Privacy, in plain words.

What Outliers reads

Only the profile tab in front of you, and only while you're using the Outliers side panel. It reads the public details the page has already loaded for you. Chrome calls this "website content".

• On Instagram: the profile's follower count, and each Reel's link, cover image and view count. Version 1.1 also reads like and comment counts (likes only where the creator shows them), and the post date and length when the page has them.
• On TikTok (version 1.1, only if you turn it on): the follower count, and each video's link, cover image, views, likes, comments, shares, saves, post date and length.
• When you press Run, it scrolls the profile's grid so the site loads more videos, then ranks them in the side panel and on the page. Outliers uses this only to compare each video with the profile's followers and to sort and filter the list.
• It doesn't read your messages, your feed, your other tabs or your browsing history, and it never sees your password.

All of this is processed in your browser. Outliers' parts (the side panel, its background worker and the reader in your tab) pass it to each other through Chrome's internal extension messaging. None of it leaves your device.

The only network requests Outliers makes itself are for cover images. To show them in the side panel and on a Story card, it loads them from Instagram's or TikTok's own image servers, the same images the page already shows you. Like any image on the web, that request tells the image server which image is wanted and comes from your IP address. It carries none of your scan results, Library or settings.

What it keeps, and where

Everything Outliers keeps stays in this Chrome profile, on this device. None of it is synced to other devices or sent to anyone.

• Your Library. For each video you save: its link, cover image link, view count and multiple (views ÷ followers), the profile it came from, and when you saved it. Version 1.1 also keeps its other counts and whether it's from Instagram or TikTok. Kept in Chrome's local extension storage until you clear it.
• Your settings. Scan limit, filter mode and Min Views, plus Sort from version 1.1. Kept in the extension's own local storage until you change them or remove Outliers.
• Review reminders. A few dates and counts, so Outliers doesn't ask you to rate it too often. Kept in Chrome's local extension storage.
• The current scan. Results stay in that tab's memory until you press Reset, reload or close the tab.
• Exports happen only when you ask. A CSV or a Story card image goes to your downloads, and Copy puts text on your clipboard.

What it never does

• It never uploads your research. There's no Outliers server, and nothing it reads or keeps is sent to the developer or anyone else.
• No analytics, tracking, ads or cookies.
• No account or sign-up.
• It doesn't sell or transfer data to anyone, doesn't use it for anything except finding and sorting videos, and never uses it to judge creditworthiness or for lending.
• No remote code. Everything Outliers runs ships inside the extension.
• On Instagram and TikTok it reads, scrolls and opens a video when you click one. It never posts, likes, follows, comments or messages.

Outliers' use of information follows the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Permissions, one by one

Chrome shows these when you install Outliers. Here's what each one is for.

sidePanelPermission

Opens Outliers in Chrome's side panel when you click its toolbar icon.

scriptingPermission

When you press Run, lets the panel run its reader in the profile tab you're using: reading the follower count and each video's counts, scrolling the grid, and showing the ranked grid on the page.

storagePermission

Keeps your Library, settings and review reminders on this device.

instagram.comSite access

Lets Outliers read the Instagram profile you're viewing and show the ranked grid there.

cdninstagram.comSite access

Instagram's image server. Lets the panel load cover images that Instagram already shows you, including for the Story card image you can download.

tiktok.comOptional site access, version 1.1

Not granted when you install. Chrome asks for it only when you press Turn on TikTok. It lets Outliers read the TikTok profile you're viewing. Without it, Outliers never touches TikTok. You can remove it any time in Outliers' details at chrome://extensions.

Deleting your data

• Saved videos: open the Library and press Clear. This removes saved videos only.
• Scan results: press Reset in the side panel, or reload the tab.
• Everything: remove Outliers from Chrome at chrome://extensions. Chrome deletes the extension's stored data with it.

Instagram and TikTok

Outliers works only on the Instagram and TikTok pages you choose to use it on. Those sites' own data practices are covered by their own privacy policies. Outliers isn't affiliated with Instagram, Meta, TikTok or ByteDance.

This website

This website, unlike the extension, counts its visitors. It uses DataFast in cookieless mode, so it sets no cookies and there's no consent banner.

• What it records: the pages you view, the site that sent you, your approximate location (country and city, from your IP address), your device type, browser and operating system, clicks on links that leave the site (such as Add to Chrome), and presses of the demo's Run button.
• How it tells visits apart: by a hashed identifier made from your IP address, browser and this site's domain, with a salt that changes about every 24 hours. It can't recognise you from one day to the next. It may also keep a session value in your browser for the current tab.
• What it never gets: anything from the extension. The extension sends nothing to DataFast, and nothing to the developer.

No ads, and no other third-party scripts. Fonts are served from the site itself. The site is hosted on Vercel, which keeps standard request logs, such as IP address and browser type, to run and protect the service.

To opt out, block datafa.st with any content blocker; the site works the same without it.

Changes and contact

If Outliers changes what it reads or keeps, this page will be updated with a new effective date.

Questions about privacy, or a privacy request? Email rosty.build@gmail.com.