Overview
Language Surfer ("the Extension") is a Chrome browser extension that helps you learn a new language while you browse the web. We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.
✓ No personal data sold ✓ No account required
What Data We Collect
We collect exactly what is necessary to provide the features of Language Surfer:
- Account Information — If you choose to sign up, we collect your Email and a securely hashed Password to authenticate you and manage your usage limits across devices. We also store a Leaderboard Nickname which you can customize in the settings.
- Webpage text snippets — short phrases from the webpage you are viewing are sent to our secure backend server to be translated. These snippets are not stored after the translation is returned.
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Website domain names — e.g.
bbc.com, used to categorise the site type (news, social, etc.) and decide whether to run the extension. Not stored permanently. - Anonymous usage metrics & XP — we log the type of action performed (translate, interaction, explain), the time, experience points (XP) earned, and a non-identifying extension ID. We do not log the content of any text.
What We Do NOT Collect
- Your browsing history or the URLs of pages you visit (only the top-level domain is checked)
- Any data from pages where the Extension is disabled or excluded
- Payment or financial information of any kind
- Personal data from users who do not explicitly sign up or provide consent
How Data Is Used
- Account Management & Limits — emails and passwords authenticate your access and manage your translated box limits.
- Translation & AI features — text is forwarded to our backend which calls the Google Gemini API on your behalf. Text is not retained.
- Usage analytics & Leaderboards — anonymous request counts help us monitor system health, prevent abuse (rate limiting), and XP data powers the global leaderboard.
Third-Party Services
The Extension uses the following third parties:
- Google Gemini AI (ai.google.dev) — provides the translation, explanation, and interaction generation. Requests are made server-side. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Vercel (vercel.com) — hosts the backend API server. See Vercel's Privacy Policy.
- Supabase (supabase.com) — stores anonymous usage metrics and account data. See Supabase's Privacy Policy.
Data Storage, Retention, & Offline Mode
Settings (chosen language, difficulty level, site lists, consent status) are stored locally in your browser via the Chrome Storage API. They never leave your device unless you uninstall the Extension.
You can completely opt-out of all data collection (except local storage) by turning off the "Enable Extension" toggle or by revoking consent in the Options page. You can also turn off Offline Analytics & XP Sync in the Options page to stop sending anonymous usage and XP data while continuing to use local features.
Anonymous usage logs are retained for a maximum of 90 days and then automatically deleted.
Children's Privacy
Language Surfer is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy. The "effective date" at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent revision. Continued use of the Extension after changes constitutes acceptance.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Open an issue on our GitHub repository or contact us at shohamc96@gmail.com.