Most privacy policies are long because the company is doing a lot with your data. This one is thorough for the opposite reason: so you can see exactly how little we touch. It explains what we collect, why, who processes it, and the rights you have.
On this page:
- Who we are
- What we do not collect
- What we do collect
- The link you paste
- The files you download
- The browser extension
- Cookies
- Third-party processors
- Legal bases (GDPR)
- Your rights
- Data retention
- International transfers
- Data security
- Children’s privacy
- Do Not Track
- Changes
- Contact
Who we are
Grabvex (“Grabvex”, “we”, “us”) is a free online media downloader operated as an independent project from India. For the purposes of data-protection law, Grabvex is the data controller for the limited information described here. You can reach us at grabvex@gmail.com.
What we do not collect
Grabvex is built to need almost nothing from you. We do not require an account, an email address, or a login. We do not ask for or store payment details. We do not keep the links you paste or the files you download, we do not build advertising profiles, we do not sell or rent personal data, and we do not use third-party advertising networks.
What we do collect
To keep the site running and understand roughly how it is used, we process a small amount of non-identifying information:
- Aggregate analytics. We use Google Analytics to see which pages are visited, approximate location (country and city, derived from a truncated IP address), device and browser type, and the site that referred you. This is used in aggregate to improve Grabvex, not to identify you.
- Technical server logs. Like almost any website, our hosting and content-delivery providers may keep short-lived, automatic logs (such as the time of a request, an IP address, and a status code) to operate the service, ensure security, and prevent abuse.
- Rate-limit counters. A temporary counter limits how many requests come from a single source in a short window. It counts requests, not people, and is not used to identify you.
The link you paste
When you paste a link and start a download, that link is sent to our server, used to locate the original media file, and then discarded. It exists in memory only for the few seconds the lookup takes. We do not write it to a database, we do not keep a history, and there is no record afterward of what was downloaded or by whom.
The files you download
Grabvex does not host or store the media you download. We locate the file on the platform’s own servers and hand your browser the direct address; the transfer happens between your device and that platform. The file never passes through or is retained by us.
The browser extension
Grabvex also publishes an optional Chrome extension, for people who save media often on a desktop and would rather not copy and paste a link every time. It is distributed and reviewed through Google’s own Chrome Web Store, it is entirely optional, and the website behaves exactly the same without it. The extension takes the same position on your data as the site does: it collects nothing.
- Where it runs. Only on the social platforms named on its Chrome Web Store page. Chrome shows you that list before you install. Everywhere else it stays dormant.
- What it reads. The address of the post you are looking at, and only when you click the save button or open the extension’s popup. It does not read, collect or transmit the content of any page — not the post, not your feed, not your messages, not anything you are signed in to.
- What it sends. That single post address goes to our download API, exactly as if you had pasted it on the website, and is used and discarded in the same way described above. Nothing else leaves your browser.
- What it stores. Nothing. There is no account and no history, and the extension holds no browser-storage permission at all, so no list of what you have saved exists — not on your device, and not on our servers.
- What it asks permission for. Two things, and no more: downloads, to write the file you asked for to your device, and activeTab, to read the current tab’s address when you open the popup so it can be filled in for you. The only server it is allowed to contact is grabvex.com. Its presence on the social platforms comes from the small script that draws the save button on a post, and reaches no further than the sites listed on the store page.
- Analytics. None. The extension carries no analytics, no tracking pixel and no remote code. The Google Analytics described above applies to the website only.
We do not sell, rent or pass on anything the extension touches, and we do not use it for advertising, profiling or any purpose beyond delivering the file you asked for. Removing the extension from Chrome removes it completely and leaves nothing behind.
Cookies
Grabvex itself sets no advertising or tracking cookies. Google Analytics sets a small number of first-party cookies to measure visits and distinguish new from returning visitors; they do not identify you personally and are not used for advertising. You can block or delete them in your browser settings or with Google’s opt-out add-on, and Grabvex will work exactly the same.
Third-party processors
We rely on a small number of reputable providers to run the service. Each processes data only as needed to provide its function:
- Google — Google Analytics (aggregate traffic measurement) and Google Fonts (rendering type). See Google’s Privacy Policy.
- Vercel — website hosting and content delivery.
- Cloudflare — content delivery and protection against abuse.
Beyond these, the pages and platforms you visit to download content are between you and that platform.
Legal bases (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we process the limited data above on the basis of our legitimate interests in operating, securing, and improving Grabvex, and, where required, on the basis of your consent for analytics cookies, which you can withdraw at any time using the opt-out above.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or port your personal data, to object to or restrict its processing, and to withdraw consent. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to know what is collected and to opt out of the sale of personal information — Grabvex does not sell personal information. Because we hold almost no data tied to you, there may be little for us to act on, but you are welcome to contact grabvex@gmail.com to exercise any right, and you may complain to your local data-protection authority.
Data retention
Pasted links and download activity are not retained beyond the moment of processing. Aggregate analytics are retained by Google Analytics according to our configured retention period. Technical logs are kept only for the short period our providers use them for operations and security.
International transfers
Our providers may process data on servers located outside your country, including in the United States. Where personal data is transferred internationally, those providers rely on recognised safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
Data security
Grabvex is served entirely over HTTPS, and we minimise the data we handle in the first place — the strongest protection is not holding your data at all. No method of transmission or storage is ever perfectly secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect the limited information we process.
Children’s privacy
Grabvex is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, because it does not collect personal data in the first place. If you believe a child has provided personal data, contact us and we will address it.
Do Not Track
Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” signal. Because Grabvex does not track you across websites or build advertising profiles, there is nothing to disable; the analytics opt-out above remains available if you prefer not to be counted at all.
Changes
If this policy changes, the “Last updated” date at the top changes with it. The direction will not: less data, not more. Continuing to use Grabvex after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy can go to grabvex@gmail.com or our contact page.