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Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 1, 2025

1. Information We Collect

When you use Chatio, we collect the following information:

  • Username — chosen by you, used to identify you in chats.
  • Age — to verify you meet the 18+ requirement.
  • Country and city — detected automatically from your IP address or entered by you.
  • Messages and images — the content you send through the platform.
  • IP address — collected for geolocation and abuse prevention.
  • Last activity timestamp — to show your online status.

We do not collect your real name, email address, or payment information.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To operate the chat service and deliver messages.
  • To show your online status to other users.
  • To detect and prevent abuse, spam, and violations of our Terms.
  • To clean up inactive anonymous sessions automatically.

3. Anonymous vs Registered Users

Anonymous users (Quick Chat): Your account and all associated messages are automatically deleted when you log out or after 60 minutes of inactivity. No permanent record is kept.

Registered users: Your account persists until you delete it. Messages are stored for the duration of your account.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. We may disclose data if required by law or to prevent harm.

5. Cookies and Sessions

We use session cookies to keep you logged in during your visit. We use localStorage to remember your dark/light mode preference. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

6. Data Retention

Anonymous user data is deleted within 1 hour of inactivity. Registered accounts and their messages are retained until the account is deleted. You can request deletion at any time via our contact page.

7. Security

All connections are encrypted via HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text. We apply rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks.

8. Children's Privacy

Chatio is strictly for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has used our service, contact us immediately.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. To exercise these rights, please use our Contact page.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Continued use of Chatio after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

For privacy-related questions, visit our Contact page.