Privacy Policy

This Policy Covers

Our Zero-Collection Principles

These principles apply to all BeatMask products—the browser extension, the desktop app, and the website.

Data We Collect

None. The BeatMask browser extension collects, stores, and transmits zero user data. Because the extension makes no outbound network requests carrying user data, this is an architectural guarantee, not merely a policy choice.

What We Do NOT Collect

• Your text, keystrokes, or clipboard content
• The sensitive values detected by our patterns (SSNs, API keys, credentials, medical records, or any other flagged content)
• Your browsing history, URLs, or page content
• IP addresses, device fingerprints, or advertising identifiers
• Cookies, web beacons, or tracking pixels
• Usage analytics, session recordings, or behavioral data

Simply put: we don’t know who you are, what you type, or what you paste.

Local Storage

BeatMask stores your user preferences (enabled/disabled patterns, sensitivity settings) using chrome.storage.local. This data lives entirely on your device. It is not synced to any cloud service, transmitted to any server, or accessible to us.

Network Activity

The only network activity associated with the extension is receiving updates through the Chrome Web Store or Microsoft Edge Add-ons standard update mechanism. These updates may include updated detection patterns and recognizer logic. Update delivery is managed by your browser’s built-in infrastructure—BeatMask does not operate its own update server for the extension or transmit any data during this process.

Extension Permissions

Permissions we do NOT request: <all_urls>, broad tabs, webRequest, webNavigation, cookies, debugger, history, bookmarks, or any other sensitive permission beyond those listed above.

Core Principle: Your Data Never Leaves Your Mac

BeatMask Pro is architected for local-only processing. All PII detection—including machine learning inference, pattern matching, and text analysis—runs entirely on your device. No clipboard content, scanned text, file contents, or detection results are ever transmitted to our servers or any third party.

Data Processed Locally on Your Device

The following data is processed and stored exclusively on your Mac. None of it is transmitted off-device.

Clipboard Monitoring

The app monitors your macOS clipboard to scan for sensitive information. When PII is detected at a high-confidence threshold, the app may automatically replace clipboard contents with a masked version. Original clipboard contents are not retained after processing. Text buffers are securely overwritten in memory after each analysis cycle.

Activity Log

The app maintains a local activity log at ~/.beatmask/activity.json containing a record of recent scan events (up to 100 entries). This log includes detection types and timestamps but does not store the original sensitive text. This file resides solely on your device and can be deleted at any time.

Machine Learning Model

The app includes an on-device named entity recognition (NER) model used to identify sensitive information in text. This model runs entirely within the app process on your hardware. No text is sent to any remote inference service. We do not use your data to train or improve AI models.

File Scanning

When you initiate a file scan, the app reads the contents of the selected file locally to detect PII. File contents are processed in memory, securely overwritten after analysis, and are never uploaded or transmitted.

Application State

The app stores local configuration and runtime state in the ~/.beatmask/ directory on your device, including application preferences, detection settings (sensitivity thresholds, enabled/disabled categories), custom blocklist entries you create, and a Unix domain socket file used for local inter-process communication. These files are accessible only to your macOS user account and are never transmitted externally.

Chrome Extension Bridge

BeatMask Pro offers an optional connection to the BeatMask Chrome extension via a local Unix domain socket (~/.beatmask/beatmask.sock). This bridge enables the extension to send content to the desktop app for deeper analysis using the on-device ML model.

This connection is secured as follows:

• The socket file is restricted to your macOS user account (file permissions 0600 within a 0700 directory).
• The app verifies the identity of connecting processes to ensure only your user account can communicate with it.
• All communication occurs locally on your device. No content passes over the network.
• Connection rate limiting and idle timeouts are enforced to prevent misuse.

Network Connections (Pro Only)

BeatMask Pro makes three types of outbound network connections. None of them carry your scanned content, clipboard data, detection results, or activity history.

Payment Processing

We never see, store, or process your credit card number. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified. See Stripe’s privacy policy at stripe.com/privacy.

License Validation

The app periodically contacts our licensing server to verify your subscription status. These requests transmit only a unique, non-personally-identifiable account identifier, a timestamp, and your app version. No clipboard content, detection results, activity history, or other user data is included.

Software Updates

The app checks for available updates by contacting our update server. These requests transmit only your app version and basic system information (macOS version) necessary to determine update compatibility. No user content or activity data is included.

macOS Permissions

Data Security (Pro)

• Memory zeroization: Text buffers containing scanned content are securely overwritten in memory immediately after analysis.
• File system permissions: All local data files and communication sockets are restricted to your macOS user account.
• Process verification: The Chrome bridge verifies the identity of connecting processes to prevent unauthorized access.
• No persistent storage of sensitive text: The app does not store original clipboard contents, scanned text, or detected PII values to disk.

Data Retention (Pro)

Third-Party Services

We do not use analytics trackers, advertising pixels, or any third-party tracking on our extension, desktop app, or website.

Regulatory Compliance

GDPR (EU/EEA)

BeatMask does not process personal data as defined under the GDPR through its detection features. The limited data processing described in Part B (license validation, payment processing via Stripe, update checks) involves minimal, non-content data. For this processing, our legal basis is contract performance. BeatMask may act as a data controller or joint controller with Stripe for subscription and payment data. We do not act as a data controller or data processor with respect to the content you scan.

CCPA/CPRA (California)

BeatMask does not collect, sell, or share personal information as defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act through its detection features. We do not sell personal information to third parties. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information.

Chrome Web Store Limited Use Disclosure

The use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

International Users

BeatMask processes all user content locally on your device, regardless of your location. The only data transmitted externally (Pro users only) is described in Part B: payment processing, license validation, and update checks. These services may involve servers located in the United States.

Children’s Privacy

BeatMask is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Because the extension collects no data from any user, and the desktop app collects no content data, there is no mechanism through which children’s data would be gathered.

For Enterprise Security Teams

BeatMask’s local-only architecture means deploying BeatMask does not expand your organization’s attack surface, does not introduce new data processing relationships for scanned content, and does not require vendor risk assessments for content handling. All scanned data remains within the jurisdiction where it was created—there are no cross-border data transfers of user content, no cloud processing, and no data residency concerns.

Unlike cloud-based DLP solutions that route content through external servers, BeatMask processes everything locally. No data channel for scanned content exists between your devices and our infrastructure.

For enterprise procurement: BeatMask maintains no servers, databases, or cloud infrastructure that processes customer content. We do not act as a data processor or sub-processor under any privacy regulation with respect to the content your employees scan.

Your Rights and Controls

If you are located in the EU/EEA, United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with applicable data protection laws, you may have additional rights regarding the limited personal data processed as described in Part B, including the right to access, correct, delete, or port your data. To exercise these rights, contact us at the address below.

Changes to This Policy

If we materially change this policy—particularly if we ever introduce data collection beyond what is described here—we will provide at least thirty (30) days’ notice through the Service or, for Pro subscribers, by email. We will update the effective date and describe the changes on this page. We will never retroactively expand data collection without providing clear notice and, where applicable, obtaining your consent.

Related Documents

This privacy policy should be read in conjunction with our Terms of Service, which govern your use of all BeatMask products. In the event of a conflict between these documents regarding data handling practices, this Privacy Policy controls.