Privacy Policy for BlockLang

Last updated: August 27, 2025

Overview

BlockLang is a lightweight and privacy-friendly browser extension that provides two core features: Search Result Filtering and Real-Time Scam Protection. The extension helps you filter your search results on Google and Bing by removing unwanted languages, domains, or sites, while simultaneously protecting you from scams, phishing, and malware through real-time threat detection. The scam protection system analyzes website domains using advanced security APIs to provide instant warnings about potentially dangerous sites. It gives you complete control over the types of results you see through customizable filters. Both features are designed with privacy in mind and include no tracking whatsoever.

Data Collection Overview

Data We DO NOT Collect

• Personal Information: We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other personal identifiers
• Browsing History: We do not track or store your browsing history
• Search Queries: We do not collect or store your search terms
• Website Content: We do not collect or store content from websites you visit
• User Analytics: We do not use analytics services that track individual users
• Data Sales: We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

Data We DO Collect

• Custom Filter List: Your personalized blacklist of domains and languages you want to block (stored locally only)
• Extension Settings: Whether filtering is enabled/disabled and your preferences (stored locally only)
• Pro Subscription Status: Whether you have purchased the Pro version (stored locally and in Apple's systems for Safari version)
• Real-Time Scam Protection Data: When scam protection is enabled, the extension sends only website domain names (e.g., "example.com") to the BlockLang security API to check for scam, phishing, and malware threats. No personal data, user identifiers, full URLs, or browsing patterns are transmitted. Domain checks are processed in real-time for instant protection.
• Threat Detection Cache: Security check results are cached locally on your device using trust-based expiration (high-trust domains cached for 30 days, suspicious domains for 30 minutes) to reduce API calls and improve performance while maintaining security freshness.

Data Storage and Security

• Local Storage: All user preferences and custom filters are stored locally on your device using your browser's built-in storage mechanisms
• No Cross-Device Sync: Extension settings and filters remain on each device separately - no automatic syncing across devices
• No Data Storage: We do not operate servers that store your personal data or browsing information
• Minimal Network Usage: Core filtering works completely offline. Scam protection feature uses intelligent caching to minimize API calls - trusted domains are cached locally for up to 30 days, while suspicious domains are re-checked more frequently
• Smart Caching Strategy: Security check results are cached locally using trust-based expiration: high-trust domains (90%+ safety score) cached for 30 days, medium-trust domains for 24 hours, low-trust domains for 30 minutes. This reduces unnecessary API calls while ensuring fresh protection against emerging threats
• No Server-Side Data Retention: Our security API processes domain checks instantly without storing domain names, check results, or any user data on our servers
• Apple App Store: Subscription information is handled securely by Apple's App Store systems (Safari version only)

Network Communication

BlockLang connects to remote servers only in these specific cases:

• Extension Updates: Automatic updates are handled by your browser's extension store (Chrome Web Store, Firefox AMO, Apple App Store)
• Real-Time Scam Protection: When scam protection is enabled, only domain names are sent to our security API over encrypted HTTPS connections with certificate pinning for enhanced security. All communication is anonymized with no user identifiers or tracking headers
• Circuit Breaker Protection: If our security API experiences issues, the extension automatically switches to cached results and implements a 5-minute backoff period to prevent unnecessary network requests
• No Telemetry: We do not send usage statistics, crash reports, user analytics, or any tracking data. The extension operates with complete privacy

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

• Email: contact@blocklang.org
• App Store: Leave a review or contact through the App Store

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally. Any changes will be posted in this document with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the extension after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy.

Compliance

This Privacy Policy complies with:

• Apple App Store Guidelines
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• Other applicable privacy laws