Websites Can Access Your Location Without You Noticing — I Made a Tool to Catch That

LN Das — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:06:17 +0000

TL;DR: I created Permission Analyzer, an open-source Chrome privacy extension that logs when websites access your camera, mic, location, clipboard, or notifications using the Chrome Permissions API — with timestamps and local-only storage. View on GitHub

Why You Should Care About Browser Permission Logging

Websites can request powerful permissions — like your microphone, camera, or location — and once granted, they can often use them in the background without you noticing.

There's no native Chrome feature to:

Notify you when permissions are accessed
Log usage history
Export access records

As a privacy-conscious developer, I wanted to see exactly what was accessed, when, and by which website — without compromising my own data security.

So I built Permission Analyzer.

Introducing: Permission Analyzer

Permission Analyzer is a focused, open-source Chrome permission logger that gives you visibility into what’s happening behind the scenes in your browser.

What It Tracks:

Camera access
Microphone access
Geolocation
Clipboard read access
Notifications

All events are timestamped and logged only to your device, using chrome.storage.local. Nothing ever leaves your browser.

Who It's For:

Privacy-focused users
Developers testing permission behavior
Security auditors
Anyone curious about silent browser access

If you're searching for a Chrome extension to track mic and camera access, or to monitor website permissions in real time, this tool fills that exact need.

What Makes It Unique (vs Other Privacy Extensions)

Unlike privacy blockers or managers, Permission Analyzer doesn’t block — it reveals.

Here's what sets it apart:

Logs actual access (not just permission requests)
Uses the Chrome Permissions API to detect and timestamp activity
No analytics, tracking, or external calls
Works fully offline
Exports your data to Markdown for review or reporting
Built with vanilla JavaScript (no frameworks)
Open-source and 100% auditable on GitHub

Other tools may hide or restrict access, but almost none let you see who accessed what and when — Permission Analyzer does.

How It Works

The extension listens for permission activity using Chrome’s internal APIs.
When a site accesses a tracked permission, it:
- Logs the site domain
- Records the permission used
- Captures the timestamp
These events are stored in chrome.storage.local
A popup UI displays your log history
One click exports the log to Markdown

Installation (Manual — Chrome Web Store Coming Soon)

To install manually:

Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/LnDas/permission-analyzer.git

Visit chrome://extensions/
Enable Developer Mode
Click Load unpacked and select the extension folder
Done — it starts working instantly

Built for Transparency

I made Permission Analyzer for people like me:

Developers
Hackers
Privacy nerds
Open-source believers

You can inspect every line of code. You can run it offline. You can audit your own browsing environment — with no one watching you back.

Try It Now

Looking for a way to:

Track site permission access in Chrome?
Log camera, mic, or location usage?
Use a Chrome privacy extension that doesn’t spy on you?

Then try Permission Analyzer:

https://github.com/LnDas/permission-analyzer

If you like it, give it a star on GitHub or share with others who care about browser privacy.

DEV Community: LN Das