Driftless Reader
Driftless Reader — Privacy Policy
Last updated: 5 November 2026 · Applies to version 1.0.0 and later
Driftless Reader is a free, open-source browser extension that makes web articles easier to read. It does not collect, sell, or share any personal data. There are no accounts, servers, analytics, advertising or tracking of any kind.
What the extension accesses
-
The page you choose to read. The extension only runs on a tab after you
click its toolbar button or press its keyboard shortcut (
activeTab). It reads that page's text in your browser to show it in Focus View. The text is never sent anywhere by the extension. - No other tabs or sites. It has no access to your browsing history, other tabs, or websites you haven't activated it on.
What is stored, and where
Only on your device, in your browser's local extension storage:
| Data | Purpose | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Reading settings (font, spacing, theme, Drift Guard, …) | Remember your preferences | Plain settings values |
| Reading positions for up to 200 articles | "Pick up where you left off" | One-way SHA-256 hashes of the page address and of the paragraph you reached — not readable addresses or page text |
| Learned reading speed | Estimate time left | A single number (words per minute) |
You can delete all of it at any time from the extension's Settings → Your data, or by removing the extension.
Read Aloud voices
Read Aloud uses your browser's built-in speech voices. Most voices run on your device. Some voices offered by your browser are online voices (for example Microsoft Edge's "Online (Natural)" voices); they are marked "(online)" in the voice list. When you choose one, your browser sends the text being read to that voice provider to create the speech, under the provider's own privacy terms (for Edge: the Microsoft Privacy Statement). Choose a voice without "(online)" to keep everything on your device.
Network requests
The extension itself makes no network requests. Fonts are bundled inside the extension. Images in Focus View load from the original website, exactly as they would on the page itself.
Links on the extension's settings and welcome pages (source code, issues, and the optional "Support the project" / Buy Me a Coffee page) simply open the website in a normal tab. The extension shares no data with those sites.
Permissions
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
activeTab |
Read the current page only when you start Driftless Reader on it |
scripting |
Show the reader on that page when you start it |
storage |
Save your settings and reading positions locally |
Children
The extension doesn't collect data from anyone, including children.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be published at this address with a new date, and in the extension's source repository.
Contact
Questions or concerns: open an issue at https://github.com/mfranceschini/driftless-reader-web-extension/issues, or report security issues privately as described in SECURITY.md.