Your data,
stays yours.

Last updated: 1 May 2026

SHORT VERSION

The 30-second summary

✓

GovLens does not collect, transmit, or store any data on any GovLens server. We don't have a server. There is no analytics, no tracking, no telemetry. The extension runs entirely inside your browser. Page text only leaves your device when you click Translate or Summarise — and only if you've configured a cloud API key. Form drafts and your API key are stored in your browser's local storage and are wiped when you uninstall.

DETAILS

What information GovLens handles

GovLens reads and processes the following on your device:

The text content of the page you're viewing, when you have a .gov.in / .nic.in / india.gov.in page open and the side panel is open. Used to extract sections, forms, links, and to power search/translation.
Form field values you type on gov pages, when "Auto-save form drafts" is enabled. Used to restore lost work after session timeouts. Excludes: passwords, OTPs, captchas, file inputs, and any field whose name/id matches those patterns.
Your selected target language and feature toggles, stored in chrome.storage.local.
Your Anthropic API key (if you provide one), stored in chrome.storage.local and only sent in outbound HTTPS requests to api.anthropic.com.

YOUR KEY

About your API key

The Anthropic API key is optional. Most users will not need one because the extension uses your browser's built-in on-device AI by default (Chrome 138+).

If you choose to provide a key:

Where it lives
In chrome.storage.local on your device. We have no access to it.
Where it's sent
Only in the x-api-key header of HTTPS calls to api.anthropic.com.
When it's used
Only when you click Translate / Summarise / Explain and the on-device AI cannot fulfil the request.
How to remove
Settings (⚙) → clear the field and save. Or uninstall the extension — all storage is wiped.

EXTERNAL CALLS

What gets sent over the network

The extension makes outbound HTTPS calls only when you trigger an action that needs cloud AI. The only two destinations:

🌐

translate.googleapis.com — free fallback when on-device AI is unavailable. Sends: only the text being translated and the source/target language codes. Sent over HTTPS with no API key, no account, no cookies. You can disable this in Settings. Google's handling is governed by their privacy policy.

🌐

api.anthropic.com — premium fallback when both on-device and Google fail (or a higher-quality summary is requested). Sends: a system prompt + the page text or selection, your API key in the header. Receives: the AI response. Anthropic's handling is governed by their privacy policy.

🛡️

When your browser's built-in AI is used (the default), no network calls are made at all. Translation runs entirely on your device.

FORM DRAFTS

Form auto-save

If "Auto-save form drafts" is enabled (default on), keystrokes into form fields are saved to localStorage on the gov page itself, keyed by URL. This means:

Stored locally
On your machine, in the same storage the gov site itself uses.
Never transmitted
Drafts never leave your device.
Excluded fields
Passwords, OTPs, captcha responses, file uploads, and any input whose name/id matches those patterns.
Per-site
Drafts are scoped to the gov site's origin and path.

You can clear drafts at any time by clicking DISMISS on the restore banner, or by clearing your browser's storage for that site.

CHROME PERMISSIONS

Why each permission exists

Permission	Why we ask
`activeTab`	Read and modify the gov page you're currently viewing — only when you interact with the extension.
`scripting`	Run small functions on the page to extract sections / forms / docs and apply translations.
`storage`	Save your preferences and (optional) API key in `chrome.storage.local` — local to your browser.
`tabs`	Detect the URL of the active tab so the extension knows it's a gov site.
`sidePanel`	Show the GovLens UI in Chrome's side panel.
`host_permissions` for `.gov.in` / `.nic.in`	Run the content script on gov sites only — never on any other website.
`host_permissions` for `translate.googleapis.com`	Send free translation requests when on-device AI doesn't support a language pair. No API key required.
`host_permissions` for `api.anthropic.com`	Send premium AI requests when you opt in by providing an API key.

THIRD PARTIES

Who else sees your data

Only Anthropic, and only the text you choose to send when you click a cloud AI action and have provided an API key.

No analytics provider (Google Analytics, PostHog, Mixpanel, Sentry, etc.) — we use none.
No advertising network.
No CDN that could log requests — JavaScript is bundled into the extension itself.

CONTACT

Questions or concerns?

Open an issue on GitHub, or email the address listed on the project's GitHub profile. This policy may update — material changes will be reflected here with a new "Last updated" date.

Privacy isn't a feature. It's the default.

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