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Privacy First Guarantee

Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 1, 2026 · Effective date: November 1, 2026

Quick Summary: Our Absolute Privacy Promise

Free Sound Meter (freesoundmeter.com) was engineered from day one to operate entirely inside your client browser. We hold a strict zero-retention architecture:

  • Zero Audio Recording: We never record, buffer, or upload audio clips.
  • 100% Client-Side: All Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis happens in volatile RAM.
  • No Accounts Required: Free to use instantly without providing names or passwords.
  • Revocable Permissions: You can disconnect your microphone at any time in one click.

1. Microphone Permission & Web Audio API Processing

When you activate the sound meter on our Sound Meter homepage or our dedicated Decibel Meter tool, your browser requests permission to access your microphone using the standard W3C navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia() programming interface.

Here is precisely how your audio stream is handled:

  • Volatile RAM Execution: The microphone stream is routed directly into an in-browser AudioContext object and analyzed through an AnalyserNode.
  • Mathematical Calculation Only: The audio samples are converted into mathematical Root Mean Square (RMS) amplitudes and frequency bins to compute a single numerical decibel (dB) value per animation frame (60 times per second).
  • Immediate Memory Discard: Once the decibel scalar number is rendered on your screen gauge, the raw audio byte buffer is immediately discarded and garbage-collected by your browser engine.
  • No Remote Transmission: Zero bytes of acoustic waveform data, voice frequencies, or audio recordings are ever transmitted across the internet to our servers or to any third party.

You can stop acoustic measurement at any moment by clicking "Stop Meter". You can also revoke microphone access permanently by clicking the padlock or tune icon beside the URL in your browser's address bar and resetting the microphone permission.

2. Local Storage and Client-Side Preferences

We do not use tracking cookies to identify individual visitors. Instead, Free Sound Meter utilizes your browser's standard localStorage mechanism strictly for user experience persistence:

  • theme: Remembers your interface display preference (Dark Mode or Light Mode) across page visits.
  • fsm_mic_calibration: Stores your manual microphone calibration offset in decibels (-20 dB to +20 dB) so you do not have to recalibrate on every visit.
  • fsm_sound_weighting: Remembers whether you last selected dBA (A-weighting) or unweighted dB SPL.

This data never leaves your computer or mobile device. You can clear this data at any time by clearing your browser cache and local storage.

3. Cookies, Advertising & Google AdSense Disclosures

To keep Free Sound Meter completely free for classrooms, acoustic technicians, and everyday users worldwide, we may display third-party advertisements served by partners such as Google AdSense.

In compliance with Google advertising policies and privacy standards, please note the following:

  • Third-Party Vendors: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to our website or other websites.
  • DoubleClick DART Cookies: Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to freesoundmeter.com and/or other sites across the Internet.
  • Opting Out of Personalized Advertising: Users may opt out of personalized advertising at any time by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you may opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

4. Web Analytics and Server Logs

When you visit freesoundmeter.com, our web hosting infrastructure automatically registers basic, non-personally identifiable server access logs. This standard diagnostic data includes:

  • Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (anonymized/truncated)
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system family (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux)
  • Referring website and exit pages
  • Date, timestamp, and requested file path

These logs are utilized strictly for preventing DDoS attacks, monitoring server uptime, and diagnosing infrastructure errors. They are never joined with user identifiers or audio data.

5. European GDPR and UK Privacy Rights

If you reside in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, you possess statutory rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

  • The right to access and receive confirmation of data processing
  • The right to rectification of inaccurate personal records
  • The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • The right to restrict or object to automated processing

Because Free Sound Meter processes all sound levels client-side and does not collect or retain personal user profiles, names, or audio recordings, we do not possess identifiable data records to delete or export.

6. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA / CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the CPRA, California consumers are entitled to notice of personal information categories collected, disclosed, or sold.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not collect biometric identifiers, voiceprints, or audio recordings. Any interaction with online advertisements is governed by standard consumer opt-out choices described in Section 3 above.

7. Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA)

Free Sound Meter is frequently used in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms as a visual noise-monitoring utility. We do not collect personal contact information or require accounts from children under the age of 13. All classroom audio processing remains 100% ephemeral in the local browser session.