Last updated: February 2, 2026
At GridLock, we believe that privacy is a fundamental right, not an optional feature. Our products are designed from the ground up to protect your personal information and give you complete control over your data.
Core Principle: All ad blocking and filtering happens locally on your device. We never see your browsing history, the websites you visit, or the content you view.
All blocking happens on your device. No external servers process your traffic.
We don't track your browsing habits or build profiles about your interests.
We never sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties.
Any data collection is optional and anonymized by default.
GridLock operates primarily as a local-first application. Here's what that means:
Important: All blocking statistics, whitelists, and settings are stored locally on your device in encrypted storage. They are never transmitted to our servers.
Our browser extensions require certain permissions to function. Here's a plain explanation of each permission and why we need it:
Permission Breakdown:
| Permission | Why We Need It |
|---|---|
storage |
Save your settings and whitelist locally on your device |
tabs |
Show blocked ad count and stats in the extension popup |
declarativeNetRequest |
Block ads and trackers before they load (core blocking feature) |
unlimitedStorage |
Store filter lists and blocking rules efficiently |
contextMenus |
Add right-click menu options to block page elements |
webNavigation |
Detect page loads to apply blocking rules at the right time |
scripting |
Inject content scripts to remove ads and popups from web pages |
alarms |
Schedule automatic filter list updates |
notifications |
Show you important updates (can be disabled in settings) |
<all_urls> |
Block ads on all websites (that's the whole point!) |
Transparency Promise: You can review our complete source code on GitHub to verify exactly how we use each permission. We have nothing to hide.
GridLock includes an optional telemetry feature that is disabled by default. If you choose to enable it, we collect the following anonymized data:
The anonymized telemetry data helps us:
GridLock takes a zero-tracking approach to cookies:
Since we don't use tracking cookies, we don't show cookie consent banners on our website. You can browse gridlock.app without being pestered by consent popups.
GridLock is designed to be self-contained and independent. Here's our policy on third-party services:
We do NOT use:
We use minimal third-party services only for essential business operations:
These services have their own privacy policies, and we only use them for their stated purposes. We do not share your browsing data with them.
The Android app uses a local VPN to filter network requests. Here's what you need to know:
Bottom Line: The Android VPN is a local filtering interface only. It gives GridLock permission to filter network requests on your device, but it does NOT create a traditional VPN connection to external servers.
You have complete control over your data and privacy settings:
Delete all local data by uninstalling GridLock. No data remains on your device.
Export your settings, whitelists, and blocking statistics from the dashboard.
Turn off optional telemetry in settings with one click at any time.
Use GridLock offline. No account or internet connection required after activation.
If you're located in the European Union, you have additional rights under GDPR:
Since GridLock operates primarily locally and doesn't collect personal data, most of these rights are exercised simply by uninstalling the application.
GridLock is suitable for users of all ages. Because we don't collect personal information, our service is compliant with COPPA and other children's privacy regulations by design.
Parents can use GridLock's parental control features to create a safer browsing environment for children without privacy concerns.
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect any data that is stored locally on your device:
Security by Design: Our privacy-first architecture means that even if our servers were compromised, your browsing data would be safe because it never leaves your device.
GridLock does not transfer personal data internationally. All blocking and filtering happens locally on your device, regardless of your location.
For opt-in telemetry (if enabled), anonymized aggregate data may be processed on servers located in the United States. This data contains no personal identifiers and cannot be linked to individual users.
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.
We will never:
We encourage you to review this privacy policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:
We typically respond to privacy inquiries within 7 business days.
GridLock is built on a simple promise: Your browsing data never leaves your device.