🔒 Privacy Commitment: Botel Chat does not sell your personal data. We use reasonable safeguards and process data only to provide, secure and support the service.
1. Introduction
Welcome to Botel Chat ("we," "our," or "us"). We value your trust and are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how it is secured, and your rights regarding your data when using the Botel Chat mobile application and associated services.
2. Information We Collect
To provide messaging, calling, and social features, we collect the following categories of information:
- Account Information: Your email address, display name, username, bio, gender, and avatar profile picture provided during signup.
- Messages & Chats: Text, voice notes, photos and video shared through the app so the selected recipients can receive them.
- Voice & Video Calls: Real-time communications and the signalling information needed to connect them. Call content is not intentionally recorded by Botel Chat.
- Voice Rooms & Interactive Gifts: Voice room participant lists, chat interactions, and 3D animated gifts exchanged using virtual in-app coins.
- Device & Diagnostics: App version, operating system, device and notification identifiers, crash and reliability information, and security signals.
3. Permissions Requested & Purpose
Botel Chat requests only permissions strictly necessary for its features:
- Microphone (RECORD_AUDIO): Used to send voice messages, participate in live voice chat rooms, conduct audio calls, and for in-game voice in Video Ludo (peer-to-peer, not recorded).
- Camera (CAMERA): Used to take real-time photos/videos, conduct live 1-on-1 video calls, and for in-game live video in Video Ludo (peer-to-peer, not recorded — you can turn it off anytime in Settings > App Permissions).
- Photos & Videos (READ_MEDIA_IMAGES / READ_MEDIA_VIDEO): Used solely to allow you to select and upload profile avatars, share photos/videos in chats, and post 24-hour stories.
- Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): Used to alert you of new incoming messages, calls, and friend requests.
- Google Play In-App Billing (BILLING): Used for secure purchases of virtual coins and VIP passes via Google Play's official payment gateway. We never collect or store your credit card or banking details.
4. How we use and share data
We use trusted infrastructure to host data, authenticate accounts, deliver notifications, process purchases, and diagnose issues. We never sell personal data to advertisers or third parties. Some providers may process data outside India with adequate safeguards and confidentiality obligations. Not every feature provides end-to-end encryption, so do not send information you cannot risk sharing.
5. Security & breach notification
We use access controls, encrypted transport (HTTPS/TLS), monitoring and operational safeguards appropriate to the service. No online service can guarantee absolute security.
In the event of a personal data breach, we will assess the risk and, where required by the DPDP Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules, 2025, notify the Data Protection Board of India and affected users within the prescribed timelines.
6. Service providers
We integrate with industry-standard, privacy-certified partners to operate our platform:
- Google Firebase: Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Realtime Database, Cloud Storage, and FCM Push Notifications.
- Google Play Billing: Secure in-app purchase processing.
- Google Sign-In: One-tap secure authentication.
- Reputed cloud partners: Secure media storage, call connectivity and diagnostics — bound by confidentiality and applicable data protection obligations.
- Optional rewarded-ad partners: Shown only when you choose to watch a rewarded ad for coins; no ads in chats, calls, or rooms, and no real-world cash rewards.
- Content delivery: Fonts and static assets may be delivered via standard CDN providers.
7. Retention & deletion
We retain personal data only as long as needed for the purposes below, then delete or anonymize it:
- Stories, signalling & temporary status: auto-expire with the feature window (e.g. stories ~24 hours).
- Active account data (profile, messages, media, settings): until you submit a verified erasure (deletion) request.
- Billing & purchase records: minimum period required by law (e.g. up to 5 years for tax/invoicing, as applicable).
- Safety, fraud-prevention & report records: minimum required period (e.g. up to 1 year for dispute/safety purposes), with restricted access.
- Backups & processor copies: expire per provider lifecycle after active deletion (e.g. ~30 days, provider-dependent).
After a verified deletion request, active account data is queued for permanent purging and removed from backups progressively. Limited billing, fraud-prevention and safety records may be retained as above.
You can request access, correction, withdrawal of optional choices, grievance review or erasure through the app or the deletion request page. We aim to acknowledge requests immediately and respond within 30 days. If you remain unsatisfied, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India under the DPDP Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules, 2025. You may also nominate another person to exercise your rights (Sec. 14 DPDP Act).
8. Age restriction
Botel Chat is strictly for people aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly permit minors to create or use accounts. Report suspected underage use to the contact below.
9. Your rights and contact
You may ask for access, correction, erasure, withdrawal of optional consent and grievance redressal. Contact our Grievance Officer & Data Protection Contact Abhishek Tiwari at contact@botelchat.com or WhatsApp 8400446470. For postal correspondence: Beside Gramin Bank, Patranga Mandi, Makhdoompur, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh - 224119, India Include enough information for us to verify the request. We will acknowledge every request, provide a request reference and aim to respond within 30 days. If you remain unsatisfied, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India under the DPDP Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules, 2025.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions, feedback, or data requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact our Grievance Officer & Data Protection Contact at:
- Name: Abhishek Tiwari — Grievance Officer & Data Protection Contact
- Email: contact@botelchat.com
- WhatsApp: 8400446470
- Postal: Beside Gramin Bank, Patranga Mandi, Makhdoompur, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh - 224119, India
- App: Botel Chat