Privacy Policy
Ad Interceptor
A browser extension that blocks advertising and the tracking scripts behind it.
- Effective
- August 29, 2026
- Applies to
- Ad Interceptor v3.0+
- Data collected
- None (free) · Licence key (Pro)
The free version collects nothing and contacts no server — every rule ships inside the extension and runs inside your own browser. If you buy Pro, one thing changes: your licence key is sent to our server to check that it is valid, and to download updated filter rules. That is the only network request this extension ever makes, and it never carries anything about your browsing.
What this extension does
Ad Interceptor stops advertising and tracking requests using Chrome’s built-in declarativeNetRequest API, and hides leftover ad containers with a bundled stylesheet. Blocking decisions are made by Chrome itself, evaluating rule files bundled inside the extension package. Our own code never inspects, reads, or has access to the content of your browsing.
Data we collect
Free version: none. Specifically:
- We do not collect, log, or transmit your browsing history, page content, or the URLs you visit.
- We do not run analytics, telemetry, or crash reporting of any kind.
- The free version makes no network requests at all. Nothing your browser does is ever sent anywhere.
- The only data stored is your own settings — the on/off switch, the sites you have paused, and a running count of blocked requests — held in Chrome’s
storage, under your own Google account if Chrome Sync is enabled, never accessible to us.
Pro version: your licence key, and nothing else.
- When you activate Pro, and roughly once a day afterwards, the extension sends your licence key to our server so we can confirm it is still valid. The response says only whether the licence is active and when it expires.
- The same key authenticates a daily download of updated filter rules.
- These requests contain your licence key and the extension version. They do not contain, and cannot be used to derive, the sites you visit, what was blocked, or anything else about your browsing.
- We use the key solely to check entitlement. We do not sell it, share it, or use it to build a profile.
The blocked-request counter
The number on the toolbar icon comes from Chrome’s own getMatchedRules(), which reports how many of the extension’s rules matched on the current tab. We use it to display a count and to keep a running total in local storage. The matched URLs themselves are never stored, logged, or transmitted — only the number is kept, and it stays on your device.
Permissions we request
Chrome requires every permission to be declared up front. Here is what each one is actually used for:
| Permission | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| host_permissions <all_urls> |
Ads appear on arbitrary sites, so the rules and the element-hiding stylesheet have to be able to apply anywhere you browse. It is not used to read or collect page content. |
| declarativeNetRequest declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess |
Lets Chrome itself block matching requests using rule files bundled in the extension — the blocking decision happens inside Chrome, not in code we control. |
| declarativeNetRequestFeedback | Counts how many of our own rules matched, so the badge and popup can show you a number. Nothing derived from it leaves your device. |
| storage | Saves your settings, paused sites, blocked count, and — for Pro — your licence key, so they persist between sessions. |
| scripting | Registers the on-page code that hides leftover ad containers, and, for Pro users only, the scripts that defeat anti-adblock detection and remove YouTube video ads. |
The two Pro scripts run in the page’s own JavaScript context (world: "MAIN"), which is necessary because their job is to change what the page’s own scripts see — an isolated script cannot do that. They are static files inside the package; no code is ever downloaded and run. Both stop running entirely if you pause a site or turn blocking off.
Third-party rule data
The blocking rules are compiled at build time from EasyList and EasyPrivacy, and — for Pro — the Adblock Warning Removal List. These are community-maintained, publicly available filter lists, used here under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 licence and credited accordingly. They are static data compiled into the extension; the free version never contacts EasyList or anyone else while running.
Data sharing & sale
We do not sell user data and never will. The free version collects nothing to sell. The Pro version handles a licence key, which is used only to verify that a licence is valid.
Children’s privacy
Ad Interceptor is a general-purpose browser utility, not directed at children, and does not knowingly collect information from anyone, of any age — see “Data we collect” above.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the “Effective” date at the top of this page will be updated accordingly. Material changes will also be reflected in the extension’s Chrome Web Store listing.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or about the extension’s handling of data, can be sent to thenightwatchcaptain@gmail.com. This address is monitored for both user enquiries and Chrome Web Store review correspondence.