Privacy Policy – Sichtschutz Browser
Last updated: 23 October 2026 · applies to Sichtschutz Browser for Android from version 1.4.0 (Google Play and GitHub), for Windows from version 3.5.0.4, for iPhone and iPad from version 1.1.0, and to this website. Section 4 covers Android, section 5 Windows, section 6 iPhone and iPad. The German version is authoritative: https://sichtschutz.xanonymeki.net/datenschutz/
Sichtschutz Browser was called "XBrowser SHIELD" until October 2026. The Windows and Android versions may still show the old name; this policy covers all versions under either name.
1. Controller and contact
Sichtschutz Browser is a project by X-Projekt.
Controller: X-Projekt
Privacy enquiries: apple20255@proton.me
2. Summary
- Sichtschutz Browser needs no account and contains no advertising, no analytics or tracking services and no crash reporting.
- X-Projekt receives no data about the websites you visit or what you search for. X-Projekt's servers only deliver signed update information and update files; they receive no usage data.
- What Sichtschutz Browser stores (bookmarks, settings, history, downloads) stays on your device. On Android this data is excluded from cloud backups and from transfer to a new device.
- Internet connections happen only because of what you do (websites, search), because of the browser engine's protection features, the signed update check, and features you switch on (on Windows, Tor is on by default).
3. Data on your device
The table describes the Android version. On Windows, Sichtschutz Browser keeps settings, bookmarks, history, cookies and site data in its profile on your PC, like Firefox; you delete them in Sichtschutz Browser's privacy settings or by uninstalling. On iPhone and iPad they are kept in the app's storage and deleted together with the app.
| Data | When it is created | How long, and how to delete it |
|---|---|---|
| Settings, bookmarks | when you create them | until you delete them in the app or uninstall Sichtschutz Browser |
| History | only if you turn it on (default: off); never in Tor mode | until you delete it (Menu → History); turning it off deletes it completely |
| Cookies, site data | every tab is private | automatically when all tabs are closed or Sichtschutz Browser is quit; immediately with "Clear everything" |
| Downloads | only after you confirm | as normal files in Downloads/XBrowser (Android 8/9: where you choose) until you delete them |
| Add-ons | when you install an add-on | until you remove it in the add-on manager or uninstall Sichtschutz Browser |
4. Connections to the internet (Android)
Websites you visit. Your device connects directly to the websites you open. They receive technically necessary data such as your IP address, browser identifier and the requested address; their operators are responsible for that processing. Sichtschutz Browser allows encrypted HTTPS connections only and sends the Global Privacy Control signal (a request not to sell or share your data).
Search engine. Input that is not a web address goes to the search engine you chose (default: DuckDuckGo; available: Brave Search, Startpage, Mojeek, Google).
Protection lists of the browser engine. The engine (Mozilla GeckoView) downloads tracker protection lists and security data (e.g. certificate revocation lists) from Mozilla Corporation servers and lists of known malware and phishing sites via Google Safe Browsing. No visited addresses are transmitted. Only if an address resembles a list entry does the engine send a shortened, non-reversible hash of that address to Google to check the match.
Updates. - Installed from Google Play: updates come only through Google Play; Google's privacy terms apply. - Installed from GitHub: at most every six hours Sichtschutz Browser downloads a digitally signed update file from GitHub (raw.githubusercontent.com, GitHub Inc.). GitHub receives technical connection data such as the IP address. No device identifiers or usage data are sent. In Tor mode this request uses Tor. - Automatic updates (GitHub version from 1.4.1, can be turned off): if that file announces a newer version, Sichtschutz Browser downloads the new app file (APK) from GitHub (github.com and GitHub's download servers), by default only over Wi-Fi and in Tor mode over Tor. GitHub receives the same technical connection data. The file is checked on your device, installed with Android's package installer and then deleted. The notifications are created on your device; no data is sent to X-Projekt.
Encrypted DNS (optional). If you turn on DNS.SB, name lookups of visited websites go encrypted to DNS.SB (xTom GmbH) instead of your network provider.
Tor (optional). If you turn on Tor, the browser engine's connections go through the Tor
network; website names are resolved by the Tor exit, not by your device. Every website gets its own Tor
connection. To confirm the Tor exit, Sichtschutz Browser opens check.torproject.org over Tor; this also applies to
"New Tor identity". For HTTPS pages Sichtschutz Browser asks once per session, over Tor, whether the site offers an onion
version ("Onion-Location" header). The list of Tor relays in the site information uses only data Tor already
has and a country database on your device. Onion services (.onion) open only in Tor mode. Links that open other
apps (email, phone, maps, downloaded files) do not use Tor; Sichtschutz Browser warns before opening them.
Tor bridges (optional). If you choose a bridge, Sichtschutz Browser first connects to that bridge instead of directly to the Tor network. Snowflake and meek connect through a content delivery network (CDN77); Snowflake also uses public STUN servers and volunteer Snowflake proxies. They see your IP address but not which websites you visit.
Add-ons (optional). You install add-ons such as uBlock Origin or Buster yourself; Sichtschutz Browser downloads them from addons.mozilla.org (Mozilla Corporation). Installed add-ons can read and change website content; their developers are responsible for their data processing. When you tap Buster's button in a captcha challenge, Buster sends the audio challenge to a speech recognition service (by default Wit.ai by Meta Platforms).
Support (optional). The support link opens Telegram or your default browser outside Sichtschutz Browser.
In-app displays. The tracker counter, site information and certificate details are computed on your device only and are not transmitted.
Providers outside the EU. Some of the providers named in this section and in sections 5 and 6 are based in the USA (e.g. GitHub, Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare, Apple, Mozilla). Transfers there rely on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework where the provider is certified, or on EU standard contractual clauses.
5. Windows version
Websites and Tor. On Windows, Tor is on by default: Sichtschutz Browser starts Tor on your PC, and connections to websites
go through the Tor network, each website over its own circuit. Websites then see the Tor exit's address instead of
your IP address. To confirm the Tor exit, Sichtschutz Browser contacts check.torproject.org. If Tor is blocked, Sichtschutz Browser uses
bridges: obfs4 bridge servers or Snowflake (via a content delivery network, public STUN servers and volunteer
Snowflake proxies); these see your IP address but not which websites you visit. If you switch Tor off, your PC
connects to websites directly (as described in section 4). Sichtschutz Browser allows HTTPS only and sends Global Privacy Control.
Search engine. Input that is not a web address goes to the configured search engine (default: Google; can be changed in the settings).
Protection lists of the browser engine. As on Android, the engine (Mozilla Firefox/Gecko) downloads tracker lists and security data from Mozilla Corporation servers and lists of known malware and phishing sites via Google Safe Browsing (see section 4). Mozilla telemetry, studies and crash reports are switched off.
Updates. Sichtschutz Browser automatically fetches digitally signed update information from X-Projekt's update server (reached through an address of AVM GmbH's MyFRITZ! service). If it announces a new version, Sichtschutz Browser downloads the new installer from the same server only after you confirm, and checks it before installation. The server processes technically necessary connection data such as your IP address; X-Projekt does not analyse it. No device identifiers or usage data are sent.
Installation. If the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime is missing on your PC, the installer downloads it from Microsoft (aka.ms and Microsoft Corporation's download servers). Microsoft receives technical connection data.
Bundled add-ons. uBlock Origin, NoScript, Privacy Badger, CanvasBlocker, User-Agent Switcher and Manager, Buster, Bitwarden and Proton VPN come pre-installed. Add-ons can read and change web page content and download their filter lists and updates from their providers or from addons.mozilla.org. Bitwarden and Proton VPN connect to their services only if you sign in there; Bitwarden Inc.'s and Proton AG's privacy terms apply. Buster sends a captcha audio challenge to a speech recognition service only when you click its button. The add-on developers are responsible for their processing.
Support links. The support links in Sichtschutz Browser open Telegram or Instagram only when you click them.
6. iPhone and iPad version
Websites. Pages are rendered by Apple's WebKit. Your device connects directly to the websites you open or, if you
switch Tor on, through the Tor network; Sichtschutz Browser then confirms the Tor exit via check.torproject.org.
Search engine. Searches go to the search engine you choose (DuckDuckGo, Brave Search or Google).
Security and update information. Sichtschutz Browser downloads signed security and update information from
xbrowser-security.pages.dev, an X-Projekt site on Cloudflare Pages (Cloudflare, Inc.). Cloudflare processes
technical connection data such as the IP address; no usage data is sent. Updates themselves come through the App Store.
Encrypted DNS (optional). If you set up DNS.SB and confirm the DNS profile in iOS, name lookups go encrypted to DNS.SB (xTom GmbH).
AirPlay (optional). If you pick an AirPlay device, your iPhone sends the page's media to that device on your network.
App Store. Downloads and updates go through Apple's App Store; Apple's privacy policy applies. If you agreed in iOS to share analytics with app developers, Apple provides X-Projekt with aggregated statistics and crash reports.
Sichtschutz Browser for iPhone and iPad contains no third-party analytics, advertising or sign-in services.
7. Permissions (Android)
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Internet, network state | loading websites, Tor, update check |
| Notifications (Android 13+, only with your consent) | security update notices |
| Technical permissions without prompt (background task, boot, wake lock, audio) | scheduled update check; sound of videos and music on websites |
Sichtschutz Browser does not request access to location, camera, microphone, contacts or storage, and websites do not get these permissions. You choose files for an upload yourself in the Android file picker; only those files are passed to the website.
8. Data security
- Websites load over encrypted HTTPS connections only; onion services are end-to-end encrypted through Tor.
- App data is kept in the app's protected storage and is not included in cloud backups.
- Update notices are accepted only if their digital signature is valid.
- On Windows, Sichtschutz Browser checks the installed program files against a signed list before every start.
- Screenshots and the preview in recent apps are blocked by default; the keyboard is asked not to learn input.
9. If you contact X-Projekt
If you send an email, X-Projekt processes your email address and the content only to answer your enquiry and deletes both once it is resolved, unless a legal retention duty applies. The mailbox is operated by Proton AG (Switzerland); Switzerland is covered by an EU adequacy decision.
10. This website
This website is delivered through Cloudflare, Inc. When you open it, Cloudflare processes technically necessary data such as your IP address to deliver the page and protect it against attacks. The website sets no cookies, loads no third-party content and uses no analytics.
11. Legal basis
Where personal data such as your IP address is processed in the connections described above, this is done to provide the features you use (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and based on the legitimate interest in a secure app and website, e.g. signed update checks and protection against attacks (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Email enquiries are answered on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR.
12. Children
Sichtschutz Browser is not directed at children under 16.
13. Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, objection and data portability. As X-Projekt receives no data about you apart from emails, these rights in practice concern email enquiries only; all other data is on your device and can be deleted there. You may also lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the EU member state where you live or work.
Contact: apple20255@proton.me
14. Changes
This policy is updated when app features change. The current version is available at https://sichtschutz.xanonymeki.net/privacy/ and in the Android app under Einstellungen (Settings) → Über Sichtschutz Browser → Datenschutzerklärung (up to version 1.4.1: “Über XBrowser SHIELD”).