Privacy Policy

1. The short version

This Privacy Policy explains how iMingle (we, us, or iMingle) handles information when you use imingle.fun and the chat services available there (the Service). It applies alongside our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.

2. Information we collect

Account information (Premium only). If you create an account we collect your email address, the display name you choose, and a password, which we store only as a salted hash. We never store your password in readable form.

Payment information (Premium only). Payments are handled by Stripe. When you subscribe, Stripe collects your card details directly. We receive and store only what we need to manage your subscription: a Stripe customer identifier, your subscription status and renewal date, and the last four digits and brand of your card so you can recognize it in your account page.

Technical and usage data (everyone). Like nearly every website, our servers automatically receive your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, approximate country derived from your IP address, the pages you request, and timestamps. We also keep brief connection logs (when a chat session started and ended, and whether a report was filed) so we can prevent abuse, enforce bans, and diagnose problems. When you open a chat we also set a random visitor identifier in a cookie so that reports and blocks can be tied to a specific anonymous visitor without knowing who they are.

Reports you submit. If you report another user, we keep the report, your description of what happened, and the technical identifiers of both participants for as long as we need to review it and enforce our rules.

Messages you send us. If you email us, we keep the correspondence so we can respond and keep a record of the conversation.

3. Information we do not collect

We think this list is as important as the previous one. We do not:

• store the text of your chat messages;
• record, store, or analyze video or audio from your calls;
• collect your contacts, photos, or files from your device;
• collect precise geolocation (we only derive an approximate country from your IP address);
• collect your name, date of birth, gender, or any profile information beyond a display name for Premium users; or
• use advertising trackers or sell any information to third parties.

4. How text chat and video chat work

Text chat. When you send a message, it travels to our server and is immediately forwarded to the person you are matched with using a real-time connection. To do this across multiple servers, messages may pass briefly through an in-memory message broker. Messages are held only long enough to deliver them and are never written to a database or disk.

Video chat. Video and audio are transmitted using Agora's real-time communication network. When you start a video chat, your browser connects to Agora's servers, which route the media stream between you and the other participant. This means Agora processes your IP address, device and network information, and the media stream itself in order to deliver the call. We do not enable Agora's cloud recording features and we do not receive or store any recording of your calls. Agora acts as a service provider to us and is bound by its own privacy policy, available at https://www.agora.io/en/privacy-policy/.

Please remember that the person on the other end of a chat can see whatever you show or type, and we cannot control what they do with it. Recording or sharing another person's chat without consent violates our rules, but we cannot technically prevent it.

5. How we use information

We use the information described above to:

• operate the Service, including matching you with another user and delivering messages and calls;
• create and manage your account and Premium subscription, and send you service emails such as receipts, renewal reminders, and password resets;
• keep the Service safe by detecting abuse, reviewing reports, enforcing bans, and applying rate limits;
• diagnose and fix technical problems and understand aggregate usage (for example, how many chats happen per day);
• comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests; and
• respond when you contact us.

We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not send marketing emails unless you explicitly opt in.

6. Legal bases (EEA, UK, and similar jurisdictions)

Where data protection law requires a legal basis, we rely on:

• Performance of a contract to provide the Service and Premium to you;
• Legitimate interests in keeping the Service secure, preventing abuse, and improving it, balanced against your rights;
• Legal obligation for things like tax records and responding to lawful requests; and
• Consent for anything optional, such as marketing emails, which you can withdraw at any time.

7. Who we share information with

We share information only with the parties needed to run the Service:

• Agora, which transmits video and audio calls and processes the technical information required to do so.
• Stripe, which processes payments and stores your payment details under its own privacy policy at https://stripe.com/privacy.
• Infrastructure providers that host our servers, databases, and email delivery. They process data on our behalf under contracts that restrict their use of it.
• Law enforcement or other parties when we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law, or is necessary to protect someone's safety, prevent fraud or abuse, or protect our rights.
• A successor if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. We would notify you before your information became subject to a different privacy policy.

We do not sell personal information and never have.

8. Cookies and local storage

We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies (for example, to keep you logged in) and browser local storage for preferences such as light or dark mode. Stripe sets its own cookies during checkout for fraud prevention. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. See our Cookie Policy for the full list.

9. How long we keep information

• Chat messages: not stored at all.
• Video and audio: not stored at all.
• Server and connection logs: up to 30 days, then deleted or anonymized.
• Reports and ban records: for as long as needed to enforce our rules, typically up to 12 months, or longer where a ban is permanent.
• Account information: until you delete your account, after which it is removed within 30 days except where we must keep it for legal reasons.
• Billing records: as long as required by tax and accounting law, generally up to 7 years. Card details are held by Stripe, not us.
• Support emails: up to 2 years.

10. Security

All traffic to the Service is encrypted in transit using TLS. Passwords are hashed with a modern algorithm and never stored in plain text. Access to production systems is limited to the people who need it. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a unique password and let us know right away if you suspect a problem.

11. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• correct inaccurate information;
• delete your information;
• receive a copy of your information in a portable format;
• object to or restrict certain processing; and
• lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Premium users can update their display name and email, and delete their account, from their account settings. For any other request, email [email protected] and we will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

California residents: we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we do not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

12. International transfers

The Service is global, and the people you chat with and the servers that connect you may be in different countries from you. Where we transfer personal information out of the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses with our providers.

13. Age requirement

The Service is only for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 is using the Service, please report them in the chat or email us, and we will act on it.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the Service evolves. We will post the new version here with an updated date and, for material changes, notify account holders by email. Earlier versions are available on request.

15. Contact

Privacy questions and data requests: [email protected].