Privacy Policy

AnimoChat is built to need as little personal information as possible. You do not create a username-and-password account, we never ask for your real name, and other users only ever see the display name you type. The data we do keep exists mostly to make matching work and to keep the community safe from abuse.

• Anonymous account. When you first use AnimoChat we create an anonymous account with a random identifier (a UUID). It is not linked to your name, phone number, or email unless you choose private Google sign-in.
• Optional private Google account. If you sign in to continue matching, we privately store the Google email for access, safety, and moderation. Your Google name, email, and profile image are never shown to chat partners. Lasallian addresses separately retain the verified status used by the verified matching pool.
• Messages and posts. Chat messages, Freedom Wall letters, replies, polls, and reactions are stored so the service can deliver and display them. Ephemeral images expire and are deleted on schedule.
• Device signals for safety. We compute a browser fingerprint and record technical signals (such as IP-derived data) for abuse prevention and anonymous match limits. Private-network and composite-device buckets help a rolling match allowance survive an incognito reset. Signal-only matches can require sign-in, but do not by themselves hard-ban a new identity.
• Reports and moderation records. When you report a user or post, we keep the report, the reported content, and the moderation decision.
• Payment records. Paid features (AnimoChat Pro, Loudspeaker, instant posts) are processed by PayMongo. We store the order, amount, and payment status. We never see or store your card or e-wallet credentials.
• Push notification tokens. If you enable notifications, we store the Firebase messaging token needed to deliver them.

We use a small number of first-party cookies and browser storage entries: a termsAccepted cookie (expires after a few hours) so we don’t re-show the terms screen, a theme preference, and your anonymous session tokens. Advertising partners may also set cookies, described below.

Free users may see ads (for example, while waiting to be matched). We use Google AdSense to serve these ads. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to show you ads tailored to your interests.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or www.aboutads.info. AnimoChat Pro removes ads entirely.

• To match you with another user and deliver messages in real time.
• To provide ten random matches per rolling 24 hours to unsigned users and unlimited matching to privately signed-in Google users.
• To display Freedom Wall content you and others post.
• To keep the platform safe: reviewing reports, moderating posts before publication, and enforcing temporary or permanent bans.
• To process purchases and grant the features you paid for.
• To send notifications you asked for (like match or reply alerts).

We do not sell personal data, and we do not use your private chat messages for advertising.

We run automated retention jobs that delete old operational data on a schedule — for example, audit logs, expired payment QR codes, and expired ephemeral images are purged automatically. Freedom Wall posts stay up until removed by you (via a request) or by moderators. Moderation records are kept as long as needed to enforce bans and handle appeals.

We host the platform on our own infrastructure. A small set of processors help us run specific features: Google (optional private sign-in, push notifications through Firebase, and advertising for free users), PayMongo (payments), and AI providers used only to pre-screen abuse reports before a human moderator decides. Each receives only what its function requires.

AnimoChat is for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18; if we learn an account belongs to a minor, we remove it.

• You can block any user instantly; blocks are permanent and mutual.
• You can use ten random matches per rolling 24 hours without Google sign-in, notifications, verification, or payments.
• You can ask us to delete your data or a specific Freedom Wall post by emailing animochat.official@gmail.com.
• You can opt out of personalized ads via the links above.

If this policy changes materially, we will update the date at the top and note the change on the platform. Questions? See Contact or write to animochat.official@gmail.com.