PRIVACY POLICY FOR STREAMCATCH EXTENSION
Last updated: October 2026
StreamCatch ("we", "our", or "the extension") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy details our data practices and provides a transparent, detailed explanation of every browser permission requested by the extension.
1. ZERO PERSONAL DATA COLLECTION GUARANTEE
StreamCatch does NOT collect, store, transmit, or sell any personal data, sensitive user information, browsing history, keystrokes, IP addresses, or tracking identifiers.
All operations — including video stream detection, playlist parsing, segment downloading, chunk stitching, and file saving — are executed 100% locally within your browser's client-side memory. No media or user telemetry is ever sent to external cloud servers.
2. DETAILED EXPLANATION OF REQUESTED PERMISSIONS
To deliver stream detection and local video saving, StreamCatch requires the following specific permissions:
• "storage"
- Purpose: Stores your personal application preferences (such as selected download concurrency threads, preferred output format .mp4 vs .ts, and filename templates) locally on your device via Chrome's local storage API.
- Data involved: Only configuration settings. No personal or website data is stored.
• "downloads"
- Purpose: Saves the finished assembled video file or stream capture directly to your browser's default Downloads directory when a download or recording session finishes.
- Data involved: Only the file payload generated by your active download request.
• "webRequest"
- Purpose: Passively monitors network request URLs to identify when a webpage requests video playlist manifests (such as .m3u8, .mpd, or .ts chunks). This enables automatic stream detection so you can download streams with one click.
- Nature of use: Purely passive observation. StreamCatch NEVER intercepts, blocks, modifies, logs, or transmits your web traffic or request payloads.
• "*://*/*" (Host Permissions)
- Purpose: Streaming videos are hosted across thousands of diverse domains, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), and cloud media storage endpoints. Host permission is required so the extension can detect .m3u8 playlist URLs regardless of which website you are visiting, and fetch individual video segments (.ts chunks) via standard cross-origin requests for local remuxing.
- Data involved: No data is sent out; permissions are utilized strictly to download the media chunks requested by you.
3. ARE ALL OF THESE PERMISSIONS STRICTLY NECESSARY?
YES. Every single permission retained above is strictly indispensable for a functional HLS / M3U8 stream recorder:
- Without "webRequest" and host permissions, the extension would be technically blind to background .m3u8 playlist calls made by JavaScript video players (such as Hls.js or Video.js), making automatic stream detection impossible.
- Without host permissions, the browser would block the extension from downloading the video segments from third-party media CDNs due to Cross-Origin restrictions (CORS).
- Without "downloads", the extension would have no mechanism to save the assembled video file to your hard drive.
- Without "storage", your custom settings (like download threads) would be lost every time you close the popup.
WHAT WE DO NOT REQUEST (PRINCIPLE OF LEAST PRIVILEGE):
To ensure maximum user safety and compliance with Chrome Web Store security guidelines, we have deliberately audited and excluded any unnecessary or high-risk permissions:
- NO "activeTab" permission (audited and removed: host permissions already handle necessary network requests and standard tab queries).
- NO "cookies" permission (we never read or touch your session cookies or authentication tokens).
- NO "identity" permission (no sign-up, no login, no email access).
- NO "history" or "bookmarks" permissions.
- NO "management" or "nativeMessaging" permissions.
- NO background tracking or analytics scripts of any kind.
4. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES & ANALYTICS
StreamCatch does NOT integrate Google Analytics, advertising SDKs, tracking pixels, or telemetry beacons. The extension runs entirely in an isolated, private sandbox inside your web browser.
5. SECURITY OF YOUR DATA
Because all operations and video files remain exclusively on your computer, your data never leaves your device. StreamCatch does not own, view, or retain copies of the videos you download.
6. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
If future browser updates require modifications to how permissions operate, this document will be updated accordingly.
7. CONTACT
If you have any questions, inquiries, or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or the security of StreamCatch, please contact the developer via the official Chrome Web Store developer dashboard.