RETROTRACE BY CRTGANG
Effective date: September 1, 2026
Summary: RetroTrace is designed to minimize data handling. It does not run analytics, advertising, behavioral tracking, or a RetroTrace cloud service. Optional game identification can use Chrome's built-in on-device Local AI to analyze text or, when explicitly requested by the user, the current YouTube video frame. Game information is retrieved from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons.
RetroTrace may process the following information only as needed to provide its user-facing features:
Current tab title and URL. When the user opens RetroTrace, the extension can read the active tab title and URL so a YouTube video title can be used as an initial game-identification clue.
User-entered game or clue text. Text typed into RetroTrace's game/clue box is used to identify or search for a game.
YouTube page title. If the optional in-player interface is enabled, RetroTrace may read the current YouTube page title for the “Use video title” feature.
Current YouTube video frame. RetroTrace accesses the current video frame only when the user explicitly selects Identify current frame. The frame is used locally as a visual clue to help identify the game.
RetroTrace does not read or collect YouTube transcripts, comments, usernames, account information, viewing-history lists, passwords, payment information, health information, precise location, or personal communications.
When Chrome's built-in Local AI is available, RetroTrace can use Chrome's on-device LanguageModel API for optional game identification.
When the user explicitly chooses Identify with Local AI, RetroTrace processes the text currently shown in its game/clue box using Chrome's on-device AI.
When the user explicitly chooses Identify current frame, RetroTrace processes the current YouTube video frame using Chrome's on-device AI visual-input capability.
Frame analysis occurs only after the user requests it.
RetroTrace asks for approval before frame analysis is used for the first time.
The selected video frame is processed locally on the user's device.
RetroTrace does not upload the frame to a RetroTrace server or cloud AI service.
Local AI results may be inaccurate or may identify the wrong game.
Chrome's Prompt API supports visual inputs including the current frame of an HTML video element. Chrome states that after the built-in model is installed, inference is performed locally and data is not sent to Google or a third party for model inference.
RetroTrace does not operate a shared Gemini cloud API key.
Chrome independently manages its built-in AI model, including installation, updates, compatibility, and model storage.
When the user searches for or selects a game, RetroTrace makes requests to:
Wikidata to search for games and retrieve structured information such as title, platform, developer, publisher, genre, release date, and series.
Wikimedia Commons to retrieve available game-related media and attribution or license metadata.
Search terms needed for the requested game lookup are transmitted directly from the browser to those Wikimedia services.
RetroTrace does not proxy these requests through a RetroTrace server.
The YouTube video frame itself is not sent to Wikidata or Wikimedia Commons.
RetroTrace uses Chrome extension storage only for local preferences and state needed for the extension to work, such as:
whether the optional YouTube player interface is enabled;
whether the user previously approved Local AI use;
whether the user previously approved video-frame analysis.
RetroTrace does not use local storage for advertising, analytics, cross-site tracking, or profiling.
Access to https://www.youtube.com/* is optional and requested when needed for RetroTrace's YouTube integration.
This access may be used to:
insert RetroTrace's packaged controls and information panel into YouTube pages;
read the current YouTube page title;
access the current video element when the user explicitly requests Identify current frame.
RetroTrace does not use this permission to read or collect YouTube transcripts, comments, usernames, or account data.
RetroTrace does not continuously monitor or record video content. Video-frame access occurs only when the user explicitly activates the frame-identification feature.
RetroTrace does not sell user data.
RetroTrace does not use user data for advertising.
RetroTrace does not build advertising or behavioral profiles.
RetroTrace does not use analytics or tracking services.
RetroTrace does not use or transfer user data for creditworthiness or lending purposes.
RetroTrace does not maintain a server-side database of user activity, Local AI prompts, or analyzed video frames.
Video frames used for Local AI identification are not retained by RetroTrace.
Local preferences remain in Chrome extension storage until they are changed, cleared, or the extension is removed.
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons are third-party Wikimedia services and may process ordinary network-request information under their own privacy policies.
Chrome's built-in Local AI is provided and managed by Google Chrome.
RetroTrace does not send Local AI prompts or selected video frames to its own server.
If RetroTrace's data practices materially change, this privacy policy will be updated to reflect the new behavior before or alongside the relevant extension update.
For privacy questions about RetroTrace, contact the developer through the support/contact information provided on the RetroTrace Chrome Web Store listing.
RetroTrace by CRTGang — Privacy Policy