Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 2025
1. Overview
DodoChat ("we", "us", "our") operates dodochat.lol. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our random video and text chat service. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.
The short version: We collect as little data as possible. We do not require signup. We do not sell your data. We do not store your video or audio streams.
2. What We Collect
Automatically collected:
- IP address — used for abuse prevention, rate limiting, and IP bans. Not stored permanently after session ends.
- Country/region — detected from IP address via GeoIP lookup. Used to show "Stranger is from India" message. Only country level, never precise location.
- Session data — temporary data about your chat session (start time, duration, interests selected). Deleted when session ends.
- Anonymous analytics — total connection counts, skip rates, popular interests. All aggregated and anonymous, no individual tracking.
What we do NOT collect:
- We do NOT store your video or audio streams
- We do NOT record your video calls
- We do NOT store chat messages after session ends
- We do NOT require name, email, or account creation
- We do NOT use tracking cookies
- We do NOT sell data to third parties
- We do NOT store precise location data
3. Video and Audio
Video and audio communication on DodoChat uses WebRTC technology. This means your video and audio streams are transmitted directly between you and your chat partner (peer-to-peer).
We never see or store your video or audio. Your streams go directly to the other person's browser. We only facilitate the initial connection via our signaling server — we cannot access the content of your video calls.
In some cases, traffic may route through our TURN relay server to bypass network restrictions. Even in this case, the data is encrypted in transit and we do not log or store it.
4. Cookies and Local Storage
We use minimal browser storage:
- Theme preference — we save your dark/light mode choice in localStorage so it persists between visits. No personal data.
- No tracking cookies — we do not use advertising cookies or third-party trackers.
If we add Google AdSense in the future, Google may set cookies for advertising purposes. We will update this policy and add a cookie consent banner before enabling ads.
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with third parties except:
- Law enforcement — if required by law or to prevent serious harm, we may share IP addresses and session data with authorities
- Service providers — we use Cloudflare for CDN and DDoS protection. Cloudflare may process your IP address per their privacy policy
6. Data Retention
- Session data: deleted when chat ends
- IP addresses in logs: maximum 7 days
- Banned IP addresses: up to 1 year
- Report/abuse reports: up to 90 days
- Anonymous analytics: indefinitely (no personal data)
7. Security
We take reasonable security measures to protect the data we do collect:
- HTTPS encryption on all connections
- bcrypt password hashing for admin accounts
- Rate limiting to prevent abuse
- Regular security audits
- Restricted file permissions on sensitive data
8. Your Rights
Since we collect minimal data and no account is required, most data rights are automatically satisfied. However you have the right to:
- Know what data we have about you — email us with your IP address
- Delete your data — email us and we will remove any stored IP/session data
- Object to processing — stop using the service at any time
For GDPR requests (EU users) contact us at: privacy@dodochat.lol
9. Children's Privacy
DodoChat is strictly for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under 18. If you believe a child under 18 is using our service, please report it immediately to legal@dodochat.lol and we will take immediate action.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will update the "Last updated" date when changes are made. Continued use of DodoChat after changes means you accept the updated policy.