The short version: Your notes, screenshots, and settings are stored only on your own device using your browser's local extension storage. They are never uploaded, synced, or transmitted to us or anyone else. The only time the extension contacts a server is when you choose to activate or verify an optional Pro license key — and even then, no notes or video data are ever sent.
Who we are
“Video Notes for YouTube” (the “Extension”) is a browser extension for taking timestamped notes on YouTube videos. In this policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the independent developer who operates the Extension and this website. The Extension is developed and operated from Turkey and is made available to users worldwide, including in the United States.
This Privacy Policy explains what information the Extension handles, where it is stored, and the limited circumstances in which any information leaves your device.
Data stored on your device
Everything you create with the Extension is stored locally on your computer in your browser's extension storage (chrome.storage.local). This data stays on your device and is not transmitted to us or any third party. It includes:
- Your notes — the note text, the video timestamp, and, for context, the video's ID, title, and URL.
- Screenshots — frames you capture from a video are saved locally and stored inline with the related note as image data.
- Preferences and settings — your theme choice (light/dark), screenshot quality setting, and smart-pause setting.
- Local counters — a count of how many notes you have created and a flag recording whether you have already been shown the “leave a review” prompt, so we do not show it repeatedly.
- Pro status (if applicable) — a flag indicating Pro is active, the license key you entered, the date it was last verified, and a randomly generated installation identifier (see Section 3).
Because this data lives only in your browser profile, anyone with access to your device or browser profile may be able to view it. We have no ability to access, read, recover, or delete this local data on your behalf.
Data that leaves your device (Pro only)
The free version of the Extension makes no network requests at all while you use it. You can confirm this yourself by opening your browser's DevTools → Network tab while taking notes — you will see zero outbound requests.
The only feature that contacts a server is optional Pro license activation and verification. This happens in two situations:
- Activation — once, when you enter a license key and click “Activate.”
- Verification — periodically afterward (at most once every 7 days) to confirm your license is still valid.
When this happens, the following — and only the following — is sent to our license server, which forwards it to our third-party payment and licensing processor for validation:
- The license key you entered.
- A randomly generated installation identifier (a UUID created on your device the first time it is needed). This identifier is not derived from your name, email, hardware, or any personal information; it exists only to associate a license with an installation.
License verification is designed to “fail open”: if the server cannot be reached, your Pro access is preserved rather than revoked. Pro access is only removed if the licensing processor explicitly reports that the license is no longer active.
Payments and the Pro tier
The Extension offers an optional paid “Pro” tier. We do not process or store payment card details ourselves. All purchases and license issuance are handled by a third-party payment processor. When you buy Pro, you provide your payment and billing information directly to that processor, and it is governed by the processor's own privacy policy and terms.
The Extension itself never receives, sees, or stores your card number or full billing details. After purchase, you receive a license key, which you enter into the Extension as described in Section 3.
Browser permissions and why we ask for them
The Extension requests the minimum browser permissions needed to function:
storageandunlimitedStorage— to save your notes, screenshots, and settings locally on your device.activeTab,scripting, andtabs— to display the notes panel on YouTube pages, open the full-page dashboard, and show the note count badge on the toolbar icon.- Visible-tab capture — used only when you click the screenshot button, to capture the currently visible video frame. The captured image is stored locally and is never uploaded.
- License server host access — to allow the activation and verification requests described in Section 3, and only those requests.
The Extension runs on youtube.com pages so that the notes panel can appear alongside the video. It does not read, collect, or transmit your general browsing history.
No analytics, ads, or tracking
The Extension contains no analytics, no advertising, no third-party trackers, and no telemetry. We do not build user profiles, we do not sell or share data (because we do not collect it), and we do not use cookies inside the Extension.
Third-party services
The Extension interacts with the following third parties only in the limited ways described above:
- Our license server and payment/licensing processor — only for Pro activation and verification, and only the data listed in Sections 3 and 4.
- YouTube / Google — the Extension operates on YouTube pages you choose to visit. Your use of YouTube is governed by Google's own terms and privacy policy. The Extension does not send your notes or any additional data to Google.
Data retention and deletion
Local data: Your notes, screenshots, and settings remain on your device until you delete individual notes, clear them from the dashboard, or remove the Extension. Uninstalling the Extension removes its local storage from your browser. You can delete a single note at any time from the panel or dashboard.
License data: Records related to your Pro license (such as the license key and installation identifier) are retained by our payment/licensing processor for as long as needed to provide and validate your license and to meet legal and accounting obligations, in accordance with the processor's policies.
Your privacy rights
Because your notes and content never leave your device, you remain in direct control of them at all times — you can view, edit, export, or delete them yourself without involving us.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), including rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising those rights. Since the limited personal data we can reach relates to Pro licenses, you can exercise these rights for that data by contacting us using the details in Section 13. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Children's privacy
The Extension is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
This website
This website is an informational page about the Extension. It does not require an account and does not set advertising or tracking cookies. If the site is served by a static hosting provider, that provider may automatically log standard technical information (such as IP addresses and request times) for security and operational purposes, governed by the host's own policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect new features or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be reflected in the Extension's release notes where appropriate. Your continued use of the Extension after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise a privacy right, contact us at:
- Privacy enquiries & general support: [email protected]