Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Chadding ("we", "us", "the platform") is a privately operated voice, video, and text communication platform. This privacy policy explains what data we collect, how it is used, and what control you have over it.

Chadding is designed from the ground up with privacy as a core value. We collect only what is necessary to operate the service. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you register, we store your email address, username, and display name. We also store authentication credentials (a hashed password or passkey public key). No real name, phone number, date of birth, or government ID is ever required.

2.2 Messages

Text messages you send are stored in the database on the server that hosts this instance. Messages sent through The Chache (our encrypted vault) are encrypted with AES-256-GCM on your device before transmission. The server stores only the ciphertext and can never read the plaintext.

2.3 Uploaded Files

Files you upload (avatars, attachments, images) are stored on the server. They are not transmitted to any external service, CDN, or cloud provider.

2.4 Voice & Video

Voice and video calls are processed in real time through our privately operated media server (LiveKit). Audio and video streams are relayed between participants and are not recorded, stored, or analyzed. Once a call ends, no media data remains on the server.

2.5 Presence & Activity

We track minimal presence data (online/offline status, which voice channel you are currently in) to power the real-time user list. This data is stored in memory (Redis) and is automatically removed when you disconnect.

3. Data We Do Not Collect

• No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking of any kind
• No advertising identifiers or tracking cookies
• No IP address logging beyond standard server access logs
• No device fingerprinting
• No location data
• No data shared with or sold to third parties
• No voice or video recordings
• No message content scanning or keyword monitoring
• No read receipts or typing indicators sent to the server (these are client-side only)

4. How We Use Your Data

We use the data described above solely to:

• Authenticate you and maintain your session
• Deliver messages to the correct recipients
• Route voice and video streams between call participants
• Display the online member list and presence indicators
• Enforce role-based permissions within Chadderboxes (servers)

We do not use your data for profiling, advertising, recommendation algorithms, or any purpose beyond operating the service you signed up for.

5. Encryption

All connections to Chadding are encrypted in transit via TLS (HTTPS). Voice and video streams use DTLS-SRTP encryption between your device and the media server.

The Chache provides optional end-to-end encryption for stored content using AES-256-GCM. Your encryption key is derived from a passphrase that only you know. We cannot recover encrypted data if you lose your passphrase.

6. Data Storage & Hosting

Chadding runs entirely on hardware physically controlled by the platform operator. No data is stored in third-party cloud services. The database (MongoDB), cache (Redis), and media server (LiveKit) all run on the same private infrastructure.

7. Cookies

Chadding uses a single authentication cookie to keep you logged in. This is a first-party, secure, HTTP-only session cookie. We do not use any third-party cookies, tracking pixels, or analytics scripts.

8. Third-Party Services

Chadding uses Cloudflare for DNS and DDoS protection. Cloudflare may process your IP address and request metadata as part of proxying traffic to our server. For details, see Cloudflare's Privacy Policy. Beyond Cloudflare, we do not use any external services, APIs, or SDKs that process user data.

9. Your Rights

• Access: You can view all data associated with your account through the app.
• Correction: You can update your email, username, display name, and avatar at any time.
• Deletion: You may request complete deletion of your account and all associated data by contacting the server operator. Because all data is on a single server, deletion is straightforward and permanent.
• Portability: You may request an export of your data from the server operator.

10. Children

Chadding does not knowingly collect data from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact the server operator to have it removed.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy as the platform evolves. Changes will be reflected by updating the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of Chadding after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact

For privacy questions or data requests, contact the operator of this Chadding instance.