Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-06-13
usum is a browser extension that generates AI summaries of YouTube videos. This policy explains exactly what the extension touches, what leaves your browser, and what we keep. It is written to satisfy the Chrome Web Store Limited Use requirements.
What the extension reads
When you open a YouTube watch page and ask for a summary, usum reads, inside your browser:
- The video's public metadata (title, channel, length, id).
- The video's public captions / transcript.
- For the Comments mode only: the video's public top comments.
usum never reads your YouTube account, watch history, email, your browsing on other sites, your cookies, or any data on non-YouTube pages. All requests to YouTube are made without your login cookies.
What leaves your browser
Only when you press a summarize button:
- The transcript text (and, for the Comments mode, the comment text) is sent over HTTPS to our summarization backend.
- An anonymous, randomly generated device id used to count free-tier usage and to unlock Pro after purchase. It is not linked to your name, email, or Google account.
The Transcript tab is built entirely in your browser and sends nothing.
How the summary is produced
Our backend forwards the transcript/comment text to a third-party Large Language Model provider (default: OpenAI) over an encrypted connection, receives the summary, and streams it back to your browser.
- We do not store the transcript or comment text after the summary is produced. It is held in memory only for the duration of the request and then discarded.
- We do not sell, rent, or share your data with anyone other than the LLM provider strictly to produce the summary you asked for.
- We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or to train models.
What we store
- Usage counters: the anonymous device id, a timestamp, and the mode used — to enforce the free-tier limit. No video content.
- Subscription state: if you buy Pro, our payment processor (Polar, a Merchant of Record) stores your billing details; we store only whether your device id is Pro. We never see your full card number.
Permissions
storage— to remember your settings, anonymous device id, and Pro status on your device.- Host access to our API — to send transcripts for summarization and receive the result.
The extension ships with all of its code inside the package. It loads no remote code.
Your choices
- Uninstalling the extension removes all locally stored settings and your device id.
- To delete server-side records tied to your device id, email privacy@usum.io.