Privacy Policy

Private Browser Extension

Private is a free and open source Chrome extension for data transparency and control. It lets you manage Chrome privacy settings, clear browsing data, inspect cookies, and monitor network traffic. This policy explains what the extension reads, how it uses it, and your rights.

Data Collected

Private processes the following data, all of which is already stored by Chrome:

• Chrome privacy settings values (third-party cookies, Safe Browsing, WebRTC IP handling, etc.).
• Browsing-data types you choose to clear (cache, cookies, history, storage, passwords, …).
• Cookie names, values, domains, paths, and flags for the domains you browse.
• Request method, URL, domain, resource type, and request/response headers for the last 100 requests in a browser session.

Private does not collect:

• Keystrokes, mouse movements, clicks, or form inputs.
• Page content, page titles, or anything typed into websites.
• Any personal identifiers, accounts, or sign-in credentials.

How Data Is Used

All processing happens locally on your device. Private does not transmit your browsing data, settings, cookies, or network headers to any server.

Network Monitoring

The network monitor keeps an in-memory log of up to 100 recent requests per browser session, including headers. This log is never written to disk, never sent anywhere, and is discarded when the extension is unloaded or the browser closes. Network monitoring only activates for sites you grant host permissions to.

Cookie & Browsing Data

The cookie manager and browsing-data cleaner only act when you explicitly request an action (view, add, edit, delete). These operations are performed through Chrome's own APIs and affect only what you select. Private never exports, uploads, or shares cookie data.

Data Storage

The only data Private persists are your preferences — the auto-clear configuration and whether User-Agent blocking is on — stored in chrome.storage.sync. These preferences contain no browsing data and are stored by Chrome on your device and your Google account as part of Chrome sync.

Data Sharing

Private does not share, sell, or transmit any data to third parties. There are no analytics, no trackers, and no remote servers.

Permissions

Private requests the following Chrome permissions:

• privacy — to read and change Chrome privacy settings.
• browsingData — to clear the browsing data you select.
• cookies — to view, add, edit, and delete cookies on request.
• webRequest — to show the live network log.
• declarativeNetRequest — for User-Agent blocking.
• storage — to persist your preferences.
• tabs / sidePanel / windows — to open pages in the side panel or a window.

Cookies and network monitoring additionally ask for optional host permissions (<all_urls>) — you must explicitly grant these before those features access your sites.

Data Retention

The in-memory network log is discarded when the extension is unloaded. Your preferences remain until you remove them in chrome://extensions or uninstall the extension. No other data is retained by Private.

Your Rights

You can:

• Use the extension entirely locally without granting any host permissions.
• Revert any setting change or data action at any time in the extension.
• Uninstall the extension to remove its preferences from your browser.

Changes to This Policy

If this policy changes, the “Last updated” date at the top will be revised.

Contact

For questions about this privacy policy, open an issue on the project's repository.