Minimal data.
Maximum respect.
How the Extension Works
Bring Back Youtube Dislike restores the dislike count that YouTube removed in November 2021. It does this by fetching aggregated vote data from a public API and injecting the count back into the YouTube UI entirely transparently.
?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ). No other page data is read.
Data We Handle
The extension handles a minimal, clearly defined set of data. The table below shows exactly what is touched, why, and where it goes.
The extension's settings are synced via Chrome's built-in chrome.storage.sync API. This means your preferences follow you across devices if you are signed into Chrome. This sync is handled entirely by Google we never see this data.
When Data Leaves Your Device
Data leaves your device in exactly two well-defined scenarios both of which are the core function of the extension:
Fetching the dislike count. When you load a YouTube video, its video ID is sent to the YouTube Dislike public API to retrieve the aggregated dislike count. No personal information accompanies this request it is equivalent to performing a public lookup by video ID.
Submitting a vote. When you click like or dislike on YouTube, the extension forwards your vote (video ID + vote direction) to the API. If the optional identity permission has been granted, a locally generated anonymous token may be included to prevent duplicate submissions. This token cannot be used to identify you.
Both outbound requests are sent over HTTPS. Neither request includes cookies, your Google account credentials, your IP address as a stored field, or any personally identifiable information.
What We Don't Do
We want this to be unambiguous. Here is a complete list of things this extension does not do:
- Collect your name, email address, or any personally identifiable information
- Read or store your YouTube watch history, subscriptions, or liked videos
- Access your Google account credentials or session tokens
- Track your browsing across websites only the active YouTube video ID is ever read
- Sell, share, or license any data to third parties, advertisers, or data brokers
- Display advertisements or participate in any ad-monetisation scheme
- Run background processes when you are not on a YouTube page
- Inject scripts into any non-YouTube page under any circumstance
- Log or store your vote choices beyond the anonymous submission to the public API
- Use analytics, crash reporting SDKs, or third-party tracking libraries
- Profile your viewing habits or build any behavioural model about you
- Access your YouTube comments, playlists, or private data of any kind
Permissions & Why They're Needed
The extension requests only the permissions required to fulfil its single purpose. Here is exactly what each permission enables:
Saves and syncs your display preferences (number format, colour theme, tooltip settings, etc.) across devices using Chrome's native sync layer. We never access this data on our servers.
Generates an anonymous, locally computed identifier to prevent duplicate vote submissions. You are never asked to sign in. This permission is optional and can be declined without affecting the dislike count display.
Required to inject the dislike count into YouTube's page and to intercept like/dislike button interactions. The extension only activates on YouTube pages not on any other website.
Required to make network requests to the Dislike API to fetch dislike counts and submit votes. Without this, the core feature cannot function.
About the identity permission: This is declared as optional in the manifest. If you decline it, the extension still shows dislike counts correctly. Vote submission will work without deduplication. We only use this permission for anonymous token generation never to access your Google identity.
Third-Party Services
The extension interacts with the following external services in the specific, limited circumstances described below. No other third-party services are used.
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Dislike API The open-source, community-run API that powers the dislike count restoration. Video IDs and anonymous votes are sent to this service. It is governed by its own privacy policy. No personal data accompanies these requests.
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Google Chrome Storage Sync Your extension preferences are synced via Google's own
chrome.storage.syncAPI if you are signed into Chrome. This is a first-party Google service and is governed by Google's own privacy policy. We never receive or process this data. -
GitHub (version checking) On popup open, the extension fetches the latest version number from a public GitHub file to check whether an update is available. This is a read-only, unauthenticated request that sends no user data. GitHub's privacy policy applies to their server infrastructure.
Data Retention
Because so little data is collected, retention is straightforward:
To delete all locally stored data: go to Chrome Settings → Extensions → Bring Back Youtube Dislikes → Storage → Clear data, or simply uninstall the extension.
Children's Privacy
Bring Back Youtube Dislikes is a utility tool intended for general YouTube audiences. It does not collect personal information from any user, regardless of age. Given the nature of the data handled only anonymous video IDs and vote directions the extension poses no specific privacy risk to younger users.
If you believe the extension has been used in a way that raises a privacy concern for a child, please contact us directly using the details below.
Changes to This Policy
If this privacy policy changes in a material way, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be updated. For any changes that affect what data is collected or how it is used, we will make reasonable efforts to notify users through the extension interface or its store listing.
Continued use of the extension after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.
Contact
Have a question about this policy, want to report a concern, or found something that doesn't look right? Reach out directly privacy questions are taken seriously and responded to within 48 hours.