Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 1, 2026

At ChatMeOut, privacy is not just a feature - it is the foundation of our entire platform. We believe in secure, anonymous communication without compromise. This Privacy Policy outlines what minimal information we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.

1. Information We Do Not Collect

To ensure true anonymity, ChatMeOut is designed to operate with as little data as possible. We explicitly do not collect or track:

  • Plain-text IP Addresses (incoming IPs are cryptographically hashed immediately for spam prevention and never logged in plain text)
  • Your physical location
  • Device identifiers (IMEI, MAC addresses)
  • Browsing behavior outside of ChatMeOut
  • Third-party tracking cookies

2. Information We Collect

A. Guest Users

If you use ChatMeOut as a Guest User, we generate a random temporary identifier for your session. Guest chat messages are temporarily stored on our servers to ensure reliable delivery and unread counts across devices. However, any chat created between guest users will cleanly expire and be automatically wiped from our servers when the chat ends. Additionally, your guest profile is automatically deleted after an 8-day TTL (Time-To-Live) window.

B. Registered Users

If you choose to create a registered account to sync your chats across devices, we collect:

  • Email Address: Used strictly for authentication and account recovery.
  • Username: Your unique identifier on the platform.
  • Password: Stored securely using industry-standard hashing algorithms (bcrypt).

C. Public & Global Features

Certain features on ChatMeOut are inherently public by design. Messages sent in the Global Chat (#all) channel and notes broadcasted via WhisperPlanes are visible to other users on the platform. You should have no expectation of privacy for content you explicitly choose to broadcast globally.

D. Telemetry & Analytics

To monitor system health and maintain platform stability, we collect aggregate, anonymized technical telemetry. This includes metrics such as API response times, route usage statistics, and sanitized error codes. This data contains no personally identifiable information (PII) and cannot be traced back to individual users or chats.

3. Data Retention and Deletion

Ephemeral Media: Any images or media shared within the chat are automatically and permanently deleted from our servers after 10 minutes.

Guest Chats: Guest chat metadata and messages on our servers are wiped automatically when the chat ends.

WhisperPlanes: Public notes broadcasted via WhisperPlanes, along with their replies, are stored temporarily on our servers and automatically expire after a 7-day Time-To-Live (TTL) window.

Registered Accounts & Clean Cascade Deletion: You may permanently delete your account at any time. Wiping a chat or deleting an account executes a clean cascade query. This permanently deletes corresponding historical logs from physical storage for both participants, leaving no residual records.

4. Security Measures

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL/TLS) technology. Our databases are heavily secured, and passwords are never stored in plain text.

5. Third-Party Services

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties. The exceptions include advertising networks (like Adsterra) which provide the optional ads used to gain access to our partner finding network, and secure cloud providers (like Cloudinary) used strictly to temporarily host ephemeral images. These providers may use anonymous identifiers, but they do not have access to your chat data or ChatMeOut account details. Additionally, if you use our Feedback system, the telemetry and data you voluntarily provide is stored securely to help us improve the platform.

6. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: contact@chatmeout.com.