Many of these extensions are just wrappers for adware. They will inject banner ads into every website you visit (even Google.com) or redirect your search queries through shady affiliate links. Worse variants install cryptominers that use your CPU to mine Bitcoin in the background.
This is technically legal for "time-shifting" in many regions (personal use only). hotstar downloader extension
| Red Flag | What to look for | | :--- | :--- | | | Requires "Read history," "Manage downloads," AND "Access all data on hotstar.com" – too much access. | | Recent Update Log | The last update was over 1 year ago (means it is broken) or updated yesterday (means malware update). | | User Reviews | 5-star reviews that say "Wow, it works perfectly" with no details (likely fake/bots). | | Support Email | A Gmail or ProtonMail address instead of a company domain. | | Privacy Policy | No privacy policy, or one that says "We collect your browser data to improve service." | Many of these extensions are just wrappers for adware