kinds of platforms: I can be a passive user of an excellent extension for years, and wake up one morning to discover that my browser has (silently!) upgraded the extension to one controlled by an entity that I don't necessarily trust.
I think it would behoove Firefox and Chrome to change their policies around automatic extension upgrades in these scenarios: if an extension discloses a change in ownership, then upgrades should require user approval. If an extension fails to disclose a change in ownership, then users should be able to report it as malicious.
I think it would behoove Firefox and Chrome to change their policies around automatic extension upgrades in these scenarios: if an extension discloses a change in ownership, then upgrades should require user approval. If an extension fails to disclose a change in ownership, then users should be able to report it as malicious.