PRIVACY POLICY FOR OMNISTREAM EXTENSION
Last updated: October 2026
1. INTRODUCTION & CORE PRINCIPLE
OmniStream ("we", "our", or "the extension") is an open, client-side video player extension for Google Chrome that enables playback of HLS (.m3u8), DASH (.mpd), and IPTV playlists (.m3u).
Our fundamental privacy rule is simple: WE DO NOT COLLECT, STORE, TRANSMIT, OR SELL ANY PERSONAL DATA, BROWSING HISTORY, OR USER MEDIA. Everything runs locally in your browser sandbox.
2. WHAT INFORMATION WE ACCESS AND WHY
The extension interacts with local data solely to deliver player functionality:
• Playback History & Favorites: URLs of recently played streams or channels you explicitly star as favorites are saved locally on your device via Chrome's chrome.storage.local API.
• User Settings: User interface choices (such as volume level, autoplay toggle, audio booster level, and auto-detect mode) are stored locally.
• Neither your playlists nor your playback habits are ever communicated to any remote server or third party.
3. EXPLANATION OF REQUESTED PERMISSIONS
To function properly, Chrome requires explicit permission declarations in manifest.json. Here is an honest, straightforward explanation of every permission requested:
• "storage"
Purpose: Allows the extension to remember your preferences (like volume, autoplay, theme) and store your stream history and starred channels locally. Without this, your settings would reset every time you close the tab.
• "declarativeNetRequest"
Purpose: Allows Chrome to redirect requests for .m3u8, .mpd, or .m3u stream files directly to the internal player page. Without this, clicking on an .m3u8 or .mpd link in Chrome will prompt the browser to download a text file to your hard drive rather than streaming the video.
• Host Permissions ("*://*/*.m3u8*", "*://*/*.mpd*", "*://*/*.m3u*")
Purpose: Scoped specifically to URLs ending in or containing .m3u8, .mpd, or .m3u. Chrome requires host matching for declarativeNetRequest rules so the extension only intercepts relevant media files and never interferes with standard websites.
4. ARE ALL OF THESE PERMISSIONS TRULY NECESSARY?
YES — and here is why:
Every single permission requested by OmniStream is essential to the core functionality of playing online media files and cannot be reduced any further:
• Why we need "declarativeNetRequest": Chrome has no native HLS or DASH playback for ordinary desktop navigation. Without declarativeNetRequest, Chrome cannot redirect web requests to the player.
• Why we need narrow host permissions: Without specifying .m3u8, .mpd, and .m3u host patterns, Chrome will refuse to let declarativeNetRequest redirect those stream links.
• Why we do NOT use broad permissions:
- We do NOT use "<all_urls>" — we only match stream file extensions.
- We do NOT request "webRequestBlocking" or invasive request inspection.
- We do NOT request "cookies" — we never access user authentication cookies.
- We do NOT request "tabs" — we do not inspect other open tabs or tabs' URLs.
- We do NOT inject scripts into arbitrary websites ("content_scripts" is completely omitted).
This architecture represents the cleanest, least-privileged security model possible under Google Chrome's Manifest V3 standard.
5. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES & ANALYTICS
• OmniStream contains NO third-party trackers, NO Google Analytics, NO ad networks, and NO external telemetry libraries.
• All streaming engines (Hls.js, Dash.js) are bundled directly inside the extension package and execute offline without connecting to external script CDNs.
6. USER CONTROL & DATA DELETION
You maintain complete control over your data:
• You can clear your entire playback history at any time with a single click ("Clear All") in the extension popup.
• You can toggle stream auto-interception off at any time via the "Auto-Detect" switch.
• Uninstalling the extension immediately purges all local storage entries associated with OmniStream from your browser.
7. CONTACT
If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or extension permissions, please contact our support team or file an inquiry on our official extension repository.