Privacy Policy

1. Our principle

PreChat is built on the principle of data minimization — we only collect what's necessary for the app to function. We do not analyze your data for marketing, do not sell it, and do not share it with third parties for advertising.

2. Data we collect

• Username and display name — what you provide at signup
• Password — stored as a one-way bcrypt hash, not reversible
• Avatar — your profile picture if uploaded
• Messages and files sent in chats — stored so you can see history
• Public key for end-to-end encryption (secret chat only)
• lastSeenAt — last time you were online
• Push token — only if you opt in to notifications
• IP address and user agent — kept in server logs only for debugging and abuse prevention (retained 30 days)

3. Data we do not collect

• Phone number — never requested at signup
• Your contact list — we never request this permission, never read it
• SMS messages — no permission requested
• Location — coordinates not stored
• Browsing analytics or third-party trackers — none used
• Content of secret chats — messages are E2E-encrypted; the server only sees ciphertext, never plaintext

4. Voice and video calls

• 1-on-1 calls use WebRTC peer-to-peer — audio and video flow directly between the two devices, never through our servers
• For ~20% of calls behind difficult NAT, Cloudflare TURN relays the encrypted media (Cloudflare sees ciphertext only; we don't see anything)
• Group calls use Cloudflare Realtime SFU (transport-encrypted between client and Cloudflare) — we don't record any calls
• We do not record call content in any form

5. Third-party services

• Cloudflare (CDN, tunnel, TURN, Realtime SFU) — global infrastructure; data may route through data centers outside Thailand. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) — delivers push notifications on Android. We send only triggers and minimal metadata; we never include message content for secret chats. Google Privacy Policy
• Web Push (Mozilla, Apple, Google push services) — for browser PWA notifications
• Giphy — when you search for a sticker, your query is forwarded to Giphy via our proxy (Giphy does not see your user identity). Giphy Privacy

6. International data transfers

PreChat's primary servers are located in Thailand, but some services we depend on (Cloudflare, Google FCM) operate global infrastructure. As a result, some metadata may transit through data centers outside Thailand (e.g. Singapore, United States) based on the routing decisions of those providers.

Secret chat content is encrypted on your device before transmission — regardless of which server it passes through, only ciphertext is visible.

7. Security

• HTTPS for every connection (TLS 1.3)
• bcrypt for password hashing (cost factor 12)
• JWT for session tokens (signed, 30-day expiry)
• End-to-end encryption for secret chats using public-key cryptography
• Database stored on a server only the developer can access
• Backups hourly, retained 14 days for disaster recovery
• Rate limiting and WAF (Cloudflare) to prevent abuse

8. Uploaded files

• Images and files sent in chats are normally retained 30 days then auto-deleted
• Recipients who already viewed a file may have it cached locally on their device
• You can unsend any of your own messages at any time

9. Your rights

• Access your data — open the app → Profile → view at any time
• Edit your data — change display name, avatar, password from the app
• Export your data (right to portability) — email [email protected]; you'll receive a JSON archive of your messages and metadata within 30 days
• Delete your account (right to erasure) — two ways:
  1. In-app (recommended — instant) → Profile → "Danger zone" → "⚠️ Delete account permanently" → type your username to confirm + enter your password → tap "Delete permanently"
     Everything is removed from the database immediately: user record, all messages and conversations, uploaded images and files, avatar, PreCast posts + comments + likes, friend list + friend requests, push tokens, call history — not recoverable.
  2. Email (fallback — if you can't access the app) → [email protected] including your username — we'll delete the account within 7 days and reply with a confirmation email when complete.
  💡 Account deletion cannot be undone. The app asks for your username + password to confirm before deleting, so accidental taps are blocked.

10. Data retention

• Chat messages — retained until you delete them or stop using your account
• Files and images in chat — 30 days (configurable in the future)
• Push tokens — until you sign out from a device
• Server logs — 30 days for debugging; no chat content
• After account deletion via the in-app button — all data removed from the primary database immediately; backup snapshots purge within 14 days (per hourly backup rotation cycle)
• After account deletion via email request — all data removed from the primary database within 7 days, backups within 14 days

11. Content moderation

PreChat provides built-in report and block tools that every user can access instantly inside the app — so you can protect yourself from inappropriate content or users without waiting for an admin to act.

• 🚩 Report content — tap the "🚩 Report" button on any post, message, or comment that violates our policies. The report goes into the admin review queue with a target SLA of 48 hours.
• 🚫 Block user — open the offender's profile and tap "Block this user" — they will no longer be able to message you, see your posts, or send friend requests. The block is silent (they're not notified).
• 🔕 Mute chat — long-press any conversation to silence its notifications without affecting the rest of your inbox.

Content removed immediately on detection or report (zero tolerance):

• 🚨 Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) — removed instantly and reported to Thai authorities under applicable law.
• Harassment, threats, bullying
• Hate speech / discrimination
• Graphic violence
• Self-harm or suicide promotion
• Illegal goods (drugs, weapons, gambling, etc.)
• Spam / unauthorised advertising

Violators may receive a warning → temporary suspension → permanent ban based on severity. Any moderation decision can be appealed by emailing [email protected].

12. Children's privacy

PreChat is not designed for users under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we discover an account belongs to someone under 13, we will delete it and any associated data immediately.

Parents who believe their child uses PreChat without permission may contact [email protected] to request deletion.

13. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify users via in-app notification at least 30 days before the new policy takes effect. All changes are dated at the top of this document.

14. Contact

Questions or requests regarding this policy or your data:

• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 💬 In-app: Profile → "🐛 Report issue / Get help"
• 🌐 Web: chat.prechat.org

Data Controller: PreChat developer — individual, Thailand