Remote Tab Opener — Privacy & Security

1) Privacy principles

Local-only: the extension does not send data to any server.
Explicit consent: actions run only on domains you add to the Allow-list yourself.
Least privilege: minimal standard permissions (tabs, activeTab, storage, host injection limited by your Allow-list).
No eavesdropping: no cookie access, no network interception, no arbitrary code eval.
Transparency: clear events and errors are posted back to your admin page.

2) Browser permissions (what they mean)

Permission	Why it’s needed	What we do not do
`tabs`, `activeTab`	Create, update, and focus the targeted tab; read its URL/title to reflect state in your UI.	No tab spying beyond targeted tabs; no screenshots; no background scraping.
`storage`	Store small local preferences (favorites, Allow-list, lab toggles).	No syncing to servers; no profiling.
Host access (content scripts)	Run predefined DOM actions inside sites you explicitly allow in the popup.	Does not bypass SOP; no cross-site data scraping.

Note: Permissions are declared on install and described on AMO. The extension does not add hidden capabilities at runtime.

3) Data handling (plain language)

No collection, no transmission. All actions run locally in your browser.
No cookies or site storage access. Content scripts only perform the requested DOM actions on Allow-listed pages.
Local messages only. Status is relayed to your admin page via window.postMessage and extension messaging — never to external servers.

4) Allow-list model

You stay in control: the extension acts only on domains you approve.

Add or remove domains from the extension popup (browser toolbar).
Wildcards are supported (e.g., *.google.*) — keep them specific and intentional.
When an action fails with DOMAIN_NOT_ALLOWED, add that host, then retry.

The web page itself cannot programmatically add hosts to your Allow-list. Browser consent must come from you via the popup. Some common demo seeds may be offered locally; you can edit or remove them anytime.

5) Local storage (what lives where)

Item	Scope	Lifetime	Notes
Allow-list	Extension storage	Until you change it	Editable from popup; never uploaded.
Favorites	Extension storage	Until cleared	Optional quick-access URLs.
Lab settings	Extension/page storage	Until cleared	UI flags, last URL/title mirrors.
Demo logs	Page memory	Until refresh	Visible in the on-page console only.

6) Security boundaries

SOP respected: actions run inside the target tab’s context; frames injected only when host permissions allow it.
No arbitrary code execution: only documented tab + DOM commands are exposed (deny-by-default).
Normalized APIs: background/tab control (open/openTab, navigate, focus, getUrl/getTitle, listTabs, adoptTab, releaseTab) and content-side DOM actions (waitFor, setValue, click, submit, getHtml with bounded output).

Sanitized extraction: HTML reads are bounded and sensitive inputs are redacted or blocked (e.g., password/hidden/payment identifiers). Where applicable, outerHTML serialization avoids leaking live input values.

7) Your controls

Pause/stop anytime: close the controlled tab or stop your flow.
Edit Allow-list: remove a host in the popup to block future actions on it.
Clear data: remove the extension or clear its storage from browser settings.

8) For developers (ship privacy-friendly flows)

Gate flows with a detect check; hide remote actions until ready.
Show a clear banner on DOMAIN_NOT_ALLOWED with the exact host to add, plus a “Try again” button.
Keep logs technical and minimal; don’t print user secrets.

Tip: Add a quick self-check: detect → openTab → getUrl locally, fail fast if mis-configured.

Need help writing safe flows?
Try the specialized helper: Remote Tab Opener Copilot.

9) Privacy FAQ

Question	Answer
Do you send data to a server?	No. The extension is entirely local and does not phone home.
Do you read cookies?	No. The extension does not read or modify cookies or site storage.
Do you intercept network traffic?	No. There is no network interception and no `webRequest` permission in the public builds.
Can a web page add itself to the Allow-list automatically?	No. Only the user can add or remove hosts via the extension popup. Programmatic self-addition by a page is not allowed.
Is any analytics/telemetry sent?	No. The extension sends no analytics and makes no external requests.

10) Quick links

Live examples FAQ Developer Docs