PRIVACY POLICY & PERMISSIONS DISCLOSURE
Extension Name: Translate Web - Smart Translator & Dictionary
Last Updated: October 2026
1. INTRODUCTION & PRIVACY PHILOSOPHY
Translate Web ("we", "our", or "the extension") is an independent, privacy-focused browser extension developed to provide instantaneous text translation, bilingual dictionary lookups, and pronunciation assistance. We are firmly committed to data minimization, transparency, and respecting user privacy. We believe that translation tools must empower users without tracking their personal lives or browsing habits.
2. SUMMARY OF DATA HANDLING PRACTICES
• We DO NOT collect personal identification information (such as your name, email address, IP address, or location).
• We DO NOT track, record, or monitor your web browsing history or web traffic.
• We DO NOT sell, rent, monetize, or lease any user data to third parties, data brokers, or advertisers.
• We DO NOT inject advertisements or affiliate tracking codes into the webpages you visit.
• Translation history and user preferences are saved strictly locally in your browser’s isolated local storage (`chrome.storage.local`) and never synced to external cloud databases.
3. EXPLANATION OF PERMISSIONS REQUESTED
To deliver fast inline translations and right-click lookup without disrupting your browsing experience, Translate Web requests only the minimal set of browser permissions:
A. "storage"
• Purpose: Saves your selected language settings (e.g., favorite target language), your toggle state for the floating selection button, and your recent translation history.
• Scope: Data resides exclusively on your local device. You can clear your entire translation history at any moment via the popup's "Clear History" button.
B. "contextMenus"
• Purpose: Adds an intuitive "Translate selection with Web Translator" option to the browser's context menu when you highlight text on any webpage.
• Scope: Only operates when you actively right-click highlighted text and choose to translate it.
C. Host Permissions ("https://translate.googleapis.com/*")
• Purpose: Connects directly to the Google Translate endpoint to fetch text translations, phonetic transliterations, and dictionary definitions.
• Scope: The extension only transmits the specific text query you requested for translation to generate the corresponding translation output.
4. ARE ALL THESE PERMISSIONS REALLY NECESSARY? (LEAST-PRIVILEGE ANALYSIS)
A crucial question for any extension user and developer is whether all requested permissions are genuinely needed or if some can be trimmed.
We have conducted a strict "Least-Privilege Audit" to guarantee that only indispensable permissions are requested:
• Broad "tabs" and "activeTab" permissions are OMITTED: Unlike many extensions that request full tab permissions, we eliminated both.
• "web_accessible_resources" is OMITTED: All extension elements and icons in web pages use self-contained inline SVG to avoid resource fingerprinting.
• "webRequest" / "declarativeNetRequest" are OMITTED: Translate Web does not intercept, modify, or inspect your network traffic.
• "identity" / "cookies" are OMITTED: The extension does not authenticate users or read your session cookies.
• Content Scripts (<all_urls>): The content script is required solely to detect when you highlight a word or phrase on a webpage and position the floating translation button directly beside your text selection. It does not read or send unselected page content.
Every single permission in Translate Web is strictly mapped to a direct user-facing feature. There are zero extraneous or speculative permissions.
5. DATA TRANSMISSION & THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
When you execute a translation:
• The text you highlight or enter into the input box is securely transmitted via HTTPS to the translation endpoint (`translate.googleapis.com`) to retrieve the translated phrase, phonetic pronunciation, and dictionary definitions.
• No metadata, personal profile, or tracking cookie is bundled with these requests.
• Text-to-speech pronunciation utilizes your browser's native `SpeechSynthesis` engine whenever available, which executes locally on your operating system without external audio streaming.
6. USER CONTROL & DATA DELETION
You retain full control over your stored preferences and history at all times:
• You can clear your entire saved translation history with a single click inside the "History" tab of the popup.
• You can disable inline selection popups at any time in the "Settings" tab.
• Uninstalling the extension immediately purges all locally stored preferences and history from your browser.
7. CONTACT & INQUIRIES
If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Policy or the security of Translate Web, please reach out through our official extension listing support page on the Chrome Web Store.