Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 9, 2025

Overview

RateMyProfessors.co and its Chrome extension are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect and how we use it.

Information We Collect

Chrome Extension

The RateMyProfessor for VCCS Chrome extension collects minimal data:

• Professor names on the page

  Used to look up ratings from our database. This data is processed locally and sent to our API to retrieve matching professor information.

• Saved professors (optional)

  If you choose to save professors, this list is stored locally in your browser using Chrome's storage API. It never leaves your device.

Website (ratemyprofessors.co)

When you use our website, we may collect:

• Account information

  If you create an account: email address and password (encrypted). This is optional and only required if you want to save preferences or post reviews.

• Search queries

  Professor and school searches to provide relevant results. Not linked to your identity unless you're logged in.

• Reviews

  If you submit reviews, we store the review content, course name, grade received, and timestamp.

How We Use Your Information

• Display professor ratings next to names on your class registration page
• Provide search functionality to find professor ratings
• Improve our service and fix bugs
• Send important updates about the service (if you've created an account)

Information We Do NOT Collect

• Your class schedule or enrollment information
• Your grades or academic records
• Browsing history outside of professor searches
• Personal information from your college account
• Location data, contacts, or other sensitive information

Data Storage & Security

Your saved professors are stored locally in your browser and never transmitted to our servers. Any data sent to our API uses HTTPS encryption. We do not sell or share your data with third parties.

Third-Party Services

We use Firebase for authentication and hosting. Firebase's privacy practices are covered by Google's privacy policy. Professor rating data is aggregated from publicly available sources including RateMyProfessors.com.

Your Rights

You can:

• Clear your saved professors at any time through the extension popup
• Disable or uninstall the extension at any time
• Request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us

Chrome Extension Permissions Explained

• activeTab

  Allows the extension to read the current page content only when you're on the VCCS registration site to find professor names.

• storage

  Allows saving your preferred professors locally in your browser.

• Host permissions (ps-sis.vccs.edu)

  Required to inject our content script that displays professor ratings on the class registration page.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes through the extension or website.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, please contact us at:

[email protected]