EcholateWho we are
Echolate is a Chrome extension developed by Maryna Babenko ("we", "the developer"). This policy covers both the Echolate extension and this website, echolate.com.
What we collect: nothing
Echolate has no backend servers. The developer does not collect, store, transmit, sell, or share any user data — not audio, not transcripts, not usage statistics, not identifiers. There is nothing for us to collect it with: the extension talks only to Google Cloud APIs, and this website is a set of static pages.
- No analytics — in the extension or on this website.
- No cookies.
- No tracking of any kind.
- No user accounts — you never sign up for anything.
How your audio is processed
When you press Start, Echolate captures the current tab's audio and processes it locally in your browser to detect spoken phrases. Each phrase is then sent directly from your browser to Google Cloud APIs — Speech-to-Text, Translation, and Text-to-Speech — solely to produce the translation you asked for. No copy passes through, or is visible to, the developer.
Because these requests are made with your own Google Cloud API key, Google's handling of that data is governed by your own agreement with Google Cloud, not by us. See Google Cloud privacy documentation and the Google Cloud Data Processing Addendum.
What stays on your device
Your Google API key and your preferences (chosen languages, volume levels, ducking and other toggles) are stored only locally in the browser, via chrome.storage.local. They never leave your browser, with one exception: the API key is included in the requests your browser sends to Google's APIs, which is how Google authenticates them.
Captions and transcripts shown in the popup are displayed transiently and are not persisted anywhere — close the popup and they're gone.
Extension permissions, explained
Echolate requests the minimum permissions needed to do its job:
| Permission | Why Echolate needs it |
|---|---|
tabCapture | Capture the tab's audio so it can be translated. |
offscreen | Run the audio-processing document that does the capture and mixing. |
storage | Save your settings (key, languages, volumes) locally on your device. |
activeTab | Start translation on the tab you're currently viewing. |
Host permissions for speech.googleapis.com, translation.googleapis.com, texttospeech.googleapis.com | Send audio and text to the three Google APIs that perform recognition, translation, and voice-over. |
Changes to this policy
If this policy ever changes, the new version will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Since the extension collects nothing, we expect changes to be rare and minor.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email echolatecom@gmail.com.