Privacy Policy

Overview

LinkGuard is a privacy-first browser extension. This means:

• We don't collect ANY data about your browsing
• We don't use analytics or tracking scripts
• We don't have servers that log your activity
• We don't sell data because we don't have any

Your privacy is not a feature. It's our foundation.

What Data We Collect

Short Answer: ZERO

LinkGuard does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data. Here's what we DON'T collect:

• ❌ Browsing history
• ❌ URLs you visit
• ❌ Links you hover over
• ❌ IP addresses
• ❌ User identifiers
• ❌ Analytics or telemetry
• ❌ Cookies

How LinkGuard Works

All link analysis happens locally in your browser. Here's the technical breakdown:

1. Pattern-Based Detection (v0.1.0)

When you hover over a link, LinkGuard:

• ✅ Analyzes the URL structure locally
• ✅ Checks against pattern rules (HTTPS, TLDs, keywords)
• ✅ Displays a tooltip with the result
• ✅ Caches results locally for 24 hours

Zero external requests. Everything stays on your device.

2. Future API Integration (v0.2.0+)

When we add Google Safe Browsing and other threat APIs:

• ✅ Only URL hashes will be sent (not full URLs)
• ✅ No personally identifiable information
• ✅ Subject to API providers' privacy policies
• ✅ Optional – you can disable external checks

Local Storage

LinkGuard uses Chrome's local storage API to save:

• Link analysis cache – Results stored for 24 hours to improve performance
• Statistics – Local count of links checked (stays on your device)
• User preferences – Your settings (theme, tooltip style, etc.)

This data:

• ✅ Never leaves your device
• ✅ Is not accessible to us
• ✅ Can be cleared anytime in extension settings

Permissions

LinkGuard requests these Chrome permissions:

activeTab

Why: To detect when you hover over links on the current page.

What we do: Analyze links you hover over.

What we DON'T do: Track your browsing or access other tabs.

storage

Why: To cache results and save your preferences locally.

What we do: Store analysis results on YOUR device only.

What we DON'T do: Sync data to our servers (we don't have any!).

alarms

Why: To clean up old cached data automatically.

What we do: Delete cache entries older than 24 hours.

What we DON'T do: Create persistent connections or tracking.

Third-Party Services

Current Version (v0.1.0)

None. We don't use any third-party services, APIs, or trackers.

Future Versions (v0.2.0+)

We plan to integrate:

• Google Safe Browsing API – For enhanced threat detection
• VirusTotal API (optional) – For multi-engine verification

Important notes:

• ✅ Only URL hashes sent, not full URLs
• ✅ No personally identifiable information
• ✅ You can disable external checks in settings
• ✅ Subject to API providers' privacy policies

Open Source Transparency

Don't just take our word for it. LinkGuard is 100% open source:

• 📖 Full source code available on GitHub
• 🔍 Audit our code yourself
• 🐛 Report issues or vulnerabilities
• 💡 Suggest privacy improvements

We believe in radical transparency. If you find ANY privacy concern, please report it immediately.

Data Retention

Simple Answer: We Don't Retain Anything

Since we don't collect data, there's nothing to retain. Local storage on YOUR device:

• ✅ Cache expires after 24 hours
• ✅ Statistics reset when you clear browser data
• ✅ You control everything through Chrome settings

Children's Privacy

LinkGuard is safe for all ages. Since we collect zero data, there's no risk to children's privacy. Parents can confidently allow children to use LinkGuard knowing their browsing stays private.

International Users

LinkGuard works the same everywhere:

• ✅ GDPR compliant (EU)
• ✅ CCPA compliant (California)
• ✅ Meets strictest global privacy standards

How? By collecting zero data from anyone, anywhere.

Changes to This Policy

If we ever change this privacy policy, we will:

• ✅ Update the "Last updated" date at the top
• ✅ Announce changes in GitHub releases
• ✅ Never reduce your privacy protections without explicit consent

You can view the complete history of this policy on GitHub.

Your Rights

Under privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), you have rights. But since we collect zero data:

• ✅ Right to access: There's nothing to access
• ✅ Right to deletion: Nothing to delete
• ✅ Right to portability: No data to export
• ✅ Right to object: Nothing to object to

You do have the right to:

• ✅ Request data deletion (nothing to delete!)
• ✅ Access your data (only stored locally)
• ✅ Uninstall at any time
• ✅ Audit our code (it's open-source)

Legal

Developer Information

Name: Pawel Nowak
Location: Szczecin, Poland
GitHub: @nowakpawel

Governing Law

This privacy policy is governed by the laws of Poland and the European Union (GDPR compliant).