1. Data stored in your browser

The Extension keeps the following in your browser's local extension storage (chrome.storage.local). It stays on your device:

• a random device identifier generated by the Extension on first launch;
• a separate random referral identifier used only for links to our website (see section 2);
• the session token and licence details (plan, expiry, number of devices) issued by our server;
• proxy credentials for the server you are connected to — removed when you disconnect;
• settings and connection state (selected server, kill switch, cached server list).

All of it is deleted by the browser when you remove the Extension.

2. Data sent to our servers

The Extension communicates only with our API at app.pelmenvpn.com and with our proxy server. It sends:

• Device identifier — to issue your free licence and enforce the device limit.
• Extension version, client type and your browser's User-Agent string — for compatibility, diagnostics and protection against automated abuse. We derive an approximate country code from the User-Agent and store it with the device record.
• IP address of the request — to limit the number of free licences per address. Only a salted one-way hash of it is stored with the licence.
• Usage events — when the licence was activated and when the device last connected to the proxy (time stamps).
• Traffic volume on paid locations — for subscribers the proxy server counts only the number of bytes per device, to add them to the subscription's shared traffic limit. Site addresses, URLs and IP addresses are not recorded.
• Proxy credentials — checked by our proxy server against our API on every connection.
• Referral identifier and campaign tags — when you open our website from the Extension, the link carries utm tags and the referral identifier. Our website records them as an analytics event so we can tell the visit came from the Extension. The device identifier is never put in a link.
• Install and purchase step counters — anonymous events “installed”, “first connection”, “PRO offer shown and clicked”, “checkout page opened”, with a random install identifier and the Extension's build identifier. They carry no site addresses, domains or IP addresses.

3. Data we do not collect

• We do not collect your browsing history, the addresses of pages you visit, or page content. The Extension has no content scripts and does not read or modify web pages.
• Your web traffic passes through our proxy server encrypted end-to-end where the site uses HTTPS. The proxy server keeps no log of visited addresses and does not inspect or store the traffic.
• The Extension does not ask for your name, email, phone number or payment details.

4. How we use data

We use the data above only to:

• issue, verify and limit your free licence and connect you to the proxy server;
• keep the service working: diagnose failures, detect a dead server and switch to a working one;
• protect the free tier from abuse;
• understand how many visitors come to our website from the Extension.

We do not use it for advertising, profiling or credit decisions, and we do not sell it.

5. Where and how long we store data

• Licence and device records (device identifier, User-Agent, country code, IP hash, activation and last-connection times) are stored on our servers in Finland and deleted automatically 90 days after the device last connected.
• Server access logs (IP address, time, requested address on our service) are kept for up to 14 days. The proxy server keeps only an error log, rotated within 3 days, with no record of visited addresses. On paid locations it also counts bytes per device (activation identifier and byte count) and folds them into a total for the subscription limit every 5 minutes.
• Website analytics events (referral identifier, campaign tags) are kept for 12 months.
• Encrypted database backups may contain the records above for up to 90 days after their deletion.

6. Who we share data with

We do not sell user data and do not share it with advertisers or data brokers. Data is processed only by the infrastructure providers that run the service:

• a hosting provider — the servers of our API and database;
• hosting providers — the proxy servers your browser traffic passes through;
• a content delivery network — delivery of our API and website, and storage of encrypted backups;
• a network entry point in Russia — forwards requests to our API; it sees your IP address and keeps standard access logs for up to 14 days.

We may disclose data if we are required to by law. If you open our website from the Extension, the website uses Yandex Metrica and Google Analytics; this is described in our general Privacy Policy and is not part of the Extension.

7. Security

All communication between the Extension, our API and the proxy server is encrypted with TLS. IP addresses are stored only as salted hashes. Access to servers and the database is restricted to the service's administrators.

8. Your choices and deleting your data

• Disconnect at any time from the Extension popup; removing the Extension deletes everything stored in your browser.
• To have the data on our servers deleted before the 90-day period ends, open the Extension popup, press "ID устройства" (device ID) to copy your support code, and send a request through the support section of your personal account at app.pelmenvpn.com or through our Telegram bot @vpnpelmenbot. The support code identifies your device record but cannot be used to access the service. We delete the data within 30 days of the request.
• You may also ask for a copy of the data we hold about your device in the same way.

9. Changes and contact

We will update this page when the Extension's data practices change and revise the effective date above. Questions: support@pelmenvpn.com.