BChat Privacy Policy

Effective date: September 28, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information BChat ("BChat," "we," "us") collects, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. BChat is run by a team of student developers and is an independent project, not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by UCLA.

The short version: we collect what we need to run class group chats, we don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and we don't track you across other apps or websites.

1. Information we collect

Information from your Google sign-in

When you sign in with your UCLA Google account, Google shares the following with us:

• your UCLA email address;
• your name;
• your Google profile picture (if you have one); and
• a Google account ID that lets us recognize you next time you sign in.

We do not receive your Google password, and we don't access your Gmail, Drive, or any other Google data.

From your email address, we create a username (the part before the @).

Information you give us

• Profile details: your display name, profile picture, class year, major, and what you want from BChat (from the sign-up questions). Year, major, and goal are optional.
• Courses: the UCLA courses you add, which determine the class chats you join.
• Messages and media: the messages, photos, videos, replies, and emoji reactions you post, and when you posted, edited, or deleted them.
• Reports: if you report a user or message, the reason and any details you provide.
• Feedback: anything you send through the in-app feedback form.

Information collected automatically

• Push notification token: if you allow notifications, your device gives us a token so we can send notifications to it.
• Notification settings and theme choice: your preferences for notifications and light/dark mode.
• Technical information: like any internet service, our servers receive your IP address and basic request information when the app connects to them. We use your IP address briefly to prevent abuse (for example, limiting how fast requests can be made). Our hosting provider may keep standard server logs for a limited time.

We do not collect your precise location, contacts, browsing history, or advertising identifiers, and we don't use third-party analytics or advertising tools.

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• verify that you are a UCLA student and sign you in;
• add you to the right class chats and show your messages to your classmates;
• deliver messages, media, and push notifications;
• show your name and profile picture next to your messages;
• review reports, enforce our Terms of Service, and keep BChat safe (including warning or banning users);
• prevent spam, abuse, and security problems;
• respond to your feedback and support requests; and
• fix bugs and improve the app.

3. What other users can see

• Members of your class chats can see your display name, profile picture, and everything you post in those chats (messages, photos, videos, replies, and reactions).
• Your email address, Google account ID, class year, major, and goal are not shown to other users.

Messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Members of the BChat team who run the app can access messages and account information when needed to operate the app, investigate reports, or enforce our Terms.

4. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information and do not share it for advertising.

We share information only with service providers that help us run BChat, and only as needed for them to provide their service:

We may also disclose information if required by law (for example, a valid subpoena or court order), or if we believe in good faith it's necessary to protect the safety of any person or to prevent fraud or abuse.

If BChat's ownership changes (for example, the project is handed off to a new student team), your information may be transferred as part of that change, and this Privacy Policy will continue to apply.

5. How long we keep information

• Account information is kept while your account is active.
• Messages and media are kept until you delete them or delete your account. When you delete a message, its text and media are removed; a placeholder showing that a message was deleted may remain in the chat.
• Reports are kept for up to 12 months after they are resolved, so we can handle repeat abuse.
• Feedback is kept for as long as it's useful for improving the app.
• If your account is banned, we may keep your email address and Google account ID to prevent you from creating a new account.

6. Deleting your account and your choices

• Delete your account: you can delete your account from Settings in the app. This deletes your profile, email address, Google account ID, courses, push token, and the messages and media you posted. Information is removed from our active systems within 30 days, except where we need to keep it as described in Section 5 or by law.
• Edit your profile: you can change your display name, profile picture, and courses in the app.
• Delete messages: you can delete your own messages at any time.
• Notifications: you can turn notifications off in the app's Settings or in your device settings.
• Other requests: to ask what information we have about you or to request a correction or deletion, email bchatdevx@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

7. Security

We use reasonable measures to protect your information, including sending data over encrypted (HTTPS) connections and limiting who on the team can access the database. No system is perfectly secure, so we can't guarantee the security of your information. If you think your account has been compromised, contact us right away.

8. Children

BChat is for UCLA students and is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

9. California residents

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion of it, to correct it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. To make a request, email bchatdevx@gmail.com.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will let you know in the app. The "Effective date" at the top shows when it was last updated.

11. Contact us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your information? Email bchatdevx@gmail.com.