Privacy Policy – Chat Buddy
Effective Date: 24 September 2025
Last Updated: 10 September 2026
Policy Version: 3.2
1. Introduction
Chat Buddy (“Chat Buddy”, “we”, “us”, “our”) operates the online chat service available at https://chat-buddy.com.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Chat Buddy is a 16+ service. We do not knowingly permit children under the age of 16 to use the service.
2. Age Restriction
- Chat Buddy is strictly for users aged 16 years and over.
- We do not knowingly collect or process personal data relating to children under 16.
- If we become aware that a user is under 16, we will take steps to remove the account and associated data, subject to legal and safeguarding obligations.
- Users are required to confirm their age before accessing the service. While we take reasonable steps to enforce age restrictions, we recognise that age verification online is not always foolproof.
3. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
Account details: username and email address (if you register).
Messages: content sent in public and private chat rooms.
Profile information: any optional details you choose to provide.
Support communications: information you provide when contacting us.
Information Collected Automatically
Technical data: IP address.
Usage data: chat activity metadata, such as timestamps and chat participation.
Session data: login and logout times.
Live video safety processing: where a user broadcasts webcam video, frames from the live video stream may be automatically analysed by Chat Buddy's Video Safety system for the purpose of detecting explicit nudity or other prohibited webcam content. This analysis takes place automatically while the webcam broadcast is active.
Video Safety moderation metadata: where the Video Safety system triggers a moderation action, we may record limited information such as the user ID, date and time, chat or video room, detection category, confidence score, action taken, and the expiry time of any temporary webcam restriction.
We do not collect payment data and do not sell personal data.
4. Lawful Bases for Processing (UK GDPR)
We process personal data under the following lawful bases:
Performance of a contract – to provide chat functionality and operate features requested by users.
Legitimate interests – moderation, safeguarding, abuse prevention, service security, protection of users, enforcement of community rules, and automated detection of prohibited or explicit content in live webcam broadcasts.
Legal obligation – where processing is necessary to comply with UK law or a valid legal requirement.
Consent – where consent is required for an optional feature or particular type of processing.
5. How We Use Your Information
We use personal data to:
Operate and maintain the chat service.
Authenticate users and manage accounts.
Prevent spam, harassment, abuse, and misuse.
Enforce our Terms of Service and community rules.
Investigate safety, safeguarding, or legal issues.
Automatically detect prohibited content in live webcam broadcasts.
Comply with legal obligations.
Messages may be automatically or manually reviewed in limited circumstances for moderation, safeguarding, abuse prevention, or legal compliance. Access is restricted to authorised personnel only and is not used for advertising or profiling.
Automated Video Safety
Chat Buddy uses an automated Video Safety system to help detect explicit nudity in live webcam broadcasts and enforce our webcam and community rules.
Live webcam frames are analysed automatically while a webcam broadcast is active.
Video Safety analysis takes place on infrastructure controlled by Chat Buddy. Webcam frames are not sent to a third-party content-moderation service for analysis.
Chat Buddy does not retain the webcam images or video frames analysed by the Video Safety system.
The Video Safety system is designed to detect explicit nudity or other prohibited webcam content.
To reduce the risk of action being taken because of a single incorrect classification, the system may require repeated qualifying detections before automatic enforcement occurs.
If the system detects content that may violate Chat Buddy's webcam rules, it may automatically switch off the broadcaster's webcam and temporarily suspend webcam access.
A Video Safety webcam restriction affects webcam access only unless a separate moderation action is taken for another reason. The user may continue using text chat.
The broadcaster may be notified that their webcam has been automatically switched off and that webcam access has been temporarily restricted.
We may retain limited metadata relating to a Video Safety event, including the user ID, date and time, video room, detection category, confidence score, moderation action taken, notification status, and restriction expiry time.
Video Safety event metadata does not contain the webcam image or video frame that was analysed.
Video Safety detections and related metadata may be reviewed by authorised administrators where necessary for moderation, safeguarding, troubleshooting, security, responding to user queries, or legal compliance.
Automated Moderation Decisions
Certain moderation actions may be initiated automatically, including temporary suspension of webcam access following repeated Video Safety detections. These measures are intended to protect users and enforce Chat Buddy's community rules. Automated Video Safety action does not, by itself, automatically ban a user's account, IP address, device, or fingerprint.
Users who believe a Video Safety moderation action was applied incorrectly may contact us at [email protected].
6. Data Sharing
We only share personal data in the following circumstances:
With service providers who assist in operating the service, subject to appropriate contractual and data protection safeguards.
When required by law, court order, or lawful authority.
In connection with a business transfer or restructuring.
We do not share personal data with advertisers, data brokers, or social media platforms.
Live webcam frames processed by Chat Buddy's Video Safety system are not sent to an external content-moderation provider for classification.
7. Safeguarding & Law Enforcement
Chat Buddy takes safeguarding seriously.
We may preserve data where reasonably necessary for safety, safeguarding, legal, or regulatory reasons.
Personal data is disclosed to law enforcement only where legally required or authorised, and in accordance with applicable UK law.
We may disclose personal data where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to prevent or detect serious crime, protect individuals from harm, or comply with legal obligations, where permitted by applicable law.
Law Enforcement Requests
Requests for user information must be made through valid legal process and appropriate jurisdictional channels.
We may require verification of identity and authority before responding to any request.
We do not disclose user data in response to informal, unverifiable, or non-compliant requests.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:
Public chat messages: retained for up to 24 hours.
Private messages: retained for up to 30 days.
Unverified accounts: automatically deleted after 12 hours of inactivity.
Account metadata and security logs: retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for security, moderation, abuse prevention, safeguarding, and legal compliance.
Video Safety webcam frames: webcam images and video frames analysed by the automated Video Safety system are processed in real time and are not retained by the Video Safety system.
Video Safety event metadata: limited metadata about a Video Safety moderation event may be retained for moderation, security, troubleshooting, safeguarding, responding to user queries, and legal purposes. This metadata may be deleted when it is no longer required.
Once retention periods expire or information is no longer required, data is deleted or anonymised unless continued preservation is required or permitted by law.
9. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:
Encryption in transit and at rest where appropriate.
Access controls and limited staff access.
Regular security monitoring.
Secure backups.
Local processing of automated webcam safety analysis rather than sending webcam frames to an external content-moderation service.
No system is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect personal data.
10. Your Rights (UK GDPR)
Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:
Access your personal data.
Request correction or deletion.
Restrict or object to processing.
Request data portability where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Raise a question or objection regarding an automated moderation action affecting your account or webcam access.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Requests can be made by emailing [email protected].
11. International Data Transfers
Your personal data may in some circumstances be processed outside the UK. Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards are applied to protect your information in accordance with UK GDPR.
Webcam frames analysed by Chat Buddy's Video Safety system are processed on infrastructure controlled by Chat Buddy and are not transferred to a third-party content-moderation service for analysis.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our service, technology, legal obligations, or data-processing practices.
Material changes will be brought to users' attention where appropriate, and this page will show the date of the latest update and the current policy version.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or a Video Safety moderation action, contact:
Email: [email protected]