Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 17, 2026

            BriefChat does not sell your data and has no advertising. Your API key never leaves your device except to reach your chosen AI provider directly. On the free tier, page content is processed through BriefChat's server — this is disclosed in full below.
        

What BriefChat does

BriefChat is a Chrome extension that reads the text content of the webpage you are currently viewing, sends it to an AI model to generate a summary and suggested questions, and lets you continue a conversation about that page. The AI model used depends on your settings:

Free tier (no API key) — requests are routed through BriefChat's own server, which calls OpenAI's API using our key. Free-tier users are limited to 3 AI interactions per day.
Bring-your-own-key (BYOK) — requests go directly from your browser to your chosen provider (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, or xAI Grok) using your key. BriefChat's servers are not involved.

Data we collect

We do not collect personal information, run analytics, or track usage. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party for commercial purposes. The only data BriefChat stores on your device is:

Your API key (optional) — stored in chrome.storage.local, never transmitted to BriefChat's servers.
A device identifier — a randomly generated UUID created on first use, stored in chrome.storage.local, used solely to enforce the free-tier rate limit. It is not linked to your identity.

Chat history and page content are held in memory for the duration of your session only. They are discarded when you switch tabs, start a new chat, or close the panel.

What is sent when you use BriefChat

The table below describes every network request BriefChat makes, depending on which mode you are in.

Mode	Destination	Data sent
Free tier	`briefchat-prod.artfricastudio.com`	Page text (up to 12,000 chars), page title, page URL, chat history (last 10 messages), anonymous device ID
OpenAI key	`api.openai.com`	Page text, page title, page URL, chat history
Anthropic key	`api.anthropic.com`	Page text, page title, page URL, chat history
Gemini key	`generativelanguage.googleapis.com`	Page text, page title, page URL, chat history
Grok key	`api.x.ai`	Page text, page title, page URL, chat history

No other network requests are made. BriefChat does not contact any analytics service, advertising network, or third-party tracker.

Page content — what is read and when

BriefChat reads page content only when you actively open the side panel. It does not run in the background, does not monitor pages you browse, and does not read pages you do not open BriefChat on.

When you open BriefChat, the extension extracts text from semantic HTML elements (h1–h6, p, li, blockquote, td, th) up to a maximum of 12,000 characters. It does not read:

Passwords or form inputs
Cookies or authentication tokens
Images, files, or non-text content
Pages you visit without opening BriefChat

You should avoid using BriefChat on pages containing sensitive personal information such as banking portals, medical records, or private messages.

BriefChat's server (free tier)

When you use BriefChat without a personal API key, your requests are processed by BriefChat's server at briefchat-prod.artfricastudio.com. This server:

Receives page content, page title, page URL, and your chat messages to generate AI responses via OpenAI
Uses your anonymous device ID solely to enforce the 3-interactions-per-day rate limit
Does not log, store, or retain page content or chat messages after the request is complete
Holds rate-limit records (device ID + daily request count) in memory only; these reset when the server restarts or at UTC midnight

Your API key

If you choose to enter an API key in Settings, it is stored exclusively in chrome.storage.local on your device. It is:

Never transmitted to BriefChat's servers
Sent only to the API endpoint of the provider you selected (see table above)
Never logged, shared, or accessible to any party other than that provider

Supported providers and key formats: OpenAI (sk-...), Anthropic (sk-ant-...), Google Gemini (AIza...), xAI Grok (xai-...). You can remove your key at any time from the Settings page.

Device identifier

On first use, BriefChat generates a random UUID (crypto.randomUUID()) and stores it in chrome.storage.local as your device identifier. This ID:

Is sent only to BriefChat's server, and only on the free tier, to enforce the daily rate limit
Is not linked to your name, email, IP address, or any personal information
Is not used for tracking, advertising, or analytics
Is deleted when you uninstall the extension

If you provide your own API key, the device ID is never transmitted anywhere.

Data security

chrome.storage.local is sandboxed to the BriefChat extension. Your API key and device ID cannot be read by other extensions, websites, or any external party. All requests to AI provider APIs and to BriefChat's server are made over HTTPS.

Data retention and deletion

On your device — API key and device ID persist in chrome.storage.local until you clear them in Settings or uninstall the extension. Uninstalling removes all locally stored data permanently.
On BriefChat's server — page content and chat messages are not stored after a request completes. Rate-limit records (device ID + count) are in memory only and are not persisted to disk.
With AI providers — how providers retain request data is governed by their own privacy policies (see Third-party services below).

Chrome permissions

BriefChat requests the following permissions, each used only for the purpose stated:

activeTab / tabs — to read the title and URL of the tab you are currently viewing, included as context in AI requests
scripting — to inject a text-extraction script into the active tab when you open BriefChat; the script runs only on demand, never automatically
storage — to persist your API key and device ID in chrome.storage.local
sidePanel — to render the BriefChat interface in Chrome's side panel
Host permissions (<all_urls>) — BriefChat can be opened on any website, so the scripting permission requires access to all domains. The extraction script runs only when you explicitly open the panel; it never runs in the background or on pages you have not opened BriefChat on.

Third-party services

Requests made with your own API key go directly to your chosen provider and are governed by their terms and privacy policies:

Free-tier requests are forwarded by BriefChat's server to OpenAI using BriefChat's own API key, and are subject to OpenAI's Privacy Policy.

Children's privacy

BriefChat is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. If you believe a child has used BriefChat in a way that transmitted personal information, please contact us at the address below.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the extension after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Contact us at blaise.mennia@artfricastudio.com.