Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Smart Adblocker handles information in connection with the browser extension, the website, support workflows, and Enhanced Protection. It separates local extension settings from optional server processing so you can understand what stays in the browser, what may be sent to Smart Adblocker services, and which switches control that processing.
Local controls first, with optional URL rule tuning only when enabled.
1. Privacy Policy Overview
Smart Adblocker blocks ads, pop-ups, cookie banners, sponsored clutter, trackers, and selected page elements through browser extension APIs, packaged filter lists, local settings, and site-specific logic. The extension can also provide YouTube-specific controls, manual element hiding, and Enhanced Protection rule tuning.
Many choices are stored only as extension preferences so the product can remember how you configured it. Some features communicate with Smart Adblocker servers, but those features are limited to operational purposes described here: Enhanced Protection, rule updates, problem reports, security, support, and infrastructure reliability. The extension does not require a named user account or paid profile to operate.
This policy is written around actual product behavior instead of broad reservations. Smart Adblocker does not use a privacy policy as permission to gather shopping carts, checkout events, account identities, advertising profiles, or commercially valuable browsing dossiers. When the extension communicates with a server, the reason should be understandable from the feature you enabled: improving blocking rules, receiving filter assets, sending a report you choose to submit, or maintaining website and service reliability.
The product uses browser permissions because ad blocking requires page, network, tab, and storage access inside the browser. Those permissions are not treated as a blanket authorization to collect everything the browser can technically expose. Smart Adblocker separates permission from collection: a permission may be needed to block ads on a page, while collection is limited by the feature settings, the local storage model, and the disclosures in this policy.
2. Who We Are / Controller
Smart Adblocker is the operator responsible for the privacy practices described in this policy. For laws that use terms such as controller, business, or similar language, Smart Adblocker determines the purposes for the extension service information described below.
The extension is distributed through the Chrome Web Store and runs in the browser environment selected by the user. Browser vendors, operating-system vendors, hosting providers, network providers, and the Chrome Web Store may process information under their own policies. Smart Adblocker does not receive your Google password, browser sync secrets, payment credentials, or Chrome account profile simply because you install the extension. Privacy questions can be sent to [email protected].
If you use Smart Adblocker in a managed browser, school device, employer device, family profile, or organization-managed Chrome environment, the administrator of that environment may have separate visibility or controls under its own policies. Smart Adblocker does not control those administrator settings. This policy covers Smart Adblocker operated services and the extension behavior we publish, not policies that your browser, device owner, network provider, or organization applies independently.
3. Information We Collect
Smart Adblocker collects and stores information only to support the product features you use. Much of this is local preference data that lets the extension apply the correct blocking behavior on future visits.
Local preference data is the core operating state of the extension. It can include whether onboarding is complete, whether ad blocking is disabled for a specific host, whether popup blocking or cookie banner blocking is enabled, which public filter lists are active, YouTube-specific switches, element picker selectors, block counters, and selected theme. These values are kept so the extension behaves consistently when you open the popup or revisit a website.
- We do not collect AI chat prompts, outputs, or conversation data.
- We do not collect payment data, passwords, one-time passcodes, or ordinary form contents for the extension features described here.
- Problem-report contact details are optional and used only for support follow-up.
Blocking statistics shown in the popup, toolbar badge, or support flows are operational measurements. They help show whether the extension is working and help troubleshoot broken blocking behavior. They are not intended to infer demographic characteristics, buying intent, financial condition, health status, or political or religious beliefs.
4. Information Sent to Our Servers
Server communication is feature-specific. Enhanced Protection may send limited clickstream-style operational data, such as URL, referrer, timestamp, page load timing, blocked count, and install ID, to improve rule tuning and detect missed blocking patterns when that setting is enabled.
Enhanced Protection is designed to improve ad-blocking quality by learning when a page appears to bypass or break blocking rules. The data is limited to technical context needed for that purpose, such as the visited URL, referrer, timestamp, page load timing, block count, and installation identifier. It is not designed to collect product names, cart contents, checkout events, payment methods, account credentials, or ordinary form entries.
5. Consent and Withdrawal of Consent
The onboarding prompt lets you accept or decline the optional protection features. Accepting turns on Enhanced Protection by default. Declining leaves it disabled. You can change this choice later in the extension controls.
Withdrawal applies prospectively. If you turn off Enhanced Protection, future URL rule-tuning submissions stop. Local extension settings may remain in the browser until you clear extension data, reset the browser profile, or uninstall the extension.
Consent choices are stored so the extension does not repeatedly ask the same first-run question. Enhanced Protection controls clickstream-style rule-tuning data and can be managed at any time after onboarding.
There can be a short operational delay between changing a setting and every open tab observing the new state, because browser extensions communicate across a service worker, popup, content scripts, and active tabs. The intended behavior is that future processing stops after the changed setting is saved and the relevant extension context receives the updated state.
8. Data Retention
Local extension settings remain in the browser until changed, cleared, reset, or removed by browser behavior. Server-side operational records are retained only as long as reasonably needed for the feature, troubleshooting, security, legal, dispute-resolution, or reliability purposes described here.
Retention depends on the type of record. A local allowlist entry may remain until you remove it because its purpose is to keep a website paused. A support report may remain while we investigate and test fixes. A short-lived infrastructure log may remain only long enough for security and reliability review. A cached rule configuration may remain locally so the extension can continue operating if a later configuration request fails.
9. Security
Smart Adblocker uses HTTPS transport for server communication and limits feature processing according to the extension settings. We apply operational controls intended to reduce unauthorized access, misuse, and accidental exposure.
No browser extension, website, or hosted service can guarantee absolute security. You should avoid sending passwords, payment details, medical information, private keys, or unrelated sensitive information through support descriptions or problem reports.
Security measures are layered across the browser and service. The browser enforces extension permission boundaries, Chrome storage APIs manage local state, HTTPS protects data in transit to Smart Adblocker endpoints, and service-side controls are used for logging, access management, and abuse response. These controls reduce risk but cannot eliminate all risk created by malware, compromised devices, browser vulnerabilities, third-party site behavior, or user-submitted sensitive text.
10. Children's Privacy
Smart Adblocker is not directed to children and is not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through a support flow or website form, contact us at [email protected] so we can review the request.
Parents, guardians, schools, and device administrators should decide whether the extension is appropriate for a particular browser profile. If the extension is used in a shared household or managed environment, local settings may reflect choices made by the person who controls that browser profile.
11. Chrome Web Store Limited Use Disclosure
Smart Adblocker uses Chrome extension permissions only to provide or improve user-facing extension features, including blocking ads, trackers, pop-ups, cookie banners, YouTube placements, unwanted page elements, and Enhanced Protection.
- We do not sell Chrome Web Store user data.
- We do not use extension data for credit, lending, insurance, employment, or housing eligibility decisions.
- We do not transfer extension data to ad networks, data brokers, or audience marketplaces.
The extension uses host permissions, scripting, declarative network request rules, storage, tab access, and related browser APIs for product functions that users expect from an ad blocker. These permissions support blocking network requests, hiding page elements, applying per-site preferences, showing current-page statistics, and syncing YouTube settings to YouTube tabs.
Smart Adblocker does not use Chrome Web Store user data for unrelated advertising products. We do not transfer extension-derived browsing data to data brokers or audience marketplaces. If platform rules require stricter language than this policy, Smart Adblocker intends to follow the stricter platform rule for the extension.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy when the extension, website, service architecture, legal requirements, platform rules, or actual data practices change. The Last updated date identifies the current version. Material changes will be reflected on this page and, where appropriate, in extension-facing notices or settings.
A policy update does not retroactively authorize unrelated use of data already collected under a materially different promise. If a future version introduces materially different data uses, Smart Adblocker will update public disclosures and obtain any consent required by applicable law or platform policy before relying on that new use.
13. Contact Us
Questions about this Privacy Policy, consent settings, data handling, or support records can be sent to [email protected]. Include enough detail to identify the relevant product question, but do not send passwords, payment information, private keys, or unrelated sensitive content.
To help us respond, include the browser involved, extension version if known, whether the question concerns Enhanced Protection, and whether you are asking about local settings, server-side records, a support report, or website analytics. We may request additional details if needed to understand the request.