Glean Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 27, 2026
Glean ("we", "our", "the extension") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data Glean collects, how it is used, and your choices.
Core principle: Glean stores all your data locally on your device by default. No data is sent anywhere unless you explicitly configure a third-party service.
1. Data We Collect
Glean collects and stores the following data locally on your device using chrome.storage.local:
- Clipped quotes — Text you select on web pages and choose to save, along with the source page URL and title.
- Your annotations — Personal notes you write after clipping a quote.
- AI-generated insights — Responses from AI services you configure, cached locally for display.
- Extension settings — Your preferences for language, theme, AI provider, and sync configuration.
- Service credentials — API keys and tokens for AI providers and cloud sync services. Glean stores these locally with AES-GCM obfuscation in addition to the browser's extension storage protections; this is not a substitute for device or profile security.
2. Data We Do NOT Collect
- We do not collect personal identification information (name, email, etc.).
- We do not collect browsing history beyond what you explicitly clip.
- We do not use cookies or tracking technologies.
- We do not sell, share, or transmit your data to any third party without your action.
3. Browser Permissions
Glean requests the following browser permissions, each with a specific purpose:
storage — To save your clippings, annotations, and settings locally on your device.alarms — To schedule periodic background sync tasks when you enable cloud sync.<all_urls> (host permission) — To allow the clipping feature to work on any website you visit. Glean injects a content script to detect text selections and show the clip button. No data is read from pages unless you actively select text and click the clip button.optional host permissions — When you connect an AI or cloud-sync service, Glean asks for access to that service's domain at that time. It does not request API-provider access at installation.
4. Third-Party Services
Glean can integrate with third-party services only if you explicitly configure them. When enabled, data is sent directly from your browser to these services:
- AI Providers (DeepSeek, OpenAI, Anthropic, Moonshot, SiliconFlow, Zhipu/BigModel) — Your clipped quotes and annotations may be sent to generate AI insights. Each provider has their own privacy policy governing how they handle your data.
- Notion — If you enable Notion sync, your clippings are sent to your own Notion database via the Notion API. Data is stored in your Notion workspace under your control.
- WebDAV / Nutstore (坚果云) — If you enable WebDAV backup, your data is uploaded to your WebDAV server. Nutstore's privacy policy applies to data stored on their service.
- GitHub Gist — If you enable Gist sync, your data is stored in the Gist selected in your GitHub account.
Important: All API calls are made directly from your browser. Glean does not act as an intermediary or proxy for your data.
5. Data Storage & Security
- All local data is stored in
chrome.storage.local, which is protected by the browser's built-in security model.
- API keys and tokens are stored locally and never transmitted except to their respective services during authenticated API calls.
- Glean uses AES-GCM obfuscation for stored credentials. It helps avoid plaintext storage, but a local extension cannot provide vault-grade protection against someone who can access your browser profile or unlocked device.
6. Data Deletion
You can delete your data at any time by:
- Opening the Glean Journal page and deleting individual cards or using bulk delete.
- Using the Journal's trash to restore an accidental deletion before the retention period ends.
- Uninstalling the extension, which removes all locally stored data.
- Clearing extension data via
chrome://settings/content/all → find Glean → Remove.
7. Children's Privacy
Glean does not knowingly collect data from children under 13. The extension is intended for general audiences.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the extension after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
9. Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy or Glean's data practices, please contact us:
10. Open Source
Glean is open-source software licensed under the MIT License. You can inspect the full source code at https://github.com/IceyOrange/glean to verify our data handling practices.