Privacy & Security for Video Processing
Understand how VideoSOS protects your privacy through local processing. Learn about WebAssembly security, data protection, network verification, GDPR compliance, and why client-side processing is the gold standard for sensitive video content.
What You'll Learn
- How local processing keeps your videos completely private
- WebAssembly security model and browser sandboxing
- What data is NOT collected and verifying zero uploads
- Comparing cloud services vs. local processing security
- GDPR compliance and enterprise security considerations
How Local Processing Protects Your Privacy
VideoSOS uses a fundamentally different architecture than cloud-based video processors. Instead of uploading your videos to remote servers, all compression happens entirely within your browser on your device. Your video files never leave your computer—not even temporarily.
The Local Processing Flow
You Select a Video File
File selection happens through your browser's file picker. The video stays on your hard drive or SSD—only a reference to its location is passed to the browser.
Browser Reads File Into Memory
Your browser loads the video into RAM (temporary memory) for processing. This happens entirely on your device. No network connection is used or required for this step.
FFmpeg.wasm Processes Video
WebAssembly-compiled FFmpeg runs inside your browser's sandbox, compressing the video using your CPU. All processing happens in RAM—nothing is written to disk during compression except the final output.
Compressed Video Downloads
When compression completes, the browser saves the compressed video to your downloads folder. This is a local file operation—no server receives the video.
What This Means for Privacy
Zero Upload
Your videos are never transmitted over the internet. They remain on your device throughout the entire process.
No Server Storage
We don't have servers that store, process, or even temporarily cache your videos. Our servers only deliver the web application code.
Offline Capable
After initial load, VideoSOS works completely offline. Disconnect from the internet and it still compresses videos perfectly.
No Account Required
No registration, no login, no user profiles. We don't collect any personally identifiable information.
💡Technical Guarantee: The architecture makes it impossible for us to access your videos. Even if we wanted to collect your videos (we don't), the technology stack prevents it. Your browser sandbox ensures no external access to file processing operations.
WebAssembly Security Model
WebAssembly (Wasm) is the technology that enables VideoSOS to run powerful video processing entirely in your browser. It's designed with security as a foundational principle, providing strong isolation guarantees that protect both your data and your system.
Browser Sandbox Protection
Memory Isolation
WebAssembly runs in a completely isolated memory space. It cannot access:
- • Your file system (except explicitly selected files)
- • Other browser tabs or applications
- • System memory or processes
- • Network interfaces (without explicit browser permission)
- • Camera, microphone, or other hardware directly
Capabilities-Based Security
WebAssembly follows a capabilities model. It can only do what the browser explicitly permits. VideoSOS requests only these minimal permissions:
- • Read the specific video file you selected
- • Write the compressed output to your downloads folder
- • Use CPU for computation
- • Use RAM for temporary processing
That's it. No network access, no persistent storage, no system-level permissions.
Control Flow Integrity
WebAssembly's design prevents entire classes of vulnerabilities common in traditional software:
- • No buffer overflow exploits (memory is bounds-checked)
- • No arbitrary code execution (strict type system)
- • No stack corruption attacks (protected call stack)
- • No memory leaks affecting your system (garbage collected)
Comparison: WebAssembly vs. Native Software
| Security Aspect | WebAssembly | Native App |
|---|---|---|
| File system access | User-selected files only | Full system access |
| Network access | Browser-mediated only | Unrestricted |
| Memory protection | Sandboxed & isolated | OS-level protection |
| Update mechanism | Auto-updated via web | Manual updates required |
| Installation required | No | Yes |
Security by Design: WebAssembly was created by Apple, Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft specifically to enable safe execution of untrusted code in browsers. It's been audited by security researchers worldwide and is considered one of the most secure execution environments available.
What Data We Do NOT Collect
Transparency is critical for privacy. Here's an exhaustive list of data we explicitly do NOT collect, store, or have any access to when you use VideoSOS.
Never Collected
- ✗Your video files or any portion of their content
- ✗Video thumbnails or preview frames
- ✗Video metadata (filenames, duration, resolution)
- ✗Compression settings you choose
- ✗Your IP address (standard web traffic only)
- ✗Browser fingerprinting or tracking cookies
- ✗Personal information or account data (no accounts exist)
- ✗Usage patterns or behavioral analytics beyond basic page views
Minimal Analytics
We collect only basic, anonymous analytics to improve the service:
- ✓Page views (which pages you visit)
- ✓General browser type (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- ✓General region (country-level, not city)
- ✓Error logs (crashes or technical issues, no personal data)
This data is aggregated, anonymized, and used only to identify bugs and improve browser compatibility. We use privacy-respecting analytics tools that don't track individuals.
Cookie Policy
No Tracking Cookies
VideoSOS does not use advertising cookies, cross-site tracking cookies, or any cookies that follow you around the web.
Essential Cookies Only
We use minimal session cookies for basic functionality (e.g., remembering your quality preference across page refreshes). These are stored locally and never leave your browser.
No Third-Party Cookies
We don't embed third-party services that set cookies. No social media tracking, no ad network cookies, no hidden third-party data collection.
Verifying No Data Transmission
Don't just take our word for it—you can verify VideoSOS's privacy claims yourself using built-in browser developer tools. Here's how to confirm that no video data leaves your device.
Network Monitoring: Step-by-Step Verification
Open Browser Developer Tools
Chrome/Edge: Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac)
Firefox: Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac)
Safari: Enable Developer menu in Preferences, then press Cmd+Option+I
Go to Network Tab
Click the "Network" tab in developer tools. This shows all network requests your browser makes while using the site.
Clear Previous Requests
Click the 🚫 (clear) icon in the Network tab to remove previous requests. This gives you a clean slate for monitoring.
Compress a Video
Select a video file and compress it normally. Watch the Network tab throughout the entire compression process.
Verify Zero Upload Activity
During compression, you should see ZERO network requests. No uploads, no API calls, no data transmission. The network tab stays empty except for the initial page load.
What You'll Observe
Initial Page Load (Before Compression):
You'll see requests for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the FFmpeg.wasm library (~25MB). This is normal— the application code is being downloaded.
During Compression:
ZERO network activity. Your CPU usage will spike (100% is normal), but network usage will be 0 bytes/sec. This proves all processing happens locally.
After Compression:
Still zero video-related network requests. Only analytics ping (tiny, no video data) if you haven't blocked analytics.
💡Advanced Verification: For the truly paranoid (we respect that!), you can disconnect from the internet entirely after the initial page load and VideoSOS will continue working perfectly. This is impossible with cloud-based services—they require constant connectivity to upload and process your videos.
Local Processing vs. Cloud Services
Most video compression services use cloud processing: you upload videos to their servers, they compress them, then you download the result. This model has fundamental privacy implications that local processing eliminates.
Privacy Comparison
| Privacy Aspect | VideoSOS (Local) | Cloud Services |
|---|---|---|
| Video Upload | Never uploaded | Full upload required |
| Server Access | Zero access | Full access to content |
| Data Retention | None (local only) | Hours to permanent |
| Metadata Collection | None | Extensive (files, IPs, times) |
| Third-Party Access | Impossible | Possible (subpoenas, breaches) |
| Content Scanning | Never scanned | Often scanned for various purposes |
| Encryption in Transit | N/A (no transit) | HTTPS (still visible to service) |
| Works Offline | Yes (after initial load) | No (requires connection) |
Cloud Service Privacy Risks
Data Breach Exposure
Cloud services are prime targets for hackers. If their servers are compromised, your videos could be exposed or stolen.
Terms of Service Changes
Cloud providers can change their privacy policies, data retention, or even claim rights to use your content for AI training or other purposes.
Legal Access Requests
Government agencies can subpoena cloud providers for your data. With local processing, there's nothing for them to access—your videos never leave your possession.
Employee Access
Cloud service employees with administrative access can potentially view user content, either legitimately (troubleshooting) or maliciously.
The Local Processing Advantage: With VideoSOS, these risks simply don't exist. Your videos are never exposed to the internet, never stored on third-party servers, and never accessible to anyone but you. It's not just better privacy—it's a fundamentally different security model.
GDPR Compliance & Enterprise Security
VideoSOS's local processing architecture inherently satisfies many data protection regulations, making it an excellent choice for organizations handling sensitive content or operating under strict privacy regulations.
GDPR & Privacy Law Compliance
Article 5: Data Minimization
Requirement: Collect only data necessary for specified purposes.
VideoSOS Compliance: We collect virtually no personal data. Video content never leaves your device, and analytics are minimal and anonymized. This exceeds GDPR requirements.
Article 17: Right to Erasure
Requirement: Users can request deletion of their personal data.
VideoSOS Compliance: Since we never collect or store your videos or personal information, there's nothing to delete. This right is automatically satisfied.
Article 25: Privacy by Design
Requirement: Build privacy protection into system design from the start.
VideoSOS Compliance: Local processing architecture makes data collection technically impossible. Privacy isn't a feature—it's the foundation of the technology.
Article 32: Security of Processing
Requirement: Implement appropriate technical measures to secure data.
VideoSOS Compliance: Browser sandbox and WebAssembly security model provide military-grade isolation. No data transmission means no interception risk.
Enterprise Security Benefits
No DLP Conflicts
Data Loss Prevention systems won't flag VideoSOS since videos never leave your network. No policy violations.
No BAA Required
Healthcare organizations don't need Business Associate Agreements since no PHI is transmitted to third parties.
Air-Gapped Compatible
Works on isolated networks. Download once, use offline indefinitely. Perfect for classified environments.
No Vendor Risk
Eliminates third-party vendor security assessments and ongoing compliance monitoring for video processing.
Simplified Audits
Auditors love "no data collection" architectures—far simpler to audit than cloud services with complex data flows.
No Jurisdiction Issues
Data sovereignty concerns vanish—videos never cross borders or jurisdictions.
Use Cases: When Privacy Matters Most
Privacy Best Practices
Maximize Your Privacy
- ✓ Use VideoSOS on trusted devices only
- ✓ Keep your browser updated for latest security patches
- ✓ Use HTTPS connection (automatic on videosos.io)
- ✓ Clear browser cache periodically to remove any temporary files
- ✓ Work offline after initial load for maximum privacy
- ✓ Use private/incognito browsing for extra paranoia
- ✓ Verify network activity using developer tools
Secure Your Outputs
- ✓ Download compressed videos to encrypted storage
- ✓ Delete original files securely after verification
- ✓ Use password protection when sharing sensitive videos
- ✓ Consider full-disk encryption on your device
- ✓ Store backups on encrypted external drives
- ✓ Use secure file sharing services (not public links)
- ✓ Maintain audit trails for compliance requirements
Next Steps
Learn more about using VideoSOS securely and effectively: