Privacy Policy for ControlSurf
Last Updated: April 02, 2026
ControlSurf ("we," "us," or "our") is dedicated to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle information in connection with the ControlSurf browser extension.
1. Data Collection
ControlSurf is designed as a privacy-first productivity tool. We do not require account registration, and we do not collect your name, email address, physical address, or any other personally identifiable information (PII).
2. Information Handled by the Extension
The Extension processes the following types of information strictly to provide its core functionality:
* Website Usage Statistics: To calculate your productivity scores and focus time, the Extension tracks the time you spend on different domains.
* Browsing Patterns: The Extension monitors active tab URLs to enforce your custom blocking rules, time limits, and Focus Mode settings.
* User Preferences: Settings such as blocked websites, whitelists, schedules, theme choices, and Focus Pet progress are stored locally.
🛡️ Privacy Commitment: Local & Sync Storage
All data captured or generated by the Extension is stored strictly on your local device.
* Local Storage: High-frequency data like per-minute productivity stats and Focus Pet decay are stored in your browser's local storage.
* Sync Storage: If you are logged into a Chrome profile with Sync enabled, your settings (blocked lists, schedules, and focus coins) may be synced across your own devices via Google's secure infrastructure.
* No External Servers: ControlSurf does not maintain any external databases. We never transmit your browsing history, statistics, or settings to any third-party servers or to us.
3. Permissions Usage
ControlSurf requests only the minimum permissions necessary to function:
* `storage`: To save your settings and focus statistics.
* `tabs`: To identify the active website and calculate time spent.
* `declarativeNetRequest`: To securely block distractive websites without reading your private web content.
* `alarms`: To manage scheduled focus sessions and time limits.
* `idle`: To detect when you are away from the computer so we don't count idle time as focus time.
4. Third-Party Services
The Extension does not contain any third-party trackers, analytics, or advertisements. Any external links (such as the support page) are user-initiated and and occur within standard browser tabs.
5. Security
Focus data and settings are stored within the sandbox of your browser. The "Data Export" feature uses an obfuscated `.csb` format to prevent accidental local editing, ensuring the integrity of your personal backups.
6. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected in a new version of the Extension and updated in the Chrome Web Store listing.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact the developer via the official support channels listed on the Chrome Web Store.