Title: Reporting Bad Plugins
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Reporting Bad Plugins

 *  [Jacob Dunn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spacemanspud/)
 * (@spacemanspud)
 * [14 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/)
 * I’ve done a couple searches and come up blank – is there a method in place for
   reporting plugins in the repository that have malware or violate the [terms and conditions](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/)
   for being hosted on wordpress.org?
 * I’ve run across a few, especially of the “This site uses XXX” link in the footer
   variety, and I’d love to be able to report them for removal – just don’t know
   where is most appropriate. A link to report the plugin right on the plugin download
   page would be epic.
 * Thanks!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2401980)
 * Email [plugins@wordpress.org](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/plugins@wordpress.org?output_format=md)
   with a link to the plugin, and if possible, the lines/files with the evil code.
 * There’s no ‘link to report’ because people (well, bots) are click happy.
 *  Thread Starter [Jacob Dunn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spacemanspud/)
 * (@spacemanspud)
 * [14 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2401982)
 * Thanks Ipstenu, I’ll be sure to send them there. Makes sense on the ‘link to 
   report’ front too. Although I’d still think it would be awesome to have – would
   just have to add a CAPTCHA, or require login. Not a huge issue, though, for sure.
 * Thanks again!
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2402006)
 * Since no system is perfect, we like the one that makes you think 😉
 *  [prionkor](https://wordpress.org/support/users/prionkor/)
 * (@prionkor)
 * [14 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2402019)
 * When you see an attribution link on the footer like “This site uses XXX plugin”.
   You might check the plugin settings if there is an option to remove the attribution
   settings.
 * I never come across any plugin that don’t have the option for removing it though.
   But i think there might be a lot which does’t allow/want you to remove the attribution
   link. WordPress plugin directory is a big one 🙂
 *  Thread Starter [Jacob Dunn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spacemanspud/)
 * (@spacemanspud)
 * [14 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2402046)
 * There’s almost always a way to disable it, true – but the question is, is that
   per the repositories’ privacy policy? It says, _“The plugin must not embed external
   links on the public site (like a “powered by” link) without explicitly asking
   the user’s permission.”_
 * I interpret that as meaning they need to obtain permission first, as opposed 
   to assuming that permission was granted when you chose to install the plugin,
   and allowing a method to later revoke it. I’d like to know if I’m incorrect on
   that, of course – before I end up wasting developer and moderator time. Let me
   know.
 * You’re right though – it’s a vast repository. I’m sure one could spend pretty
   much all of their time tracking down infractions and still never come close to
   keeping up. But there have been a couple of particularly egregious examples of
   link insertion that really have upset me lately. Meh.
 * Can’t complain too much though – it is all open source, after all, and you **
   always** get much more than you pay for.
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [14 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2402051)
 * Jacob is correct. For plugins, you MUST ask first, and assume the answer is no.
   I wouldn’t have told you to report ’em otherwise 😉
 * And some of us do spend the time running greps on the repo to see who’s _doin_it_wrong()–
   I call it Sunday over coffee.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Reporting Bad Plugins’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Requests and Feedback](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/requests-and-feedback/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/reporting-bad-plugins/#post-2402051)
 * Status: not resolved

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