To block a page, a blocker has to look at it. That means any porn blocker can, in principle, see every site you visit. For a tool used in one of the most private areas of someone’s life, that deserves careful thought.
Here’s what to look for, and how we handle it in Safe View.
What a blocker needs to work
To decide whether to block a page, a blocker needs to check the address, and sometimes the page’s title and text. That checking can happen in one of two places:
- In your browser, on your device, where nothing needs to leave your computer.
- On the company’s servers, which means sending what you browse to someone else.
The first is far more private. If a blocker sends your browsing to a server, ask why, and what happens to it there.
Questions to ask any blocker
- Does it send the websites you visit anywhere?
- Does it need an account, email or phone number?
- Where are your lists, history and settings stored?
- What does it collect, and can you turn that off?
- Does the privacy policy explain this in plain language?
If the answers are vague or hard to find, be cautious.
How Safe View handles your data
Checks happen on your device. Safe View decides what to block inside your browser. It never sends the websites you visit, your keywords, your lists, or anything you type.
No account. There’s nothing to sign up for: no email, no password.
Your data stays local. Your browsing activity, blocklist, whitelist, setup answers, trigger check-ins and partner details are stored in your browser. When you remove Safe View, they’re removed with it.
Your partner’s details stay with you. If you add an accountability partner, Safe View only prepares a message for you to send yourself.
One thing we do collect, and how to switch it off. To improve the extension, Safe View sends anonymous usage counts, such as which screens are used and rough streak ranges. They use fixed categories, never free text, so they can’t contain a website address or anything you typed. They’re on by default, the setup screen explains them, and you can turn them off any time in Settings.
You can read the full details in our privacy policy.
Privacy and protection aren’t opposites
You shouldn’t have to choose between a blocker that works and one that respects you. Doing the work on your device, keeping data local, and being clear about the little that is sent: that’s the standard we think every blocker should meet. For more on choosing a blocker, see 8 things to check before you install one.
