Privacy Policy — Lensor

Last Updated: December 10, 2024

Overview

Lensor is a browser extension that provides a magnifying lens for inspecting webpage content and detecting colors. This privacy policy explains what data Lensor accesses and how it is handled.

In short: Lensor does not collect, store, or transmit any of your data. Everything happens locally in your browser.

Data Collection

Lensor does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data.

We do not:

  • Collect any personal information
  • Track your browsing activity
  • Store screenshots or images
  • Send any data to external servers
  • Use analytics or tracking services
  • Share data with third parties

How Lensor Works (Technical Details)

To provide the magnifying lens functionality, Lensor uses Chrome’s tabCapture API. Here’s exactly what happens:

  1. When you activate Lensor, Chrome grants temporary access to capture the visible portion of the current tab
  2. The capture is a video stream that Lensor reads frame-by-frame to display the magnified view
  3. Each frame is processed instantly in your browser’s memory to render the zoomed lens view
  4. No frames are ever saved to disk, sent over the network, or stored anywhere
  5. When you deactivate Lensor (or after 20 minutes of inactivity), the capture stream is immediately stopped and released

Why Chrome Shows “Sharing Your Screen”

Chrome displays a recording indicator whenever any extension uses the tabCapture API. This is a security feature built into Chrome to ensure transparency. Important clarifications:

  • Lensor only captures the current tab — not your entire screen, other tabs, or other applications
  • The capture is ephemeral — frames exist only momentarily in memory while rendering the lens
  • Nothing is recorded — despite the indicator, no actual recording or storage occurs
  • You’re in control — click the Lensor icon or wait 20 minutes to stop the capture automatically

Why We Use This API

The tabCapture API is the only way to create a true magnifying lens in a browser extension. Without it, we could only access the DOM structure of a page, which wouldn’t capture:

  • Images and graphics
  • Canvas elements
  • Video content
  • CSS-rendered visuals
  • Exact pixel colors

We built Lensor as a creative tool for designers and developers, not for surveillance. The auto-shutdown feature ensures the capture never runs indefinitely.

Permissions Explained

Lensor requires certain browser permissions to function:

Permission Why It’s Needed
Tab Capture To capture the visible tab content for magnification
Active Tab / Tabs To know which tab is currently active
Storage To save your preferences (zoom level, settings) locally
Scripting To inject the lens interface into web pages
Side Panel To display the controls and color palette panel
Host Permissions To allow the lens to work on any website you visit

Data Storage

Lensor stores only your preferences using Chrome’s local storage API:

  • Zoom level
  • Grid overlay toggle
  • Fisheye effect toggle

This data:

  • Stays entirely on your device
  • Is never synced to any external service
  • Is automatically removed when you uninstall the extension

Third-Party Services

Lensor does not integrate with any third-party services, APIs, or analytics platforms. The extension operates completely offline after installation.

Open Source

Lensor is built with open-source libraries:

  • Crann — State management for browser extensions
  • Porter — Cross-context messaging

The extension code is available at github.com/moclei/lensor.

Children’s Privacy

Lensor does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13 years of age. Since Lensor collects no data from any users, this concern does not apply.

Changes to This Policy

If this privacy policy is updated, the changes will be reflected in this document with an updated “Last Updated” date.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy:

Summary

Question Answer
Does Lensor collect personal data? No
Does Lensor store screenshots? No
Does Lensor send data to servers? No
Does Lensor track my browsing? No
Does Lensor use analytics? No
Can I stop the screen capture? Yes — click the icon or wait 20 min
Where is my data processed? Locally in your browser only

Last updated: December 10, 2024