Privacy Policy — Iconoplasm Browser Extension

Last updated: April 6, 2026

This policy describes what data the Iconoplasm browser extension collects and how it’s handled.

What the Extension Does

Iconoplasm scans web pages you visit for human gene symbols (like TP53, BRCA1). When it finds them, it highlights the text and shows hover cards with the gene’s assigned color identity and portrait image. It also tracks which genes you’ve encountered (your “discovery” count).

Data Collected

Page Content (read locally, never transmitted)

The extension reads the text content of pages you visit to find gene symbol matches. This text never leaves your browser. Gene matching happens entirely on your device using a local trie data structure.

Gene Symbol Lists (sent to our server)

When the extension finds gene symbols on a page, it sends those symbols — and only those symbols — to iconoplasm.brinedew.bio to fetch color data and portrait images. We do not send the URL you’re visiting, the page content, or any other browsing data.

Discovery Encounters (optional, sent to our server)

If you’re signed in via Discord, the extension reports which gene symbols you’ve encountered so your discovery count syncs across devices. If you’re not signed in, discoveries are stored locally in chrome.storage.local and never leave your browser.

Preferences (stored locally)

Your settings — highlight mode, tooltip theme, card variant, and blocklist — are stored in chrome.storage.local on your device. They are not transmitted to any server.

What We Don’t Collect

  • Browsing history: We never see which URLs you visit.
  • Page content: The full text of pages stays on your device.
  • Personal information: The extension itself doesn’t collect names, emails, or identifiers. (If you sign in via Discord on the Iconoplasm website separately, that’s covered by the site’s own authentication — the extension only passes along the existing session cookie.)
  • Analytics or telemetry: No usage tracking, no crash reports, no third-party analytics.

Network Requests

The extension makes requests only to iconoplasm.brinedew.bio:

RequestWhat’s SentWhen
Gene batch lookupList of gene symbols found on the current pageWhen you visit a page with gene symbols
Portrait image fetchGene symbolWhen a hover card is shown
Discovery encounterGene symbolWhen a gene is first encountered (signed-in users only)
Discovery state syncSession cookieOn page load (signed-in users only)

No requests are made to any other domain.

Content Script Scope

The extension’s content script runs on all web pages (except iconoplasm.brinedew.bio and staging.brinedew.bio, which are excluded). This broad scope is necessary because gene symbols can appear on any website — research papers, Wikipedia articles, databases, forums, etc. The content script only reads text nodes to find gene symbols; it does not read form inputs, passwords, or other sensitive page elements.

Data Storage

WhatWhereDuration
Display preferenceschrome.storage.localUntil you change them
Blocklist customizationschrome.storage.localUntil you change them
Guest discoverieschrome.storage.localUntil you sign in (merged to server) or clear extension data
Signed-in discoveriesCloudflare D1 database at iconoplasm.brinedew.bioUntil you request deletion

Third Parties

  • Cloudflare: Infrastructure provider for iconoplasm.brinedew.bio. See Cloudflare’s privacy policy.
  • No data is shared with advertisers, analytics providers, or any other third parties.

Your Rights

You can:

  • Clear all local data by removing the extension or clearing its storage in your browser’s extension settings.
  • Request deletion of server-side discovery data by emailing support@brinedew.bio. We’ll respond within 30 days.

Children’s Privacy

This extension is not directed at children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect data from children under 13.

Changes

We may update this policy. The “Last updated” date at the top will reflect changes.

Contact

Email: support@brinedew.bio


Iconoplasm is a personal project. This policy reflects our commitment to handling your data responsibly and transparently.