Terms of Service & Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: 29 August 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using PrivChat (privatechat24.netlify.app), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

2. How PrivChat Works

PrivChat is a client-side, peer-to-peer chat application. There is no backend server, no database, and no message relay operated by the developer.

• Signalling: PrivChat uses the PeerJS library (loaded from Cloudflare CDN). PeerJS connects to its free cloud signalling server (0.peerjs.com) to help browsers find each other. The signalling server sees peer IDs and IP addresses but does not see message content.
• ICE / NAT traversal: PrivChat relies on Google's public STUN server (stun:stun.l.google.com:19302) for ICE candidate discovery. No TURN relay server is configured — connections that require a relay (e.g., behind symmetric NATs) will fail.
• Data channel: Once signalling completes, messages travel directly between browsers over a WebRTC DataChannel. This channel is encrypted in transit using DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security). There is no additional application-layer encryption on top of DTLS — no key exchange or encrypt/decrypt logic exists in the app code.
• Password handshake: When joining a room, the joiner sends the room password as a JSON payload over the DTLS-encrypted DataChannel. The password is not independently hashed or encrypted beyond that transport-layer encryption. Do not reuse sensitive passwords for room access.
• No persistence: Messages exist only in the browser DOM while the chat tab is open. Leaving the chat, closing the tab, or refreshing the page wipes all messages. No chat content is written to localStorage, sessionStorage, cookies, or any server.
• Client-side storage: The app stores exactly two preferences in localStorage: your theme choice (dark/light) and whether you've dismissed the tutorial. No other data is stored.

3. Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to use PrivChat. By using the service, you represent that you meet this requirement.

4. Acceptable Use Policy

You must not use PrivChat to:

• Share, distribute, or solicit child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in any form.
• Make threats of violence, promote terrorism, or incite harm against any person or group.
• Harass, stalk, bully, or intimidate another person.
• Distribute malware, phishing links, or engage in fraud or social engineering.
• Facilitate illegal transactions including but not limited to drugs, weapons, or human trafficking.
• Infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.
• Engage in any activity that violates applicable law in your jurisdiction.

5. Enforcement & Operator Limitations

PrivChat's architecture means the operator cannot identify users, read messages, or retrieve chat content — no backend server or database stores this information. However, the operator reserves the right to:

• Disable access to a reported room or to the service as a whole.
• Take the site offline at any time.
• Cooperate with law enforcement where legally required and technically possible (e.g., providing hosting-level access logs that may exist via Netlify, or PeerJS signalling server logs that are outside the operator's control).

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

PrivChat is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. The operator does not guarantee that the service will be secure, uninterrupted, error-free, or available at any particular time. Use at your own risk.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the operator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of PrivChat, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of privacy, or inability to use the service.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the operator from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of PrivChat or your violation of these terms.

9. Modifications & Discontinuation

The operator reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue PrivChat (or any part of it) at any time, without notice and without liability to you. These terms may be updated at any time. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

10. Governing Law

These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising under these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in India.

11. Report Abuse & Contact

To report abuse, a security issue, or a legal concern, please open an issue at:
github.com/arko252007-dot/PrivateChat/issues