Privacy policy

Video Notes Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Video Notes, a Chrome extension developed and published by Pramesh Bajracharya, handles information relating to your use of the extension. The policy is intended to satisfy Chrome Web Store disclosure requirements and reassure end users that their notes remain private.

Effective date: March 28, 2024 · Last reviewed: March 28, 2026

1. Scope and data controller

This policy governs information collected, stored, or otherwise processed by the Video Notes Chrome extension. The extension operates primarily within your browser to augment youtube.com/watch pages. The optional Share feature relies on a lightweight external API (see Section 5); all other functionality runs entirely on-device. For the purpose of applicable privacy regulations, the data controller is Pramesh Bajracharya (prameshbajra.github.io).

Contact
Privacy inquiries can be submitted through the public issue tracker at github.com/prameshbajra/yt-notes/issues or via the contact details listed on the website above.

2. Information processed by the extension

Video Notes is designed to function without gathering personal data or transmitting content away from the device. The extension processes only the information required to save and surface your notes:

  • The free-form text you enter into the Video Notes workspace.
  • Timestamps associated with the active YouTube video in order to place markers on the timeline.
  • The YouTube video identifier, title, and locally calculated note counts to organize entries.

When you use the optional Share feature, the extension transmits the following to the share API (share-api.video-notes.workers.dev) so that a read-only shareable page can be generated:

  • The YouTube video identifier and title.
  • Every note associated with that video, including timestamps and text.

No data is transmitted unless you explicitly click the Share button. The extension does not request or infer usernames, email addresses, browsing history, or analytics identifiers.

3. Storage location and retention

All information described above remains on the device within chrome.storage.local under the keys videoNotes:notes and videoNotes:metadata. Chrome synchronizes nothing from these keys to Google servers, and no remote databases are used.

Data persists until you delete it through the extension, clear browser storage, or uninstall the extension. No automated retention policies, analytics, or log files are created outside of Chrome's own diagnostics.

4. Chrome permissions and their purpose

Video Notes requests the minimum set of permissions needed to operate:

  • storage — allows the extension to store the notes you create in chrome.storage.local.
  • host_permissions for share-api.video-notes.workers.dev — allows the extension to send note data to the share API when you explicitly click the Share button. No requests are made to this host unless you initiate a share action.
  • content_scripts on youtube.com — injects the inline workspace that renders the note editor, timeline, and controls on youtube.com/watch pages.

These permissions do not provide the extension with the ability to read data on non-YouTube sites or collect browsing history.

5. Network access, disclosures, and third parties

With the exception of the Share feature described below, the extension does not initiate outbound network requests. No analytics SDKs, advertising services, or third-party processors are bundled with the codebase. Video Notes does not sell, trade, or disclose your information to anyone.

Share feature. When you click the Share button, the extension sends a request to share-api.video-notes.workers.dev, a Cloudflare Workers endpoint maintained by the developer. The request contains the video identifier, video title, and all timestamped notes for that video. The API stores this data to generate a unique, read-only shareable link. No other data (browsing history, cookies, device identifiers) is included in the request. This feature is entirely opt-in — no network requests are made unless you explicitly initiate a share action.

6. Security measures

Outside the optional Share feature, data never leaves your browser. Security focuses on minimizing attack surface:

  • The extension injects lightweight, auditable scripts based on open-source code published at github.com/prameshbajra/yt-notes.
  • No remote code execution, evaluation of third-party scripts, or dynamic module loading occurs at runtime.
  • Patches are distributed through the Chrome Web Store update channel to ensure authenticity.

Users remain responsible for protecting their own devices with appropriate operating-system level safeguards.

7. User controls and data subject rights

You are fully in control of the content stored by Video Notes. Available controls include:

  • Using the export option in the popup dashboard to download a JSON backup of all notes.
  • Importing a trusted backup file to restore data on a different profile or machine.
  • Deleting individual notes or clearing all data through Chrome's site settings or by uninstalling the extension.

For notes that have not been shared, the data resides solely with you and no server-side records exist. If you have used the Share feature, the shared note data is stored on the share API server. To request deletion of shared data, please open an issue on the GitHub issue tracker.

8. Children's privacy

Video Notes is intended for general productivity use and is not directed at children under 13. The extension does not knowingly collect personal data from children, and it stores only what the user themselves choose to enter.

9. Changes to this policy

Any updates to this Privacy Policy will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Material updates will also be noted in the project README and Chrome Web Store listing where applicable. Continued use of the extension after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

Questions about this document can be directed through the repository issue tracker or the contact details noted above.