Privacy is My Commitment

Privacy Policy

Cookie Banner Blocker is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how I handle information related to your use of my browser extension. I believe that privacy is a fundamental right, and I've designed this extension with that principle at its core.

What Data Do I Collect?

Cookie Banner Blocker is designed with privacy by design principles, meaning privacy considerations are integrated into every aspect of the extension's functionality:

• No Personal Information: I do not collect your name, email address, or other personal identifiers. The extension operates without requiring any personal information from you.
• No Browsing History: Websites you visit are not tracked, recorded, or stored. The extension processes web pages locally to detect and block cookie banners but does not maintain any records of your browsing activities.
• No Usage Data: I do not collect statistics about your extension usage, including which features you use, how often you use the extension, or performance metrics.
• No Technical Data: Information about your browser version, operating system, device type, or other technical specifications is not collected or transmitted.
• No Network Information: The extension does not collect IP addresses, network configuration details, or any other network-related information.
• Whitelist Data: When you add websites to your whitelist, this information is stored locally in your browser using the browser's built-in storage mechanisms and never transmitted to me or any third party. This data remains exclusively on your device.
• Extension Settings: Any configuration options you select within the extension are stored locally on your device and are not transmitted externally.

How Do I Use Data?

Since I collect no data through the extension itself, there is no usage of your information for analytics, marketing, or any other purposes:

• The extension operates entirely locally within your browser, processing web page content in real-time to identify and block cookie banners without storing or transmitting this information.
• No data transmission to servers or third parties occurs through the extension's normal operation. All processing happens directly within your browser environment.
• I do not use tracking technologies like cookies, web beacons, or analytics services within the extension.
• Your whitelist preferences and extension settings remain exclusively on your device, synchronized only through your browser's built-in sync functionality if you have that feature enabled.
• The extension does not create user profiles, behavior patterns, or any other form of data aggregation.
• There is no data mining, machine learning on user behavior, or any form of data processing beyond the immediate technical requirements for blocking cookie banners.

Data Sharing

Cookie Banner Blocker fundamentally does not share data because it does not collect any data to share. This commitment extends to all aspects of the extension's operation:

• No Third-Party Sharing: The extension does not share data with advertisers, marketing partners, data brokers, or any other commercial entities.
• No Analytics Services: I do not integrate with analytics platforms, tracking services, or any other data collection frameworks.
• No Social Media Integration: The extension does not interact with social media platforms and does not share information with them.
• No Government Data Sharing: Since I have no data to provide, there is nothing to share with government agencies, law enforcement, or regulatory bodies.
• No Academic or Research Sharing: I do not provide data to academic institutions, research organizations, or any other entities for study or analysis.
• No Cross-Device Tracking: The extension does not facilitate tracking across different devices or browsers.
• No International Data Transfers: Since no data is collected, there are no international data transfers to consider or disclose.

Your Rights

Although I store no data through the extension itself, I recognize and respect your data protection rights. You retain the following rights regarding your information:

• Right to Access: You can request confirmation that I have no data about you through the extension. For any information you voluntarily provide through support forms, I can disclose what data I currently have.
• Right to Rectification: Since I store no personal data through the extension, there is nothing to correct. For support inquiries, you can request corrections to any information you've provided.
• Right to Deletion: Since the extension stores nothing externally, there's nothing to delete from my systems. You can clear locally stored data (like your whitelist) directly through your browser settings.
• Right to Restriction of Processing: As there is no processing of your personal data beyond the local functioning of the extension, this right is inherently respected.
• Right to Object: You can object to the (non-existent) processing of your data. If you have concerns about how the extension operates locally, you can disable or uninstall it at any time.
• Data Portability: There is no personal data collected through the extension to transfer. Your locally stored whitelist can typically be exported through your browser's developer tools if needed.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Since I don't process your data based on consent, this right doesn't apply to the extension's operation. For any support communications, you can withdraw consent for further processing of your inquiries.

Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in my privacy practices, legal requirements, or enhancements to the extension. Any modifications will be made with transparency and user privacy in mind:

• All changes will be published on this page with a clear revision history.
• I will notify you about significant changes through the extension's update mechanism or via announcements on the official website.
• For minor changes that don't affect your rights, the updated policy will become effective immediately upon posting.
• For substantial changes that could affect your privacy, I will provide reasonable notice before the changes take effect.
• I will maintain archived versions of previous privacy policies for your reference.
• The current version is dated July 15, 2023. I recommend checking this page periodically for any updates.

Data Security

Although Cookie Banner Blocker does not collect or store your personal data externally, I take appropriate measures to ensure the security of the extension itself:

• Code Security: The extension's code undergoes regular security reviews to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
• Browser Security: The extension operates within your browser's security sandbox, benefiting from the browser's built-in security protections.
• Limited Permissions: The extension requests only the minimum permissions necessary to function properly, reducing potential attack surfaces.
• Regular Updates: I maintain the extension with regular updates to address security issues and improve functionality.
• Transparent Development: The extension's source code is available for review, allowing security researchers to identify potential issues.

Permissions Explanation

Like all browser extensions, Cookie Banner Blocker requires certain permissions to function properly. Here's why each permission is necessary:

• Host Permissions: The extension needs access to websites to detect and block cookie banners. This access is limited to identifying and modifying cookie consent interfaces only.
• Storage Permission: This allows the extension to store your whitelist preferences and settings locally in your browser. This data never leaves your device.
• ActiveTab Permission: This enables the extension to interact with web pages only when actively used, enhancing security and privacy.
• Web Navigation Permission: This helps the extension work efficiently by detecting page transitions and applying banner blocking at the appropriate time.

I want to emphasize that these permissions are used exclusively for the extension's core functionality of blocking cookie banners and are not exploited for data collection or any other purposes.

Forms and Support Pages

When you voluntarily submit a form on my support pages, I collect the information you provide to respond to your inquiry. This is the only scenario where I might process personal data, and it's based on your explicit action and consent:

• Purpose of Collection: The information collected through support forms (which may include your name, email address, and the content of your message) is used solely for the purpose of addressing your specific request or inquiry.
• Data Minimization: I only collect the information necessary to respond to your support request and nothing more.
• Third-Party Processing: The information in the form is transferred to a Discord webhook via third-party services (such as Vercel) to make it easier for me to process and view it. This transfer is secured using industry-standard encryption.
• Third-Party Policies: When using forms, the privacy policy and terms of use of Discord and Vercel apply. I encourage you to review these policies to understand how these services handle data.
• Data Retention: I retain support inquiries only for as long as necessary to address your request and maintain a record of our communication for future reference. You can request deletion of your support inquiries at any time.
• Data Security: Care is taken during transmission to ensure that your data arrives securely and is removed directly from chats and (if possible) servers after use. However, I cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to third-party services.

Legal Basis and Compliance

Cookie Banner Blocker is designed to comply with major privacy regulations including GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable data protection laws:

• GDPR Compliance: The extension adheres to the principles of data minimization, purpose limitation, and storage limitation as required by the General Data Protection Regulation.
• CCPA Compliance: California consumers have the right to know about personal information collected and how it's used. Since no personal information is collected, these rights are inherently respected.
• ePrivacy Directive: The extension helps users exercise control over cookies in compliance with the EU's ePrivacy Directive requirements.
• Children's Privacy: The extension does not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the EU), in compliance with COPPA and GDPR requirements.
• International Transfers: Since no data is collected, there are no international data transfers that would require specific legal mechanisms.