Data Retention Note Tracker

WHAT IT DOES

Data Retention Note Tracker is a browser extension that automatically scans the current webpage for data retention notices, privacy policies, cookie consent banners, and compliance information. It detects retention-related elements by examining class names, IDs, data attributes, and text patterns for keywords like "retention", "privacy", "cookie", "consent", "policy", "gdpr", or "ccpa". The extension adds a floating "track retention" button (🔒) next to each detected retention element, allowing you to capture data retention details, privacy policy links, retention periods, and custom notes with a single click. Clicking the button opens a panel where you can review the captured information, add notes about data handling practices, compliance concerns, policy changes, or any other relevant details, and save it to your local database. The extension maintains a complete retention database per website with policy history, retention periods, and notes for each tracked site. The main panel displays all tracked sites, showing the latest retention period, entry count, and any notes. All data is stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue, ensuring your retention tracking information persists across page reloads and browser sessions. This helps you monitor and compare data retention commitments across different websites, supporting compliance research and privacy awareness.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension runs on any webpage that displays data retention notices, privacy policies, cookie consent banners, or compliance information – including websites with cookie banners, privacy policy pages, terms of service pages, GDPR consent dialogs, CCPA compliance notices, and any page containing data retention disclosures. The extension intelligently adapts to different page structures and supports a wide range of common privacy and compliance display patterns. No manual configuration is required per site; the extension automatically detects retention elements using a flexible pattern matching system. This makes it ideal for privacy researchers, compliance professionals, and anyone who wants to track how different websites handle data retention.

HOW TO USE

Simply install the extension and navigate to any webpage displaying privacy information. The extension automatically detects retention notices and places a small "track retention" button (🔒) next to each one. Click any of these buttons to open the tracking panel with the detected retention text and period pre-filled. Add a note about the data handling practices, compliance concerns, or any other relevant detail, then click "Log Retention Data" to save it. A floating button (🛡️) appears in the bottom-right corner of the page – click this to open the main panel. The main panel shows all tracked sites, sorted by most recent entry, with site domain, latest retention period, entry count, and latest note displayed. Click any site card to view detailed history, including all logged entries with timestamps, retention periods, and notes. The detail view also shows the full retention notice text when available. Use the "Track Current Page Retention" button to quickly log retention from the current page, or "Add Manually" to enter retention details for a site you're not currently viewing. The "Clear All Retention Data" button removes all tracking data when needed.

ONE TECHNICAL SECTION – WHY IT WORKS

The extension employs a multi-layered detection system that identifies data retention information with high accuracy. First, it scans the DOM using a comprehensive set of CSS selectors targeting common retention-related class patterns, IDs, and data attributes like "retention", "privacy", "cookie", "consent", "policy", "gdpr", and "ccpa". Second, it uses a TreeWalker to examine text nodes for retention-related text patterns, capturing notices that may not be wrapped in typical retention elements. The retention period extraction uses a pattern-matching engine with a weighted scoring system that identifies time periods like "30 days", "2 years", or "indefinitely" in natural language context. The detection engine also identifies privacy policy links within the same context, enabling comprehensive tracking. Each tracked site is assigned a unique ID based on the site domain, ensuring that history stays correctly associated even when pages use different query strings or subdomains. A MutationObserver detects dynamic content updates and re-scans only when new retention elements appear, balancing real-time accuracy with system performance.

THE PANEL – DRAG / PER-SITE POSITION / SNAP / COLLAPSE / RESIZE / ESCAPE

The retention tracking panel includes a draggable title bar, allowing you to position it anywhere on screen for convenient access during privacy research. The extension remembers your preferred position per website, so the panel opens in the same location each time you return to that domain. The panel supports snap-to-edge behavior – when dragged near screen edges, it gently snaps into place for a tidy workspace layout. You can collapse the panel down to just its title bar by clicking the collapse button, keeping it accessible without taking up screen space. The site list and retention history are contained within a scrollable body, ensuring all content remains accessible even on smaller screens. Pressing the Escape key closes the panel instantly, returning you to your privacy research workflow.

PLEASE NOTE

This extension requires the free BotGentz extension to be installed and enabled, as it relies on BotGentz's userscript injection and GM_* API shims for cross-browser compatibility. Websites frequently update their HTML structures and class names, which may cause retention detection to break temporarily – we actively maintain the matching patterns and release updates regularly. The extension stores all retention data, policy history, timestamps, and notes exclusively in your local browser storage (GM_setValue); no data is ever transmitted to any external server or third party. You are responsible for backing up your retention tracking data if you switch browsers or clear your storage. The extension does not read, modify, or interfere with any privacy policy content, cookie settings, or site functionality – it operates solely on the static page content and stores only metadata (retention notices, periods, and notes) that you explicitly create. Use this tool responsibly for personal privacy research and compliance tracking.