Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using DogChat (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access the Service.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years of age to use DogChat. By using the Service you represent that you meet this requirement. Users under 18 should have parental or guardian consent.

3. Data We Collect

When you use DogChat, we collect and store the following information:

• IP address — collected on connection and used strictly for moderation enforcement, including abuse prevention and ban enforcement. IP addresses may be used to prevent banned users from re-accessing the Service.
• Device & browser information — user-agent strings and general device type, collected for analytics purposes (e.g. understanding what platforms users access DogChat from) and to assist with debugging.
• Account data — username, tag, hashed password, avatar, bio, and any profile information you provide.
• Chat messages — all messages sent in Global Chat and Direct Messages are stored on our servers.
• Images — images shared in DMs are stored for up to 90 days before automatic deletion.
• Session cookies — used to keep you logged in across visits. See Section 5 for details.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use the data we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the Service.
• Authenticate your identity and maintain your session.
• Enforce our community rules and ban policy in accordance with our moderation practices.
• Investigate abuse, spam, or violations of these Terms.
• Send you notifications you have opted into (e.g. browser push notifications).

We do not sell your data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising.

5. Cookies & Local Storage

DogChat uses the following browser storage mechanisms:

• Session cookie — a secure HTTP-only cookie set upon login, used to authenticate your requests. It expires when your session ends or after a period of inactivity.
• localStorage — stores lightweight preferences (e.g. whether you have completed the tutorial, notification permission state). No personal data is stored here.

By continuing to use the Service after dismissing the cookie notice, you consent to this use of cookies and local storage.

6. User Content

You are responsible for all content you post on DogChat. You agree not to post content that is:

• Illegal, threatening, harassing, or abusive.
• Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) — any sexually explicit content involving minors is strictly prohibited and will result in an immediate permanent ban and referral to the relevant authorities. Zero tolerance, no exceptions.
• Gore or graphic violence — real or realistic depictions of extreme violence, mutilation, or death are not permitted in any form.
• Spam, phishing, or malicious links.
• In violation of another person's privacy or intellectual property rights.

We reserve the right to remove content and suspend or permanently ban accounts that violate these rules, including by IP address.

7. Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account. We store passwords using industry-standard hashing and never in plain text.

8. Service Availability

DogChat is currently in beta. The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without notice. We are not liable for any loss of data or interruption of service.

9. Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your account at any time for violations of these Terms, without prior notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Your stored messages and data may be deleted.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page when changes are made.

11. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms or how your data is handled, you can reach the DogChat team via the community chat or through the platform's support channels.