Privacy Policy - Tidy Mastodon

Last Updated: December 26, 2025
Effective Date: December 26, 2025
Version: 1.0



Overview

Tidy Mastodon respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your data when you use the Tidy Mastodon browser extension (the "Extension").

TL;DR: We collect ZERO data. Everything runs locally in your browser. Your privacy is absolute.



Data Collection

What We Collect

Nothing. We do not collect, store, transmit, or process any personal data.

Specifically:
- ❌ No browsing history
- ❌ No usage analytics
- ❌ No telemetry data
- ❌ No crash reports
- ❌ No user identifiers
- ❌ No cookies or tracking pixels
- ❌ No IP addresses
- ❌ No email addresses
- ❌ No account information (we don't have accounts)
- ❌ No Mastodon credentials or tokens
- ❌ No post content or metadata
- ❌ No profile information

We have no servers, no databases, and no data storage infrastructure.



How the Extension Works

Local Processing Only

All features of Tidy Mastodon run entirely within your browser:

1. Emoji Filtering: Detects and hides emojis using local DOM manipulation
2. Username Cleanup: Processes text locally using JavaScript regular expressions
3. Interaction Tracking: Stores interaction data locally in your browser using Chrome's storage.sync API
4. Settings Storage: Preferences are stored locally using Chrome's secure storage API

Your data never leaves your device.

Chrome Storage Sync

The Extension uses Chrome's storage.sync API to store your settings. This is a built-in browser feature that:
- Stores data locally on your device
- Optionally syncs settings across your devices via your Google account (if you're signed into Chrome)
- Is controlled entirely by you through Chrome's sync settings
- Does not send any data to Tidy Mastodon or third parties

What is stored:
- Extension enabled/disabled state
- Filter preferences (emoji filter on/off, hide metrics, username cleanup patterns)
- Interaction tracking preferences (track liked/boosted posts)
- Hiding delay settings
- Manual domain list (if you added custom Mastodon instances)

What is NOT stored:
- Your Mastodon posts or content
- Your Mastodon credentials
- Your browsing history
- Any personal information

You can clear this data at any time by:
- Uninstalling the Extension
- Using Chrome's "Clear browsing data" feature
- Disabling sync in Chrome settings



Permissions

The Extension requests the following permissions:

storage

Purpose: Save your settings (emoji filter on/off, manual domains, etc.)
Data access: Local storage only, managed by Chrome
Data shared: None - stored locally on your device

activeTab

Purpose: Detect Mastodon instances and apply filters to the current tab
Data access: Read-only access to detect Mastodon-specific DOM elements
Data shared: None - all processing is local

We do NOT request:
- ❌ <all_urls> - We don't need access to all websites
- ❌ tabs - We don't need access to all your tabs
- ❌ webRequest - We don't intercept network requests
- ❌ cookies - We don't read or modify cookies
- ❌ history - We don't access your browsing history



Third-Party Services

We use ZERO third-party services.

• ❌ No analytics providers (Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.)
• ❌ No crash reporting (Sentry, Bugsnag, etc.)
• ❌ No advertising networks
• ❌ No CDNs (Content Delivery Networks)
• ❌ No external APIs or web services
• ❌ No social media integrations

The Extension makes ZERO network requests. All code and resources are bundled within the Extension package.



Open Source

Tidy Mastodon is open source under the MIT License. You can:
- View the complete source code at https://codeberg.org/Kettwachsler/tidy-mastodon
- Audit the code to verify our privacy claims
- Contribute improvements or report issues
- Fork and modify the Extension for your own use

Full transparency. Always.



Children's Privacy

The Extension does not collect any data from anyone, including children under 13. Since we don't collect data, we cannot inadvertently collect data from children.



Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be:
- Posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date
- Noted in the Extension's changelog
- Communicated via the Extension's update notes (if significant)

We will NEVER:
- Start collecting data without explicit notice
- Change our privacy practices retroactively
- Sell or monetize user data (we don't have any!)



International Users

Tidy Mastodon is developed and maintained by contributors worldwide and is available to users globally. Since we don't collect any data, international data transfer regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) do not apply.

GDPR Compliance:
- ✅ No data collection = No GDPR requirements
- ✅ No cookies = No cookie consent needed
- ✅ No data processing = No DPO (Data Protection Officer) needed
- ✅ No data breaches possible (we have no data)



Your Rights

Since we don't collect any data, traditional privacy rights don't apply. However:

You have the right to:
- ✅ Use the Extension without creating an account
- ✅ Disable or uninstall the Extension at any time
- ✅ Clear local Extension data via Chrome's settings
- ✅ Inspect the Extension's source code
- ✅ Fork and modify the Extension (MIT License)

You don't need to:
- ❌ Agree to data collection (there is none)
- ❌ Accept cookies (we don't use any)
- ❌ Provide personal information (we don't ask for any)
- ❌ Opt-out of tracking (there is no tracking)



Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the Extension's privacy practices:

• Repository: https://codeberg.org/Kettwachsler/tidy-mastodon
• Issues: https://codeberg.org/Kettwachsler/tidy-mastodon/issues
• Developer: @phpmacher@sueden.social

Legal

Data Controller: Not applicable (no data is collected)
Data Processor: Not applicable (no data is processed)
Jurisdiction: This Extension is developed by contributors worldwide and is not subject to specific jurisdiction
License: MIT License (Open Source)



Summary

In plain English:

Tidy Mastodon is a browser extension that makes your Mastodon timeline cleaner. It runs entirely in your browser and doesn't send any data anywhere. We don't track you, we don't collect analytics, and we don't have any servers. Your settings are stored locally on your device using Chrome's built-in storage. That's it.

If you don't trust us, you can read our source code. It's all public.



Made with ❤️ for the Fediverse
Tidy Mastodon is an independent, privacy-focused project
Not affiliated with Mastodon gGmbH or any Mastodon instance



Have questions? Open an issue on Codeberg