Privacy Policy for Smart Sidebar: Chat GPT, Claude & DeepSeek
Introduction
This Privacy Policy describes how the "Smart Sidebar: Chat GPT, Claude & DeepSeek" browser extension ("Extension", "we", "our", or "us") handles your information. We are committed to protecting your privacy and strictly adhering to the Google Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, specifically the "Limited Use" requirements.
1. Information We Collect
We collect and process the following types of data solely to provide the Extension's functionality:
A. User Preferences (Local Storage)
We store the following preferences locally on your device to remember your choices:
- Privacy Consent Status: A flag (
privacy_consent) confirming you have explicitly accepted this policy. - AI Service Preference: Your choice between ChatGPT or AITOPIA.
- Popup Display Settings: Whether to show the popup window when clicking the extension icon.
B. Page Content (Conditional & Ephemeral)
To provide AI services (e.g., summarizing a webpage), the Extension enables you to send the text content of your current tab to an AI provider.
- Strict Gatekeeping: We DO NOT access or read any page content until you have explicitly clicked "Accept & Enable" on our Onboarding Page or in-product Consent Banner.
- User-Initiated: Content is processed only when you actively trigger a feature (e.g., opening the sidebar or clicking a prompt).
2. Information We Do NOT Collect
We want to be absolutely clear about what we do not collect or transmit to external servers:
- ❌ Personally Identifiable Information: Name, email, address, phone number.
- ❌ Sensitive Data: Health, financial, or authentication credentials.
- ❌ Browsing History: We do not track which sites you visit for analytics.
- ❌ User Activity: Clicks, mouse movements, keystrokes (outside of the interactions needed for the extension).
- ❌ Stored Website Content: We do not collect or store website content on our servers.
3. Use of Information
We use the information we collect for the single purpose of providing the Extension's features:
- To specific AI services (e.g., ChatGPT or AITOPIA) to generate the responses you request.
- To maintain your personalized settings across browser sessions.
We certify that we comply with the Limited Use Policy:
- We generally do not allow humans to read user data.
- We do not use or transfer user data for any purposes other than providing the Extension's functionality.
- We do not use or transfer user data to determine creditworthiness.
- We do not sell user data.
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties.
Third-Party AI Processors:
When you use the AI features, the text data you provide (e.g., your prompt or current page text) is transmitted to the AI Service Provider you have selected to generate the response.
- OpenAI (ChatGPT): If you choose ChatGPT, data is processed according to OpenAI's Privacy Policy.
- AITOPIA: If you choose AITOPIA, data is processed according to AITOPIA's Privacy Policy.
These providers act as data processors to fulfill your request.
5. Permissions Explained
This Extension requires certain browser permissions to function. Here is why we need them:
| Permission | Why It's Needed |
|---|---|
storage | To save your preferences and privacy consent status locally. |
system.display | To center popup windows on your screen for a better user experience. |
contextMenus | To add an "Options" menu when you right-click the extension icon. |
host_permissions (<all_urls>) | To enable the AITOPIA AI sidebar on webpages you visit. Note: This permission is used ONLY after you have granted explicit consent. |
6. Data Security & Retention
- Local Storage: Your preferences are stored locally in your browser (via
chrome.storage). - Encryption: All communication between the Extension and AI providers occurs over secure, encrypted HTTPS connections.
- Ephemeral Design: We do not retain your browsing content on our own servers. Page text sent to AI providers is for the immediate purpose of generating a response.
- Uninstall: You can clear locally stored data at any time by uninstalling the extension or clearing browser data.
7. Your Rights
- Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw consent by uninstalling the Extension, which immediately removes all code and local data access.
- Access & Control: You have full control over when to trigger the AI features.
8. Compliance Certifications
This Extension complies with:
- Google Chrome Web Store User Data Policy (including "Limited Use").
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles.
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) principles.
9. Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy or our privacy practices, please contact:
Email: info@extchange.com