PRIVACY POLICY & PERMISSION AUDIT: IE COMPAT - OPEN IN IE MODE
Last Updated: October 2026
================================================================================
1. OVERVIEW & PRIVACY COMMITMENT
================================================================================
Your privacy is our top priority. "IE Compat - Open in IE Mode" is designed from the ground up as a strictly local, privacy-first utility.
• Zero data collection: We do not collect, store, sell, or transmit any personally identifiable information, browsing history, or user data.
• Zero analytics or trackers: We do not include Google Analytics, Mixpanel, telemetry scripts, or any third-party tracking libraries.
• 100% offline & local execution: All URL matching, protocol dispatching, and configuration management take place solely on your personal computer inside your browser environment.
================================================================================
2. PERMISSIONS BREAKDOWN & EXPLANATION
================================================================================
The extension requests only the minimum set of permissions necessary to deliver its core functionality:
1. "activeTab"
• What it does: Grants temporary access to the currently active tab when you explicitly click on the extension's icon or select a context menu action.
• Why it is needed: When you click "Open in Edge IE Mode", the extension needs to read the current tab's URL in order to launch that specific URL in the legacy browser.
• Privacy safeguard: Access is granted ONLY upon explicit user interaction (clicking the action). Once the action completes, access ends.
2. "storage"
• What it does: Allows the extension to store configuration data in the browser's local storage engine (`chrome.storage.local`).
• Why it is needed: Saves your custom auto-open URL rules (e.g. `*.intranet.local*`), your preferred launch engine (Microsoft Edge IE Mode vs custom helper), and UI preferences.
• Privacy safeguard: Stored data stays entirely on your computer and is never synced to external servers or accessible to third-party websites.
3. "contextMenus"
• What it does: Enables the extension to create convenient right-click menu items.
• Why it is needed: Adds "Open in IE / Edge IE Mode" when right-clicking links or web pages, and "Add domain to IE Auto-Open list" for fast workflow without opening the popup.
• Privacy safeguard: Does not monitor mouse events or keystrokes; only triggers when you specifically click the extension's context menu item.
4. "tabs"
• What it does: Provides access to tab URLs when tabs update navigation.
• Why it is needed: For the automatic switching feature. When you navigate to a URL that matches one of your configured wildcard rules (e.g. your corporate intranet), the extension detects the URL and automatically switches it to IE mode.
• Privacy safeguard: The extension only compares the URL against your local list of rules. No browsing history is recorded, logged, or sent anywhere.
================================================================================
3. ARE ALL THESE PERMISSIONS REALLY NEEDED? (MINIMAL PERMISSIONS AUDIT)
================================================================================
A critical question for every Chrome Web Store user and developer is: "Are all these permissions truly necessary, or could any be eliminated?"
Here is our honest architectural evaluation:
✓ Why broad host permissions (<all_urls> or *://*/*) are NOT used:
Many older compatibility extensions request full host permissions (`<all_urls>`), which grants unrestricted access to read and modify all data on all websites you visit.
IE Compat DELIBERATELY REJECTED broad host permissions! Instead, we rely on `activeTab` for user-initiated clicks. This drastically improves your security and complies with Google's strict Principle of Least Privilege.
✓ Could the "tabs" permission be removed?
• If an extension ONLY provided manual one-click switching (via popup or context menu), `activeTab` would be sufficient and `tabs` could theoretically be omitted.
• However, one of the primary reasons users install an IE compatibility tool is AUTOMATIC switching (i.e., you type an intranet URL into Chrome, and it automatically opens in IE mode without requiring you to remember to click a button every time).
• To check if a newly opened tab matches your wildcard rules (e.g., `*.intranet.local`), Chrome's Manifest V3 API requires either broad host permissions or the `tabs` permission.
• Choosing `tabs` over broad host permissions is the safest, most privacy-preserving architectural decision possible for auto-switch extensions.
✓ Unnecessary permissions deliberately excluded from this extension:
• NO "webRequest" or "webRequestBlocking" (No network packet interception)
• NO "cookies" (No access to authentication tokens or private session cookies)
• NO "<all_urls>" or broad match patterns (No access to page content or DOM)
• NO "management" or "identity" (No user profile profiling)
• NO remote code execution or external CDN scripts (100% bundled locally)
================================================================================
4. DATA SECURITY & THIRD-PARTY SHARING
================================================================================
Because no user data is collected, no user data is shared, sold, rented, or disclosed to any third parties under any circumstances. There are no remote servers, databases, or cloud backends associated with this extension.
================================================================================
5. UPDATES & USER CONTROL
================================================================================
You have total control over your data and settings:
• You can review, add, or delete auto-open rules at any time in the Options page.
• You can disable automatic switching with a single toggle in Options.
• If you uninstall the extension, all stored preferences and rules are immediately and permanently removed by Chrome.
================================================================================
6. SUMMARY FOR CHROME WEB STORE COMPLIANCE
================================================================================
This extension strictly adheres to the Google Chrome Web Store Single Purpose Policy and Least Privilege Policy. Every permission requested has a direct, verifiable technical justification essential to its single purpose: opening web pages in Internet Explorer / Edge IE Mode for legacy web compatibility.