Is Online Video Compression Safe? (Why Client-Side Matters)
Video compression is useful—but when you use an online tool, you're uploading your files to someone else's servers. That raises a question: is it safe? The answer depends on whether the tool uses server-side or client-side processing. Here's how they differ and why it matters for your privacy.
Server-Side Compression: Your Files Leave Your Device
Most traditional online compressors work like this: you upload your video, their server processes it, and they send back the compressed file. Your video exists on their infrastructure—even if only temporarily. They may have policies about deletion, but you're trusting them with your data. For sensitive content—work meetings, personal recordings, confidential material—that's a risk. A breach, a subpoena, or a simple misconfiguration could expose your files.
Client-Side Compression: Processing in Your Browser
Client-side compression runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Your video never leaves your device. The tool loads the file into memory, processes it locally, and creates the output—all without a single byte being uploaded. We can't see your files because we never receive them. This is the model Media Shrinker uses. It's the only way to guarantee that your private videos stay private.
How to Tell the Difference
If a compressor starts with a long upload progress bar, it's server-side. If it processes immediately after you select a file (with no upload step), it's likely client-side. Check the privacy policy: if it says "we process your files on our servers," that's server-side. If it says "processing happens entirely in your browser" or "we never receive your files," that's client-side.
When Client-Side Is Essential
For work videos, personal recordings, or anything you wouldn't want on a random server, client-side is the only safe option. Media Shrinker is built for users who care about privacy. We don't need accounts, we don't store files, and we couldn't access them even if we wanted to. Your files stay yours.