TLDR; migrate the plugin.json file from gstatic based updating/ serving to component based updating/ serving (making it more consistent w/ other data blobs that we distribute).

Background, comment from Joshua (waffles) - "This is a more aggressive change than you were thinking, but I wonder if we should consider making the plugin.json files into a component. The component updater is being used increasingly to send smallish JSON configuration files that also have a version baked into Chrome.

I have no idea about the fetching strategy (poll every 24h?), security (HTTPS w/ HPKP?) or reliability of whatever code is used to fetch these from gstatic, so I'm not sure if there would be a practical gain there at run-time. (diff updates? use of edge instead of core bandwidth? maybe battery wins by bundling the update-check with other components? less code less bugs?)"