This document is modeled after the Creative Commons Privacy Policy from Automattic.

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, ChatSecure collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. ChatSecure’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how ChatSecure’s visitors use its website. From time to time, ChatSecure may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

To protect your privacy, we recommend using a browser plugin to block 3rd party tracking services, such as Ghostery.

Mobile Apps

We purposefully do not include any analytics code in our mobile applications to help preserve your privacy. When using ChatSecure to connect to 3rd party chat servers, you are relying on those service’s privacy policies as well. For example, if you use ChatSecure with Google Talk, you should be mindful of Google’s Privacy Policy.

At this time, the only other data that can be submitted to a 3rd party is our opt-in, anonymized crash report data, provided by the open source crash reporting SDK from HockeyApp.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to ChatSecure’s websites choose to interact with ChatSecure in ways that require ChatSecure to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that ChatSecure gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. In each case, ChatSecure collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with ChatSecure. ChatSecure does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Aggregated Statistics

ChatSecure may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. ChatSecure may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, ChatSecure does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

ChatSecure discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on ChatSecure’s behalf or to provide services available at ChatSecure’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using ChatSecure’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. ChatSecure will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, ChatSecure discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when ChatSecure believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of ChatSecure, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an ChatSecure website and have supplied your email address, ChatSecure may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with ChatSecure and our products. We primarily use our various product blogs to communicate this type of information, so we expect to keep this type of email to a minimum. If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. ChatSecure takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. ChatSecure uses cookies to help ChatSecure identify and track visitors, their usage of ChatSecure website, and their website access preferences. ChatSecure visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using ChatSecure’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of ChatSecure’s websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Analytics & Social Sharing Widgets

ChatSecure uses Google Analytics on chatsecure.org to help us monitor the number of people who visit the site. We also include social sharing widgets that are bundled with our blogging theme. We recommend using a browser plugin like Ghostery to opt-out.

Business Transfers

If ChatSecure, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that ChatSecure goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of ChatSecure may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, ChatSecure may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in ChatSecure’s sole discretion. ChatSecure encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.

Change log:

January 3, 2014: Initial privacy policy, modeled after Automattic’s.