Overview
This Privacy Policy explains how Axichat LLC collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects information when you use Axichat software, Axichat-hosted services, Axichat websites, and official Axichat client builds we distribute (together, the "Services"). Axichat is an open source client application. You can use the client with Axichat-hosted servers or, where supported, with third-party XMPP and email providers that you choose.
We aim to collect and retain only the information we reasonably need to operate, secure, support, and improve the Services you choose to use. We do not sell personal information. We do not use the content of your messages, emails, calendar items, reminders, or attachments for advertising.
1. Scope and Controller
This Policy applies to information processed by Axichat when you use Axichat-hosted services, official Axichat client builds, our websites, documentation, downloads, or support channels. For Axichat-hosted services, Axichat LLC is the controller or similar responsible entity for the information described in this Policy. Our infrastructure, platform, and service providers act as processors, service providers, or independent providers depending on the service they provide.
This Policy does not apply to third-party services that you connect to through the Axichat client, such as a non-Axichat XMPP server, third-party email provider, app store, operating system service, push notification service, or third-party website. Those third parties have their own terms and privacy policies.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Account and profile information
If you use Axichat-hosted services, we collect account information such as username, password or authentication secret in protected form, account settings, recovery methods, display name, avatar/profile picture, status message, and contact/roster information you create or manage.
2.2 Communications and user content
We process content you send, receive, upload, or store using the Services. This may include XMPP messages, group chat messages, email messages, mailboxes, attachments, voice notes, images, videos, documents, message archives, and related metadata such as sender, recipient, timestamps, message IDs, delivery status, headers, and routing information.
2.3 Calendar, reminders, and tasks
Where these features are enabled, we process calendar entries, reminder/task content, dates, times, attendees, notes, completion state, and related metadata needed to sync and display those features.
2.4 Contacts and address book
The Axichat client may request access to device contacts if you enable contact-related features. Depending on the feature and your settings, contact data may be processed locally on your device and/or used to help you find, display, or communicate with contacts. You can deny or revoke contact permissions in your device settings. We do not sell contact data or use it to build advertising profiles.
2.5 Device, usage, logs, and diagnostics
We may process IP address, timestamps, client version, device or operating system information, authentication events, security logs, rate-limit data, server logs, error reports, crash data, and performance diagnostics. We use this information to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the Services. We aim to avoid logging message or email content except where needed to provide support, investigate abuse, fix a technical issue, or comply with law.
2.6 Push notifications
If you enable push notifications, we process push tokens and related metadata needed to route notifications. On iOS, this includes Apple Push Notification service (APNs) tokens. On other platforms, this may include notification distributor or platform tokens. Depending on your device settings and platform behavior, notifications may display previews such as sender names, subject lines, or message snippets.
2.7 Purchases and app stores
If you buy or download Axichat through an app store or other third-party platform, that platform may process your payment and purchase information under its own terms and privacy policy. Axichat may receive limited purchase, receipt, entitlement, storefront, refund, or tax-related information from the platform if needed to provide support, verify access, prevent fraud, or maintain records. We do not receive your full payment card number from app stores.
2.8 Support and website data
If you contact support, we process the content of your request and information you choose to provide. If you visit our website, we and our hosting providers may process standard web server logs such as IP address, browser type, pages requested, and timestamps. We may use strictly necessary cookies or similar technologies to operate the site, support security, or remember basic preferences. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site behavioral advertising trackers on the Axichat website.
3. How We Use Information
We use information to:
- Provide the Services, including account creation, authentication, message and email delivery, offline storage, message archiving where enabled, mailbox storage, calendar and reminder sync, attachment storage and retrieval, push notifications, account recovery, and support.
- Maintain safety and security, including spam prevention, abuse detection, fraud prevention, rate limiting, access control, and protection of service integrity and availability.
- Troubleshoot issues, respond to requests, and provide customer support.
- Communicate with you about the Services, including security notices, administrative messages, policy updates, and support responses.
- Understand and improve service reliability, performance, and user experience.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.
We generally do not review the content of messages, emails, calendar items, reminders, or attachments. However, because Axichat-hosted services do not currently provide end-to-end encryption, content may be processed in decrypted form on Axichat servers for delivery, storage, retrieval, security, support, abuse investigation, and legal compliance.
4. Legal Bases for EEA and UK Users
Where EEA or UK data protection law applies, our legal bases may include:
- Contract, when processing is needed to provide the Services you request.
- Legitimate interests, such as operating, securing, preventing abuse of, supporting, and improving the Services.
- Consent, where we ask for consent for an optional feature or permission.
- Legal obligation, where processing is needed to comply with applicable law.
5. How We Share Information
We share information only as needed to provide, secure, support, and operate the Services, or as required by law. This includes sharing:
- With intended recipients and servers involved in message, email, attachment, calendar, or federation routing.
- With service providers that help us operate the Services, such as hosting, storage, infrastructure, security, support, diagnostics, email delivery, and push notification providers. We require service providers that process user data on our behalf to protect it consistently with this Policy and applicable law.
- With app stores, payment processors, operating system providers, and platform services when needed for downloads, purchases, receipts, refunds, push notifications, crash reports, fraud prevention, or platform compliance.
- For legal, safety, and security reasons, such as complying with valid legal process, enforcing our Terms, preventing abuse, or protecting the rights, property, or safety of Axichat, users, or others.
- In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, subject to notice if your information becomes subject to a materially different privacy policy.
We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Official Axichat client builds do not use third-party advertising trackers. If that changes, we will update this Policy and request consent where required.
6. Your Choices and Permissions
- You can update certain account settings within the Axichat client where supported by your server.
- You can deny or revoke device permissions, such as contacts or notifications, in your device settings. Some optional features may not work without the related permission.
- You can disable push notifications in your device settings and, where supported, inside the app.
- You can request access to, correction of, deletion of, or export of certain information we hold about you by contacting support@axichat.com. We may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling requests.
7. Account Deletion and Retention
You can delete your Axichat-hosted account using in-app controls. If you cannot access the app, contact support@axichat.com for help with deletion. Account deletion removes or anonymizes account data within a reasonable period, subject to legal, security, fraud-prevention, backup, and operational requirements.
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Services and for legitimate business, security, dispute-resolution, and legal purposes:
- Account data is retained while your account is active.
- Offline messages are generally stored only until delivery.
- Message archives, stored attachments, mailboxes, calendar items, and reminders may be retained until you delete them, change your settings, reach storage limits, or delete your account, depending on server configuration.
- Server logs, security records, diagnostics, and support records are retained for limited periods appropriate to security, reliability, support, and legal needs.
- Purchase and transaction records may be retained as needed for accounting, tax, fraud-prevention, platform compliance, support, and legal purposes.
Deleting your account or deleting messages from your device does not necessarily delete copies already delivered to other users, third-party servers, mail systems, backups, or devices outside Axichat's control. Deleted data may persist in backups until those backups are cycled out.
8. Security and Encryption
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information. Security measures may include access controls, logging, rate limits, transport encryption, and encryption at rest where supported and configured.
Axichat-hosted services do not currently provide end-to-end encryption. This means Axichat servers may process message, email, calendar, reminder, and attachment content in decrypted form for delivery and storage. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. You are responsible for protecting your account credentials and devices.
9. International Transfers
Axichat is based in the United States. If you use Axichat-hosted services, your information may be processed in the United States and other locations where we or our service providers operate. Where required by law, we use safeguards intended to protect information transferred internationally.
10. Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, export, restrict, or object to certain processing of your personal information, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. EEA and UK users may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a local supervisory authority.
California residents may have rights under applicable California privacy laws, including rights to know, access, correct, delete, and opt out of sale or sharing as those terms are defined by law. Axichat does not sell personal information and does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. California "Shine the Light": We do not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.
To make a privacy request, contact support@axichat.com. We will verify and respond to requests as required by applicable law.
11. Age Restriction
Axichat is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe that a minor has provided us with personal information, contact support@axichat.com so we can take appropriate action.
12. Third-Party Services
If you connect Axichat to third-party services, those services may process your information under their own terms and privacy policies. For example, third-party email providers, XMPP servers, app stores, operating systems, push notification services, and websites may independently collect or process information. Axichat is not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties that are not acting on our behalf.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version at axichat.com and update the effective date. If changes are material, we may provide additional notice through the Services or by email.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions, requests, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact:
- Email: support@axichat.com
- Mail: Axichat LLC, Attn: Privacy, 1908 Thomes Ave STE 12716, Cheyenne, WY 82001, USA