WordPress takes control of popular ACF plugin in very controversial move against WP Engine

The team behind the popular Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin has announced on X that their plugin listing on the WordPress directory has been taken over by WordPress without any explanation. This development follows an ongoing legal dispute between WP Engine, the creator of ACF, and Automattic, the company behind WordPress. The ACF team claims that this is unprecedented in WordPress's 21-year history, where an actively developed plugin has been unilaterally taken from its creator.

In response, WordPress stated that such actions have occurred before, adhering to the guidelines agreed upon by plugin developers in the WordPress plugin directory. However, WordPress didn't just remove ACF; they replaced it with a forked version called Secure Custom Fields, altering the listing's logo, screenshots, and description while retaining its reviews, active installations, and forum posts.

WordPress cites guideline point 18, which allows changes to a plugin without developer consent for public safety reasons. Nonetheless, the move is widely seen on social media as controversial, certainly linked to the legal tensions with WP Engine. The ACF team has provided guidance on ensuring users have the official version of their plugin.