Privacy Policy
AdZoff Privacy Policy
AdZoff is a Chrome extension that blocks ads, trackers and pop-up ads on your device. It has no accounts, no analytics and no servers of its own. This page explains exactly what the extension processes, which internet connections it makes and why, and how you stay in control.
What AdZoff never does
- Never collects, stores or uploads your browsing history.
- Never reads or sends page contents, form entries, passwords or cookies.
- No analytics, telemetry, crash reporting or advertising code.
- No accounts, sign-in, user IDs or device fingerprints.
- Never sells, rents or shares user data, and never uses it for advertising or credit decisions.
- Never runs code downloaded from the internet. All code ships inside the extension.
What does leave your device
Only requests that download filter rules and, if you turn them on, optional features:
- By default: filter-list updates from independent public filter-list providers, and YouTube rule updates from a third-party rule service.
- Only if you turn them on: extra filter lists, parental mode, Smart Video and Chrome sync.
These requests carry no browsing history and no identifier. Like any web request, the server sees your IP address and standard browser headers. Full details.
1Who we are and scope
This policy covers the AdZoff browser extension for Google Chrome (Manifest V3), version 0.6.2 and later until this page is updated. AdZoff is published by AdZoff (“we”, “us”). It covers only the extension. Websites you visit and the third-party services described below have their own privacy policies.
AdZoff has a single purpose: to block ads, trackers, pop-up ad tabs and other unwanted page elements. All filtering decisions are made on your device.
2Data processed on your device
To block ads, AdZoff has to look at what your browser is loading. This processing happens locally, inside your browser. None of the data below is sent to us; we have no servers that could receive it.
Processed in memory, not kept
- Page and frame addresses. Used to decide which filters apply to a page, to apply element-hiding rules, and to recognise pop-up and pop-under ad tabs. Chrome itself matches network requests against AdZoff’s rules; AdZoff does not see request contents.
- Page signals for “Fix this site”. When breakage detection is on, a packaged script measures simple signals on the page (for example, whether the page looks empty or covered by an overlay) to suggest that blocking may have broken it. The signals stay on the device.
Stored on your device
- Your settings: language, protection switches, feature choices, allowed websites, blocked domains, and personal filter rules, including rules you create with “Block this element” (a site’s hostname and a CSS selector, never page text or form values).
- Filter-list data: downloaded lists, their update state (time, version, ETag) and the last working copy of the YouTube rules.
- Subscription choices: optional lists you enabled and any custom list addresses you added.
- Local counters: number of pop-up ad tabs closed and, for Smart Video, segments skipped and seconds saved. The blocked-request number in the popup is read from Chrome for the current tab only and is not saved as history.
- Pop-up check state: for a tab that a page has just opened, the opener’s and page’s hostnames, a timestamp and the tab number, kept in session storage and removed when that tab closes or the browser exits.
- “Fix this site” reports: the last 20 uses, each with the site name, time, detected signals, matched rule numbers and active lists, plus any temporary 24-hour site exceptions.
- Smart Video cache (only when Smart Video is on): segment timings for up to 300 recently watched YouTube videos, keyed by video ID. Anyone with access to your browser profile could see these IDs; you can clear the cache at any time.
3Internet connections
AdZoff has no servers and sends no data to us. It connects to the third-party services below only to download filter rules or to provide optional features you choose. Every connection uses HTTPS, omits cookies and other credentials, sends no referrer, refuses redirects, and has size and time limits.
What every server can see. Any web request reveals your IP address, the time of the request and standard HTTP headers that Chrome adds, such as the User-Agent (browser name and version). AdZoff adds no user ID, no page address and no browsing history to these requests. The services below are run independently of AdZoff, and their own privacy policies govern any server logs they keep.
Filter-list updates
On by default- Source
- Independent public filter-list providers, not operated by AdZoff.
- Lists
- The general and Arabic-region lists built into AdZoff, and one anti-circumvention list.
- When
- AdZoff checks once an hour but downloads a list only after its published expiry time has passed (about daily for the general and Arabic-region lists, about hourly for the anti-circumvention list), or when you ask for an update. Small differential updates (“diffs”) are used when available; a full list is downloaded only when needed. Update checks follow this schedule even while protection is paused, so the lists are current when you resume.
- What is sent
- A plain request for the list file, plus an
If-None-Match(ETag) header so an unchanged file is not downloaded again. - Your control
- Each list has its own switch in AdZoff Options. A list that is off is not updated.
YouTube rules feed
On by default · can be turned off- Source
- A third-party rule service, not operated by AdZoff.
- Request
- One fixed request whose only parameter is a feed-format version. It is identical for every user and is not an identifier.
- When
- At browser start-up if the saved copy is older than six hours, every six hours after that, when you click “Update rules now”, when you turn this option back on, and when you resume protection if the saved copy is older than six hours. No request is made while protection is paused or while this option is off.
- What is sent
- Nothing beyond the fixed request above: no video IDs, page addresses, history, cookies or identifiers.
- What is received
- Network-blocking rules, CSS selectors and switches for YouTube ad-handling policies that are already packaged in AdZoff. Downloaded data cannot add new code.
- Your control
- Turn the YouTube rule source off in AdZoff Options. AdZoff then makes no requests to this service.
Turbo Privacy and extra filter lists
Off by default- Source
- Independent public filter-list providers, not operated by AdZoff.
- Lists
-
- Tracker, cookie-notice and social-widget lists
- German, French, Spanish and Chinese regional lists
- When
- Only after you turn on Turbo Privacy (one switch enables all seven lists) or ask for an update. After that, each list is refreshed when its published expiry time passes, checked hourly.
- What is sent
- A plain request for each list file (and its published diff, on the same server), with an ETag header.
Custom filter lists
None by default- Servers
- Any HTTPS address you add yourself (up to 10), and the update address that list publishes on the same server.
- When
- Only after you add the address; then on the list’s own expiry schedule.
- Note
- You choose these servers. If a list address contains a private access token, keep exported settings files private.
Parental mode
Off by default- Source
- A public blocklist provider, for a list of adult-content domains.
- When
- Downloaded only after you turn parental mode on, then refreshed on the list’s expiry schedule. Turning it off stops the downloads.
- What is sent
- A plain request for the list file.
Smart Video
Off by default- Source
- A community database of video segments, not operated by AdZoff.
- When
- When you open a YouTube video while Smart Video is on.
- What is sent
- Only the first 4 characters of the SHA-256 hash of the video ID, plus the segment categories you enabled (for example “sponsor”). Never the full video ID, the page address or your history.
- How it stays private
- The server returns segments for every video that shares those 4 characters; AdZoff picks the right one on your device. Nothing is submitted, voted on or reported.
Settings sync
Off by default- Service
- Chrome sync (
chrome.storage.sync), provided by your browser under its own privacy policy. AdZoff does not contact a server directly. - When
- Only if you turn on “Sync settings with your browser account” and Chrome sync is enabled in your browser profile.
- What is synced
- Language, protection and feature choices (including whether parental mode is on), allowed websites, blocked domains and personal filter rules.
- Never synced
- Counters, caches, downloaded lists, custom list addresses, reports and the pause switch.
Fonts, images and the small stand-in files AdZoff can use in place of blocked ad scripts are all packaged in the extension. AdZoff loads nothing from content delivery networks. Requests that websites themselves make are not AdZoff’s requests; AdZoff only allows or blocks them.
4Permissions explained
Chrome shows warnings for some of these permissions. Here is what each one is used for, in plain language.
<all_urls> “Read and change all your data on all websites”
An ad blocker has to work on every site you visit. AdZoff uses this access to apply element-hiding rules and its packaged anti-circumvention scripts, run the pop-up guard and element picker, recognise pop-up ad tabs, and download filter-list updates. It does not read form data or passwords, and it never sends page content or browsing history off your device.
declarativeNetRequest
Lets Chrome block ad and tracker requests using AdZoff’s rule lists and your site exceptions. Chrome evaluates the rules; AdZoff does not see request contents. Also used to show how many requests were blocked on the current tab.
webNavigation “Read your browsing history”
Tells AdZoff when a page or frame starts loading so the right element-hiding rules apply, and which tabs a page opens so pop-up and pop-under ads can be closed. Used in memory only; no history is recorded or sent.
webRequest
One observe-only listener for top-level page loads. It lets AdZoff see each redirect step of a tab that a page has just opened, so pop-up ads reached through redirects can be closed. It cannot block or change requests, and ordinary tabs are ignored.
scripting
Inserts element-hiding styles and runs scripts packaged in AdZoff (anti-circumvention filters, YouTube ad handling, the pop-up guard). Scripts run only while their feature is on and the site is not paused.
storage
Saves your settings, rules, downloaded lists, counters and reports on your device; uses Chrome sync only if you turn sync on.
activeTab
When you click the AdZoff icon, reads the current tab’s site to show its controls and blocked-request count, and reloads the tab when you ask.
alarms
Schedules the hourly filter-list check, the six-hour YouTube rule check, and the end of temporary “Fix this site” exceptions.
contextMenus
Adds one right-click item, “Block this element”, which opens a local picker so you can hide an element you choose.
5Storage, retention and deletion
AdZoff keeps its data in Chrome’s extension storage inside your browser profile: chrome.storage.local on your device, chrome.storage.session in memory (cleared when the browser closes), and chrome.storage.sync only if you turn sync on. AdZoff uses no cookies.
| Data | How long it is kept | How to delete it |
|---|---|---|
| Settings, allowed websites, blocked domains | Until you change them or uninstall | Options › Your data › Reset settings |
| Personal filter rules and picked elements | Until you edit them or uninstall | Options › personal rules editor |
| Downloaded filter lists and YouTube rules | Replaced at each update; kept while the list is installed | Remove list (custom lists) or uninstall |
| Pop-up check state | Until the tab closes or the browser exits | Automatic |
| Local counters | Until cleared | Options › Clear local counters; Smart Video › Reset counters |
| Smart Video cache | Up to 300 videos; fresh for 12 hours, kept up to 7 days as an offline fallback | Options › Clear segment cache |
| “Fix this site” reports | Last 20 only; temporary exceptions expire after 24 hours | Options › Clear reports |
| Synced settings (if enabled) | In your Chrome sync data until you clear it | Turn sync off in AdZoff, then clear sync data in Chrome’s sync settings |
Delete everything: uninstalling AdZoff removes all of its stored data from that browser profile. Settings files you exported yourself, and browser or system backups, are under your control and must be deleted separately.
6Sharing and sale of data
We do not sell, rent, trade or transfer user data to anyone. We do not collect user data, so we have nothing to disclose to advertisers, data brokers or other parties. The only information that leaves your device is the network requests described in section 3, sent directly from your browser to those services, and settings sync through your browser if you turn it on.
7Chrome Web Store Limited Use
The use of information received by AdZoff complies with the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Specifically:
- Web browsing activity is used only on your device to provide AdZoff’s single purpose: blocking ads, trackers, pop-up ads and unwanted page elements.
- User data is not transferred to third parties, except as needed to provide the features described above, to comply with applicable law, or as part of a merger or acquisition with notice to users.
- User data is not used or transferred for personalised advertising, re-targeting or interest-based advertising.
- User data is not used or transferred to determine creditworthiness or for lending purposes.
- No human reads user data. We do not have access to it.
8Security
- All JavaScript ships inside the extension package. The extension’s content security policy allows scripts only from the package, and it never uses
evalor similar dynamic code. - Downloaded filter lists and YouTube rules are data, not code. They are size-limited and validated, and can only select and configure filtering functions that are already packaged.
- All downloads use HTTPS, omit cookies and referrer, and reject redirects.
- AdZoff’s stored data is restricted to the extension’s own trusted pages; websites cannot read it.
9Children
AdZoff is a general-purpose tool and is not directed at children under 13. It does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children. The optional parental mode helps adults block adult websites in a browser profile; it is not a lock, and anyone using that profile can turn it off.
10Your choices and rights
Because AdZoff keeps your data only on your device, you are in full control: you can view, export, change or delete it from the Options page at any time, pause protection globally or per site, and turn off every optional connection. We hold no personal data about you, so we cannot retrieve or delete anything on your behalf. If you have a question about privacy laws such as the GDPR, contact us and we will help.
11Changes to this policy
When AdZoff’s data handling changes, we update this page, the version and the “Last updated” date, and describe the change in the extension’s release notes. If a change would add a new type of data or a new default connection, it will be described here before the release that introduces it.
12Contact
Questions or requests about this policy or AdZoff’s privacy practices: