WordPress.org has taken over a popular WP Engine plugin to “eliminate commercial upsells and fix a security issue,” said WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg. announced today. This “minimal” update, which he calls a fork of the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, is now called “Secure custom fields.”
It's unclear what security issue Mullenweg is referring to in the post. You write that you are “invoking point 18 of the plugin directory guidelines.” in which The WordPress team reserves several rights, including removing a plugin or changing it “without the developer's consent.” Mullenweg explains that the move has to do with the lawsuit recently filed by WP Engine against him and Automattic.
Similar situations have happened before, but not on this scale. This is a rare and unusual situation caused by WP Engine legal attacks; We don't anticipate this happening with other plugins.
WP Engine ACF Team x.com/wp_acf/status/1845169499064107049″>claimed in x that WordPress has never “unilaterally and forcibly” taken a plugin “from its creator without consent.” Later x.com/wp_acf/status/1845190372764401908?s=46&t=s7yjJ2YTk92nj3NQJLk0ww”>wrote that those who are not WP Engine, Flywheel or ACF Pro customers will need to go to the ACF site and follow the steps. previously posted to “perform a one-time download of the original version 6.3.8” to continue receiving updates.
As the name suggests, the ACF plugin allows website builders to use custom fields when existing generic ones don't work, something ACF offers. overview The plugin says that it is already a native, but “not very user-friendly” feature of WordPress.
The edge has contacted Automattic, WordPress.organd WP Engine for comments.
Update October 12: Adjusted to add clarity on Mullenweg's use of the “fork” tag.
