In one line: This extension rewrites clickbait headlines using an AI model that runs entirely on your device; it has no servers, no accounts, and no analytics. The only network request the extension itself makes is an optional, plain image request to YouTube's own public image servers, used to swap a clickbait thumbnail for a real video frame.
Last updated: 2026-08-10
Extension: Clickbait Neutralizer · Chrome Manifest V3 · Version 0.9.1
Clickbait Neutralizer finds sensationalized headlines on pages you visit and rewrites them into calmer, more accurate versions. It does this two ways, both running on your device:
It can also optionally replace clickbait video thumbnails (YouTube-focused) with a real still frame from the same video. See Network activity for the one detail that involves the network.
None. This extension has:
The developer receives no user data of any kind.
All headline analysis and rewriting — both rule-based and AI — happens locally in your browser. Headline text is processed on your device and is never transmitted off it. There is no cloud model and no request that carries the text you're reading.
The extension stores two things, and both stay on your device:
chrome.storage (local and sync).A note on Chrome Sync: if you have Chrome Sync turned on, Chrome will sync chrome.storage.sync settings across your own devices under your own Google account. This is standard Chrome behavior that applies to your data, under your account, and is performed by Chrome — not by this extension. It is not a transfer of data to the developer or anyone else.
The extension makes only one kind of outbound request on its own, and only if you turn on the optional thumbnail feature.
Optional YouTube thumbnail replacement. When enabled, the extension replaces a clickbait video thumbnail with a real frame from the same video by pointing an <img> element at YouTube's own public image servers (i.ytimg.com). Details:
img.src) — no fetch, no host permission, no script execution..../1.jpg, hq2.jpg, hqdefault.jpg) and contain only the YouTube video ID that is already present on the page.i.ytimg.com images.If you don't use this feature, the extension itself makes no outbound network requests. (Separately, if you have Chrome Sync turned on, Chrome replicates your settings across your own devices as described under Local storage — that is a Chrome feature you control, not a request made by this extension.)
| Permission | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
activeTab | To act on the page you're currently viewing. |
storage | To save your settings and the local cache of processed headlines. |
offscreen | To run the local AI model in a background document, off the visible page. |
Content scripts on <all_urls> | So the extension can find and rewrite headlines on the pages you visit. All processing stays local. |
There are no host_permissions. The <all_urls> match is for local content scripts only — it does not grant the extension network access to those sites.
No third party receives your data. Nothing is sold, shared, rented, or used for advertising. The only external contact is the optional passive image load from YouTube's image servers described above, which carries only a video ID and the standard metadata (such as your IP address) that any image request includes; Google's handling of that request is governed by Google's own privacy policy.
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at https://enibalovem.github.io/clickbait-neutralizer-privacy/ and the "Last updated" date above will be revised.
Questions or concerns? Reach the developer by email: enibalovem@protonmail.com.
Last updated: 28 May 2026
Clickbait Neutralizer is a browser extension that rewrites clickbait headlines into plain, factual wording and replaces clickbait video thumbnails with a real frame from the video. This page explains exactly what data the extension handles — and, just as importantly, what it does not.
When you open a web page, Clickbait Neutralizer reads the headlines and video titles on it. For a headline it has not handled before, it sends just that headline's text to its backend server, which forwards it to Anthropic's Claude API to generate a neutral rewrite. The rewrite is returned and shown in place of the original.
The extension only ever transmits the text of a headline on a page you actively open. It does not enumerate or send your browsing history, your open tabs, the addresses of pages you visit, or anything you type into forms.
When you visit a page whose URL is not already in the extension's pre-computed rewrite list, Clickbait Neutralizer sends a one-way cryptographic hash of that URL to its backend server. The backend keeps a running count per hash so the development team can see which articles users encounter most often and prioritise those for processing next. The hash cannot be reversed into the URL or into any other information about you. No URL text, no headline text, no identifying data, and no timestamp under your control is sent or stored alongside the hash. This entire channel is gated by the "Cloud rewrites" toggle in the extension popup — turning that off stops the extension from sending any of these hashes, exactly as it stops the headline-rewrite flow.
Clickbait Neutralizer has two feedback features. Both transmit data only when you actively click them — nothing is sent otherwise:
This feedback is stored so the developer can review it and improve the product.
Your data is never sold or shared with anyone for advertising or marketing purposes.
Clickbait Neutralizer asks for permission to read and change content on the websites you visit. It needs this to find headlines and thumbnails on the page and replace them in place — that is the extension's core function. The access is used for nothing else.
Your on-device settings and cache remain until you clear them or remove the extension. The server's hashed cache evicts old entries automatically. Feedback you choose to submit is retained for review.
Clickbait Neutralizer is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect data from children.
If this policy changes, the "last updated" date above will change. Material changes will be reflected on this page.
Questions about your privacy or this policy: enibalovem@protonmail.com
Clickbait Neutralizer — removes manipulation mechanics from the web.