Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to UniChat ("UniChat," "we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you access or use the UniChat mobile application, website, and related services ("Services").

We are committed to protecting your privacy, respecting your choices, and being fully transparent about how we handle your information — especially because anonymity and trust are core to what we offer.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide our services, verify your student status, and maintain a safe environment. Here's a breakdown of the types of data we collect:

2.1 University Email Address (Required)

We require your official university email address to verify that you are an active student. This address is used only during the sign-up and verification process and is never displayed to other users or used for marketing.

2.2 Anonymous Usage Data

To improve UniChat and ensure a secure experience, we collect the following types of technical and behavioral data:

• Anonymous forum content and messages (not linked to your real identity)
• App usage patterns, feature interactions, and crash reports
• Device type, operating system, and app version
• University affiliation (used solely for grouping users within campus communities)

2.3 Optional Profile Information

If you choose to complete a profile or use the Meet feature, you may provide additional data voluntarily, such as:

• Chosen username (changeable at any time)
• Profile bio, interests, and matching preferences
• Photos, gender, major, and other Meet-specific details (if you opt in)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information only for purposes that are necessary to operate UniChat, ensure student authenticity, improve our services, and protect the community. Here’s how each type of data is used:

3.1 University Email Address

Your university email address is used to:

• Confirm your student status through email verification
• Prevent duplicate accounts (one account per student)
• Send system-related communications (e.g., password resets, important account updates)

We never use your university email for promotional or marketing purposes.

3.2 Anonymous Usage Data

Anonymous data helps us maintain a safe, useful, and reliable platform. It is used to:

• Understand how users interact with the app (e.g., which features are most used)
• Improve app performance and usability
• Monitor and prevent misuse, spam, or abuse
• Respond to support requests and troubleshoot technical issues

3.3 Optional Profile Information

Optional profile details (e.g., interests, bio, photos) are used only within features you choose to activate (such as Meet). This data is not linked to your forum activity and is never used outside the context of those features.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes. We only disclose limited information in the specific situations listed below, and only to the extent necessary.

4.1 Legal Compliance and Safety

We may disclose information (including personal data, if available) when required to do so by law, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Investigate and respond to suspected violations of our Terms of Service or community guidelines
• Prevent harm, fraud, harassment, or abuse affecting any user or the UniChat platform
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of UniChat, its users, or the public

4.2 Service Providers (Data Processors)

We work with a limited number of third-party service providers (such as cloud storage, authentication, or analytics tools) who help us operate and maintain UniChat. These providers may process data on our behalf but are contractually bound to:

• Only access data necessary to perform their services
• Not disclose, use, or sell any data for their own purposes
• Follow strict data protection and confidentiality obligations

4.3 Aggregated and Non-Identifiable Data

We may share de-identified, aggregated usage data (e.g., general app statistics) with partners or for research and development. This data cannot be used to identify any individual user.

5. Anonymity and Privacy Controls

5.1 Forum Anonymity

When participating in the forum, you can choose to post using your selected username or post completely anonymously. Anonymous posts are:

• Only visible to others as "anonymous"
• Not linked to your profile or Meet identity
• Only visible to you as "anonymous (you)" for tracking your own content

5.2 Meet Profiles (Optional)

If you choose to create a Meet profile, that profile (including name, age, photos, and interests) is completely separate from your forum presence. No one can link your Meet profile to your username or forum activity.

5.3 Privacy Controls You Manage

• Choose any username (and change it at any time)
• Post anonymously or under your username — per post
• Control who can message you through visibility or block settings
• Block, mute, or report users who violate guidelines
• Delete your posts and messages at any time

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement technical and organizational safeguards to protect it from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our security practices include:

• Encryption of all data both in transit (e.g., between your device and our servers) and at rest
• Use of secure cloud infrastructure and firewall protections
• Regular security reviews, vulnerability scans, and system updates
• Strict internal access controls — only authorized team members with a legitimate need can access sensitive systems or user data
• Monitoring for suspicious or unauthorized activity on the platform

While no system can guarantee absolute security, we continuously assess and improve our security measures to align with best practices in data protection.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal and usage data only for as long as it is necessary to provide our services, comply with our legal obligations, enforce our terms, and protect the safety of our community. Specifically:

• University Email: Retained indefinitely to ensure account uniqueness and prevent multiple accounts per student. This is never shown publicly or used for marketing.
• Anonymous Forum Posts: Retained to preserve the context and continuity of discussions, but not linked to your real identity.
• Personal Messages: Stored until you delete them. You may delete messages at any time from your account.
• Usage and Technical Data: Aggregated and anonymized after 12 months for analytics and performance optimization.

When you delete your account, associated data is removed or anonymized in accordance with our deletion policy, except where retention is legally required (e.g., for fraud prevention or legal compliance).

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws (such as the General Data Protection Regulation — GDPR — or the California Consumer Privacy Act — CCPA), you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct or update any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Deletion: You may request the deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time.
• Right to Portability: You can request that your data be exported in a machine-readable format.
• Right to Restrict or Object: You may object to or restrict the processing of your data where legally permitted.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@unichat.dev. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable laws (usually within 30 days).

Note: We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

9. Age Requirements

UniChat is intended for use by university students who are at least 18 years old.

If you are between the ages of 13 and 17, you may only use UniChat with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian. We do not knowingly collect or process personal data from children under the age of 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a user under 13 without appropriate consent, we will delete that information promptly.

By using UniChat, you confirm that you meet these age requirements and that any information you provide is truthful and accurate.

10. International Users

UniChat is operated from servers located in the country where the service is hosted (currently including, but not limited to, the United States and European Union). If you access UniChat from outside these regions, please note that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.

However, we implement appropriate safeguards — including data processing agreements and standard contractual clauses (where applicable) — to ensure that your personal data is protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws.

By using UniChat, you consent to the transfer of your data to jurisdictions that may differ from your own, and to the processing of that data as described in this Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal obligations, or other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will notify you by one or more of the following methods:

• Posting a prominent notice within the app
• Sending a notification to your registered email address
• Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

12. Third-Party Services

UniChat may include links to third-party websites, platforms, or services (such as external content, authentication tools, or analytics providers). We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third parties.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any information you provide to or that is collected by those services. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through UniChat before providing your personal information.