1. Introduction

Chupke ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the Chupke mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service").

By using Chupke, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: Email address, display name, username, and avatar/profile preferences
• Messages & content: Mystery messages you send and receive, Vault confessions, Unsent posts, chat messages, and any other content you submit
• Profile data: Your Chupke Card information, bio, and other profile details you choose to provide
• Communication: Information you provide when contacting our support team
• Block list: When you block another user, we store the blocked user's identifier on your account and your identifier on the blocked user's account to enforce the block bidirectionally

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information
• Usage data: App interactions, features used, timestamps, session duration, and navigation patterns
• Log data: IP address, browser type (for web), access times, and referring URLs
• Presence data: Online/offline status and last active timestamps for real-time features

2.3 Game & Progression Data

• XP (experience points), detective rank, level, and rank progression history
• Daily streak count and streak freeze usage
• Coin balance and transaction history
• Cosmetic items owned and equipped (avatar frames, card skins)
• Squad memberships, squad war results, and league standings
• Investigation activity, guess history, and mystery outcomes

2.4 Safety & Compliance Data

For legal compliance, safety enforcement, and abuse prevention, we collect and store the following metadata when you create content (mysteries, Unsent posts, Vault confessions, chat messages):

• Your user ID and email address associated with your account
• IP address at the time of content creation
• Device user-agent string
• Timestamp of the action

This data is stored in restricted, admin-only records and is never visible to other users. It is retained for legal compliance and may be disclosed to law enforcement in response to valid legal process.

2.5 Payment Information

We do not directly collect or store your payment information (credit card numbers, bank details). All payments are processed by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. We receive only a transaction confirmation and subscription status from these platforms.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: To operate, maintain, and provide the features and functionality of Chupke
• Personalization: To customize your experience, including game progression, recommendations, and content
• Communication: To send you push notifications about mysteries, chat messages, squad activity, streak reminders, and game events
• Safety & moderation: To detect and prevent abuse, harassment, spam, fraud, and violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
• Analytics: To understand how users interact with the Service and to improve features, performance, and user experience
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests
• Security: To protect the rights, property, and safety of Chupke, our users, and the public

4. Anonymity & Sender Privacy

Anonymity is a core feature of Chupke. When you send a mystery, your identity is hidden from the receiver. However, we want you to understand the following:

• Internal records: We store the sender's identity (user ID) for every mystery, linked internally to the message. This is necessary for content moderation and safety enforcement.
• Voluntary reveals: You may voluntarily reveal your identity through features like "Out of the Shadows" or "Handshake." Once revealed, this action cannot be undone.
• Investigation clues: The game provides clues (relationship signals, behavioural hints, contextual clues) that may help a receiver guess your identity. This is an intentional game mechanic, not a privacy breach.
• Correct guesses: If a receiver correctly guesses your identity through investigation, this is part of the game experience and does not constitute unauthorized disclosure.
• Legal disclosure: We will disclose sender identity to law enforcement only in response to valid legal process (court orders, subpoenas) or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent physical harm.

5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Period.

We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:

• Service providers: We use Google Firebase for authentication, database storage, real-time database, cloud functions, hosting, and push notifications. Your data is processed on Google's infrastructure in accordance with Google's privacy and security standards.
• App stores: Apple App Store and Google Play Store process subscription and in-app purchase transactions.
• Content moderation: We may use third-party tools to assist with automated content moderation and abuse detection.
• Law enforcement: We will share information with law enforcement agencies when required by valid legal process or when necessary to prevent imminent harm.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you the Service. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained until you delete your account
• Messages: Mystery messages and chat messages are retained for the duration of the mystery lifecycle and chat history. After account deletion, messages are anonymized but may be retained for the integrity of other users' experiences.
• Game data: XP, ranks, levels, and progression data are retained until account deletion
• Moderation records: Records of content violations and moderation actions may be retained for up to 3 years after account deletion for safety purposes
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate safety purposes as described above.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL
• Encryption of data at rest on Google Firebase infrastructure
• Firebase Security Rules that restrict data access based on authentication and authorization
• Regular security reviews and access controls
• Authentication via secure email link (passwordless) or Google Sign-In

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

8. International Data Transfers

Chupke is operated from India. Your data may be processed and stored on servers located outside your country of residence, including in the United States (Google Firebase infrastructure). By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

We ensure that any international data transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and that adequate safeguards are in place.

9. Age Requirement

Chupke is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from users under 18. If you believe a user under 18 has created an account or provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@chupke.app, and we will promptly delete such information and terminate the associated account.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data
• Data portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Opt-out of notifications: Manage your push notification preferences through the app settings or your device settings
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@chupke.app. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

11. Push Notifications

With your permission, we may send push notifications to your device about:

• New mystery messages received
• Chat messages and squad activity
• Investigation updates and mystery outcomes
• Daily streak reminders
• Rank-up and level-up achievements
• Squad war results and league updates

You can enable or disable push notifications at any time through your device settings or the Chupke app settings.

12. Cookies & Local Storage

Our website uses cookies and local storage for authentication and essential functionality. For details, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: support@chupke.app
• Website: chupke.app

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.