Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Challenger ("we", "our", "the app") collects, uses, stores, and protects your information when you use our mobile application and website. By using Challenger you agree to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information you provide

• Account information — email address, password (hashed by Firebase Authentication), display name, username, and optional profile photo, bio, and links.
• Third-party sign-in — if you sign in with Google, Apple, or Facebook, we receive the basic profile information that provider returns (name, email, profile photo).
• Content you create — posts, comments, replies, challenges, votes, messages, media uploads (images, video), and any reactions (likes, follows, bookmarks).
• Reports and moderation actions — reports you submit, users you block or mute.

1.2 Information collected automatically

• Device and technical data — device model, operating system, app version, language, time zone, IP address (for security and abuse prevention), Firebase Installation ID, and push notification (FCM) tokens.
• Usage analytics — screens viewed, feature interactions, session duration, and impression/engagement events used to improve the product.
• Crash and performance data — error reports, stack traces, and performance metrics collected via Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Performance Monitoring.
• Cache and local storage — limited local storage on your device (e.g., SharedPreferences, Hive cache) used for offline reads and faster loads.

1.3 Information we do not collect

• Precise GPS location.
• Contacts, SMS, or call logs.
• Health, fitness, or biometric data.
• Financial account or payment card information (the app does not process in-app payments at this time).

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and maintain your account and authenticate you.
• To deliver app functionality: feeds, profiles, challenges, comments, direct messages, search, notifications.
• To send push notifications you've opted into (likes, follows, mentions, messages, challenge events).
• To improve, debug, and secure the app via analytics, crash reports, and performance monitoring.
• To enforce our community guidelines, investigate reports, and protect users from abuse.
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with the third-party service providers below, under their own privacy and security commitments, and only to the extent needed to operate the app:

We may also disclose information if required by law, to respond to valid legal process, to protect the rights, property, or safety of Challenger, our users, or the public, or in connection with a corporate transaction such as a merger or acquisition (in which case you will be notified).

4. Public vs. Private Information

Content you post publicly (posts, comments, public profile fields, reactions) is visible to other Challenger users and may be accessed via search. Direct messages are visible only to the participants in the conversation. Email addresses, FCM tokens, and authentication identifiers are never displayed publicly.

5. Data Retention

We retain account data for as long as your account is active. Content you delete is removed from active feeds immediately, with backups and cached copies purged within a reasonable period. Crash logs, analytics events, and security logs are retained for the period needed to debug, audit, and prevent abuse — typically up to 14 months.

6. Your Rights and Choices

• Access and correction — you can review and update most profile data directly in the app under Settings → Profile.
• Delete your account — you can permanently delete your account and associated personal data from inside the app under Settings → Account → Delete account. Deletion removes your profile, posts, comments, messages, and reactions. A small set of irreversible data (anonymous aggregate analytics, abuse-prevention logs) may be retained as permitted by law.
• Push notifications — you can disable notifications in Settings → Notifications or in your device's system settings.
• Block / mute — you can block or mute any other user from their profile or any of their posts/messages.
• Region-specific rights — if you are in the EEA, UK, California, or another jurisdiction with data-protection laws, you may have additional rights including the right to object, restrict processing, data portability, and lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Contact us at the address below to exercise these rights.

7. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards including encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest on Firebase infrastructure, Firestore security rules to enforce per-user access, and regular dependency and platform updates. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security; however, we work continuously to protect your information.

8. Children's Privacy

Challenger is intended for users 13 years of age and older, or the minimum age required by your local jurisdiction (whichever is higher). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children below the minimum age. If we discover that a user is below that age, we remove the account and associated data. For our full standards on child safety and our CSAE prevention practices, see our Child Safety Standards page.

9. International Data Transfers

Challenger is hosted on Google Firebase infrastructure. Your information may be processed and stored in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. Where required, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be highlighted in-app or by other reasonable notice. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact

For questions about this policy or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us: