BingeBrake Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 4, 2026

BingeBrake is a browser extension that helps you avoid binge-watching YouTube by enforcing a cooldown period between videos. This page explains what data the extension handles, and just as importantly, what it does not do.

What BingeBrake stores, and where

All data is stored locally in your browser using the standard chrome.storage.local API. Nothing is ever sent to a server, because BingeBrake does not have a server, and the extension makes no network requests of its own. The data stored locally includes:

• Your settings - the watch-percentage threshold, cooldown length, whether a video counts as "finished" at the threshold, and (if you choose to set one) a passcode used to skip a cooldown early.
• The extension's current state - which video (if any) is currently armed, whether a cooldown is active and when it ends, and which video you were trying to open when a cooldown started, so you can return to it once the cooldown ends.
• Usage statistics - number of videos finished, videos prevented, minutes saved, and your current streak.

If you set an override passcode, BingeBrake never stores the passcode itself. It stores a one-way SHA-256 hash of it, computed on your own device, and later compares hashes to check a code you enter - the original passcode cannot be recovered from what's stored.

What BingeBrake does on YouTube

The extension's content script runs only on youtube.com pages. It reads the current page's URL and the on-page video element's playback position (how much of a video has played) so it can determine when you've watched enough of a video and when you navigate to a different one. This information is used entirely locally to drive the extension's cooldown logic, and is never transmitted anywhere.

Permissions

• storage - to save your settings and the extension's state on your device.
• webNavigation - to detect when you open a different YouTube video, including YouTube's own in-page navigation.
• alarms - to reliably time when a cooldown should end.
• Host access to youtube.com - so the extension can run on YouTube and redirect a tab to its own cooldown screen when needed.

BingeBrake does not request access to any other site.

Third parties

BingeBrake does not use any third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking services. There are no external scripts, no remotely loaded code, and no data shared with anyone.

Children's privacy

BingeBrake does not knowingly collect information from anyone, including children, because it does not collect information at all.

Changes to this policy

If this policy ever changes - for example, if a future version of BingeBrake adds a feature that changes how data is handled - this page will be updated and the "last updated" date above will change accordingly.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy, contact: privacy@jimbobsnow.com