Random Reader — Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 3, 2026

Random Reader ("the extension") is a browser extension that helps you discover random articles from curated RSS/Atom feeds. This policy explains what data the extension collects, how it's used, and your rights.

Data We Collect (Stored Locally on Your Device)

The extension stores the following data locally in your browser using Chrome/Firefox storage APIs. This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly export it.

Data Type	Purpose	Retention
Reading history	Track articles you've opened via "Surprise Me" (title, URL, source, author, timestamp)	Capped at 200 entries, oldest removed first
Starred articles	Articles you've marked as favorites	Until you un-star or clear data
Settings	Your preferences (theme, open behavior, filters, refresh interval, sound, etc.)	Until changed or reset
Source toggles	Which of the 136+ catalog sources are enabled/disabled	Until changed
Blocked domains	Domains you've chosen to exclude from results	Until removed
Feed cache	Fetched article metadata (title, URL, publication date, source) for the random pool	90 days, auto-cleaned

Data We Do NOT Collect

No personal identifiers (name, email, IP address)
No browsing history outside the extension
No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking
No data sent to any external server (including the developer)
No advertising IDs or cross-site tracking

Network Requests

The extension makes network requests only to:

RSS/Atom feed URLs defined in the source catalog (e.g., https://example.com/feed.xml) — to fetch article lists
Sitemap URLs defined in the source catalog — to resolve article titles
Optional remote catalog URL (default: GitHub raw URL) — to check for catalog updates every 6 hours

All requests are initiated by the background worker on your behalf. No cookies, auth tokens, or user identifiers are sent.

Your Rights & Controls

View/export history: Options → History → Export CSV/JSON
Clear history: Options → History → Clear History
Clear all data: Options → General → Clear All Data (removes history, stars, cached articles)
Reset settings: Options → General → Restore Defaults
Disable feeds: Options → Sources → toggle any source off
Block domains: Options → Catalog → Blocked Domains
Uninstall: Removes all local data automatically

Third-Party Services

The default catalog is hosted on GitHub (raw.githubusercontent.com). Fetching it is subject to GitHub's privacy policy. You can switch to a local catalog file in Options → Catalog to avoid this request.

Children's Privacy

This extension is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes to This Policy

Updates will be posted here with a new "Last updated" date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

Contact

Questions: GitHub Issues or email the developer.