🛡️ AdaShield Privacy Policy
Effective Date: January 13, 2026
1. Overview
AdaShield ("we," "us," "our," or "the Extension") is a Chrome browser extension designed to protect Cardano blockchain users from financial fraud and phishing attacks. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Data We DO Collect
Scam Lists and Threat Intelligence:
- We maintain and periodically update lists of verified scam Cardano wallet addresses (bech32 format) and malicious domains
- These lists are stored locally on your device using Chrome's storage API
- Updated approximately every 15 minutes by connecting to our backend API
User Preferences and Pro Status:
- Your toggle settings for domain protection (enabled/disabled) - stored locally
- For Pro users only: Your Pro subscription status, expiry date, payment address, and/or stake address
- These preferences are stored locally on your device using Chrome storage
Cardano Wallet Addresses (Pro Subscription Only):
- When subscribing to AdaShield Pro, we collect your Cardano payment address and/or stake address
- These addresses are used to verify your Pro subscription status and link your account to the blockchain payment
- Your stake address and payment address are stored in our MongoDB database associated with your subscription
- We also store your Pro subscription type (1, 6, or 12 months), expiration date, and transaction hash
- This data is stored on our servers until your subscription expires or you request deletion
Background Activity Logs:
- Internal logs of extension operations (sync status, error messages, Pro checks) stored locally
- Limited to the last 200 log entries
- These logs are used for debugging and improving extension reliability
Current Tab URL:
- Your current active tab's domain is checked against our scam domain list
- This URL is NOT stored or transmitted to our servers
- Domain checking happens entirely locally on your device
2.2 Data We DO NOT Collect
- Personal Identification: We do NOT collect your name, email address, date of birth, or other personally identifiable information
- Payment Processing: We do NOT collect or store credit card numbers or other payment details. All Cardano transactions are handled directly between you and the blockchain
- Transaction History: We do NOT collect your personal transaction history (except the hash from your Pro payment tx)
- Complete Browsing History: We do NOT store or transmit the complete URLs you visit beyond domain-level scam checking
- Keystroke Logging: We do NOT log your keystrokes; we only scan input field content for known scam addresses during Pro address scanning
- Location Data: We do NOT collect your location, IP address, or geolocation information
- Authentication Credentials: We do NOT store passwords, private keys, seed phrases, or security credentials
3. How We Use Your Information
The limited information we collect is used exclusively for:
- Fraud Prevention: Detecting and warning you about known scam addresses and phishing domains
- Pro Subscription Management: Verifying your Pro subscription status, managing subscription expiration, and linking your subscription to your blockchain payment
- Pro Feature Access: Enabling advanced features (real-time transaction scanning, advanced scam detection, priority database updates) for authenticated Pro subscribers
- Preference Management: Storing your settings to maintain your extension configuration across browser sessions
- Service Improvement: Using internal logs to debug issues and improve extension performance and reliability
- Threat Intelligence Updates: Fetching the latest scam lists from our backend to keep you protected
4. Data Storage and Security
- Local Storage: All data (scam lists, user preferences, logs) is stored locally on your device using Chrome's
chrome.storage.localAPI - No Cloud Storage: We do NOT upload your personal data to our servers
- Backend Communication: The only data transmitted to our servers is your request for updated scam lists (API call with optional filters)
- Encryption: Communication with our API uses HTTPS encryption
5. Third-Party Data Sharing
We DO NOT sell, trade, rent, or transfer your personal information to third parties. We only share data as necessary with:
- Our Backend API: To fetch updated scam threat intelligence lists
- Chrome: To store your preferences in Chrome's storage system (Google does not have access to this data separately)
6. Data Retention
- Scam Lists: Updated every 15 minutes; oldest data is automatically replaced with newer threat intelligence
- User Preferences: Retained locally until you uninstall the extension or manually clear your data
- Pro Subscription Data: Retained in our database for the duration of your subscription. After expiration or upon request, we will delete your payment address and stake address within 30 days
- Background Logs (Local): Limited to the last 200 entries on your device; older entries are automatically removed
- Server Logs: Technical logs related to API requests are retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes
- No Persistent User Activity Logs: We do NOT maintain long-term records of your browsing activity or scam scanning history
7. Permissions Explained
The extension requests the following Chrome permissions:
| Permission | Purpose | Data Collected |
|---|---|---|
storage | Store scam lists and user preferences | Lists and settings only |
tabs | Check current tab domain against scam list | Current domain URL only |
alarms | Schedule periodic data sync | None; used for scheduling |
Host permissions | Fetch scam threat intelligence | Request metadata only |
8. Pro Features Overview
AdaShield offers both Free and Pro subscription tiers:
Free Features:
- Domain protection - blocks access to known scam websites
- Scam domain database with real-time updates
- Manual scam reporting capabilities
- Free forever with no payment required
Pro Features (Subscription Required):
- Real-time transaction scanning - automatically scans blockchain transactions for scam addresses
- Priority database updates (scam lists updated more frequently)
- Premium support access
- Enable via payment to the AdaShield wallet address (1 month, 6 months, or 12 months options)
Pro features are controlled by your subscription status. If you cancel or your subscription expires, Pro features automatically disable while Free features remain available.
9. User Controls
You have full control over the extension:
- Disable Domain Protection: Toggle off to stop checking domains against the scam list
- Manage Pro Features: Pro users can enable/disable transaction scanning (when subscribed)
- View Scam Lists: Access and review the current lists of known scams in the extension popup
- Clear Local Data: You can clear all stored data by uninstalling the extension or clearing Chrome storage
- Delete Server Data: Contact us to request deletion of your Pro subscription data (payment/stake address)
- Opt-Out: You can uninstall the extension at any time to stop using our protection services
10. Updates and Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of material changes by:
- Updating the effective date at the top of this policy
- Posting the updated policy on our website
Your continued use of the extension after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
11. Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical measures to protect the security of data transmitted to our servers:
- All API communications use HTTPS encryption
- We do NOT store sensitive user information
- All data processing happens locally on your device whenever possible
12. Children's Privacy
AdaShield is not designed for children under the age of 13. We do NOT knowingly collect information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, the extension's data practices, or your privacy rights, please contact us at:
- Email: privacy@adashield.io
- Website: https://ada-shield.vercel.app
- Support: https://ada-shield.vercel.app/support
14. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your data:
- Access: Request what data we collect about you
- Deletion: Request deletion of your data
- Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Opt-Out: Stop using the extension and delete all local data
To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 13.
15. Legal Compliance
This Privacy Policy complies with:
- Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - where applicable
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) - where applicable
- Other applicable privacy laws and regulations
16. Disclaimers
- While we strive to maintain accurate threat intelligence lists, AdaShield cannot guarantee 100% protection against all scams and phishing attacks
- We recommend using other security best practices in addition to AdaShield
- Users are responsible for verifying transactions before sending funds
Thank you for using AdaShield to protect your Cardano assets.
Last Updated: January 13, 2026