Link Guardian Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the Link Guardian Chrome extension and the Link Guardian Android application.

1. About Link Guardian

Link Guardian is a link-inspection tool developed by Hari Bozhinov. It is available as a Chrome extension and an Android application.

Link Guardian can analyze links submitted by users, inspect URL structure, resolve supported redirects or shortened URLs, and request online reputation information from third-party security services.

2. Platforms Covered

This policy covers:

• The Link Guardian Chrome extension.
• The Link Guardian Android application.
• The Link Guardian Cloudflare Worker used by both applications to perform server-side security checks.

3. Information Link Guardian Processes

Link Guardian processes only the information necessary to inspect links and operate the service.

This may include:

• URLs that you paste, submit, scan, or choose to inspect.
• Final destination URLs discovered when resolving supported shortened links or redirects.
• URL components such as hostname, protocol, path, port, and redirect information.
• Basic request information needed for security, abuse prevention, and rate limiting.

Link Guardian does not require you to create an account or provide your name, email address, phone number, or other profile information to use the link-inspection features.

4. Android QR Code Scanning and Camera Use

The Android application allows users to scan QR codes.

Camera access is used only to identify and decode QR-code content. Link Guardian does not intentionally upload, store, or transmit camera images or video recordings to the Link Guardian server.

When a QR code contains a web address, only the decoded URL is submitted for link inspection.

QR codes containing other types of information are not intentionally submitted to the online reputation service unless they represent a supported web URL.

5. Chrome Extension Use

The Chrome extension allows users to inspect URLs through supported extension actions, including pasted links and browser context-menu actions.

Only the URL selected for inspection is submitted to the Link Guardian service. The extension does not intentionally transmit the contents of the webpage you are viewing, browser history, passwords, form entries, cookies, or unrelated browsing activity.

6. Cloudflare Worker

Link Guardian uses a Cloudflare Worker as its backend service. URLs submitted for inspection are sent to this service using encrypted HTTPS connections.

The Worker may perform functions including:

• URL validation and normalization.
• Redirect and shortened-link resolution.
• Rate limiting and abuse prevention.
• Security-provider lookups.
• Short-lived caching of selected reputation results.

Cloudflare may process network information such as IP addresses as part of operating its infrastructure and delivering the service. Link Guardian may also use request information for rate limiting and abuse prevention.

7. VirusTotal

Link Guardian uses VirusTotal to obtain URL reputation information.

URLs or resolved destination URLs may be submitted to VirusTotal for analysis or report lookup. VirusTotal may process submitted URLs according to its own terms and privacy practices.

Link Guardian does not send the VirusTotal API key to the Chrome extension or Android application. The key is stored server-side in the Link Guardian Cloudflare Worker.

8. Google Safe Browsing

Link Guardian also uses Google Safe Browsing as an additional online reputation source.

URLs or resolved destination URLs may be submitted to Google Safe Browsing to determine whether Google currently identifies the URL as associated with known threats such as malware, social engineering, unwanted software, or other supported threat categories.

Google Safe Browsing results are independent of VirusTotal results. One provider reporting no match does not override a warning reported by another provider.

The Google Safe Browsing API key is stored server-side and is not included in the Android application or Chrome extension.

9. Third-Party Processing

VirusTotal, Google Safe Browsing, Cloudflare, and their underlying infrastructure may process information submitted through Link Guardian according to their own privacy policies, terms, retention practices, and security procedures.

Link Guardian does not control the independent data-retention practices of these third-party services.

10. Data Storage and Retention

Link Guardian is not designed to maintain a permanent history of links inspected by users.

The Link Guardian backend may temporarily cache selected security results to improve performance and reduce unnecessary third-party API requests.

Where caching is used, cache identifiers are designed to avoid using the full submitted URL directly as the cache key. Cached reputation information is short-lived and is automatically expired.

Temporary operational information may also be processed as necessary for rate limiting, service reliability, troubleshooting, and abuse prevention.

11. Information Link Guardian Does Not Intentionally Collect

Link Guardian does not intentionally collect or maintain:

• User accounts or login credentials.
• Passwords.
• Financial or payment information.
• Contacts.
• Precise location information.
• Browser history unrelated to links explicitly inspected.
• Camera photographs or video recordings.
• Advertising identifiers for advertising purposes.

12. Advertising and Analytics

Link Guardian does not currently display advertising.

Link Guardian does not currently use third-party advertising SDKs or behavioral advertising systems.

If analytics or advertising practices materially change in a future release, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.

13. Security Results and Limitations

Security reputation databases are continuously changing and may contain different information.

A result showing no known detections or no threat match means only that the available security services did not report a matching threat at the time of the check.

It does not guarantee that a URL, website, file, or destination is safe.

Users should continue to use reasonable caution when opening unfamiliar links or entering sensitive information on websites.

14. Data Sharing

Link Guardian does not sell personal information.

URLs submitted for inspection may be shared with the third-party security and infrastructure providers described in this policy when necessary to provide the link-checking service.

15. Children's Privacy

Link Guardian is a general-purpose security utility and is not specifically designed to collect personal information from children.

The application does not require an account or intentionally request personal profile information from users.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated when Link Guardian adds new features, changes service providers, modifies data-handling practices, or needs to reflect updated legal or platform requirements.

The revision date at the top of this page will be updated when material changes are published.

17. Contact

Link Guardian is developed by Hari Bozhinov.

For privacy-related questions, users may use the developer contact information provided on the Link Guardian Google Play Store listing or Chrome Web Store listing.