Privacy Policy

Chatjon ("the App") is a location-based social discovery platform that helps you find and connect with people nearby, join local communities, share footprints, and communicate via real-time chat, including a Safety SOS feature.

We are committed to being transparent about what data we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control it. This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the Chatjon mobile application (Android and iOS) and our backend services.

This policy applies to:

• All users globally, including users in the European Union/EEA (GDPR), California (CCPA/CPRA), and India (DPDPA 2023).
• All versions of the Chatjon mobile application.
• Our backend API, database, and third-party service integrations.

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

3.3 Sensitive Data

The following are collected only with your explicit OS-level permission:

You can revoke any of these permissions at any time in your device settings.

• Provide the core service — Account creation, authentication, profile display, real-time nearby discovery, chat, communities, footprints.
• Safety features — Transmitting your precise GPS location to your designated emergency contacts when you trigger SOS.
• Notifications — Sending push notifications for new messages, waves, profile views, likes, community activity, and SOS alerts via Firebase Cloud Messaging.
• Personalisation — Showing you relevant nearby users and communities based on your location and settings.
• Security and fraud prevention — Rate-limiting, IP-based abuse detection, blocking, and reporting.
• Error monitoring — Diagnosing and fixing crashes and bugs via Sentry.
• Legal compliance — Responding to lawful requests from authorities where required.

You may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal, but may limit app functionality.

6.1 Rights for All Users

• Right to Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction — Update incorrect data directly in the App (Settings → Profile).
• Right to Deletion — Delete your account and all associated data (Settings → Account → Delete Account).
• Right to Withdraw Consent — Revoke location, audio, or notification permissions via your device settings at any time.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint — Contact us at support@chatjon.com.

6.2 Additional Rights — EU/EEA Users (GDPR)

• Right to Restriction of Processing — Request we limit processing of your data in specific circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability — Request your data in a machine-readable format. Contact support@chatjon.com to request your data manually.
• Right to Object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Complain to a Supervisory Authority — You may lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority (e.g., ICO, CNIL, BfDI).

6.3 Additional Rights — California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

• Right to Know — You have the right to know what categories of personal information we collect, the purposes for which we use it, and with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete — Request deletion via the in-app Delete Account feature or by contacting support@chatjon.com.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing — We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. No action is required.
• Right to Correct — You may correct inaccurate personal information directly in the App.
• Right to Non-Discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

6.4 Additional Rights — Indian Users (DPDPA 2023)

• Right to Access — Request information about personal data processed by us.
• Right to Correction and Erasure — Available through the in-app account deletion flow or by contacting support@chatjon.com.
• Right to Grievance Redressal — Contact our Grievance Officer at support@chatjon.com. We will respond within 30 days.
• Right to Nominate — You may nominate another individual to exercise your rights on your behalf in the event of death or incapacity.

We use the following third-party services. Each operates under its own privacy policy.

• All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS.
• Passwords are hashed using Firebase Authentication's secure hashing algorithms — we never store plaintext passwords.
• Authentication tokens are stored in your device's secure keystore (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain).
• Our database and Redis instances are hosted in isolated cloud environments with access controls.
• We conduct periodic security reviews.

No system is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please contact us at support@chatjon.com.

Chatjon is operated globally. Your data may be transferred to and stored in the United States and other countries where our third-party service providers (Firebase, Cloudinary, Sentry, Neon) maintain infrastructure.

For users in the EU/EEA, these transfers are conducted under appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as required by GDPR Chapter V. For users in India, we comply with applicable cross-border transfer obligations under the DPDPA 2023.

We do not knowingly allow children under the age of 15 to create accounts or use the App.

Age Verification

During registration, users are required to confirm their age. By creating an account, you confirm that you are at least 15 years old.

Users Aged 15–17

If you are between 15 and 17 years old, you should use the App with parental or guardian awareness. Certain features (such as location sharing and public visibility) may be controlled through privacy settings.

No Data Collection from Children Under 15

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 15. If we discover that a user is under 15, we will immediately suspend the account and delete all associated data.

If you believe a child under 15 has created an account, please contact us at support@chatjon.com.

You can permanently delete your account at any time:

1. 1Open the Chatjon app.
2. 2Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account.
3. 3Confirm deletion.

Upon deletion, all your personal data is removed from our primary database, Firebase Authentication account is deleted, location is removed from the real-time index, and FCM push token is removed.

To request deletion via email, contact support@chatjon.com with subject line "Account Deletion Request." We will process within 30 days.

The Chatjon mobile application does not use browser cookies. We use the following equivalent technologies:

• shared_preferencesStores lightweight on-device preferences (theme mode, message drafts). Not synced to any server.
• flutter_secure_storageStores authentication tokens in the device's secure keystore (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain).
• Redis keysShort-lived server-side keys for rate limiting, location TTL, and online presence. Not used for tracking.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will:

• 1Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document.
• 2Notify you via an in-app notification or email for material changes.

Your continued use of the App after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For EU/EEA users: If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

For Indian users (DPDPA Grievance Officer): Email support@chatjon.com. Response time: 30 days.