Privacy Policy

What Information We Collect

Depending on how you use ChessMate, we collect only the following categories of information:

• Guest & Player Profile Information: When you open the app, a random player identifier, a 6-character Friend Code (Club Pass), and a display nickname (such as Player123, which you can customize) are created so you can play matches and add friends without sharing personal contact details.
• Optional Account Sign-In Information: Creating an account is optional. If you choose to sign in using Email & Password, Google Sign-In, or Apple Sign-In to sync your progress across devices, we receive your email address and basic account identifier from your chosen sign-in provider.
• Optional Profile Photo: If you choose to upload a custom profile avatar, the selected image is cropped to a small profile icon before being saved. Location and camera metadata are removed automatically, and you can remove your photo at any time in the app.
• Gameplay & Rating Records: When you play online matches or tournaments, we record game moves, match outcomes (wins, losses, draws), and your chess rating to pair you with opponents of similar skill and display leaderboards.
• App Preferences: Your selected board style, piece set, kingdom theme, and sound/vibration settings are saved on your device.

Why We Process This Data

We use the information described above strictly to operate and improve ChessMate:

• To connect you to live online chess games, private friend rooms, and tournaments.
• To calculate fair skill ratings, standings, and match history.
• To restore your active game if your connection is briefly interrupted (for example, during a phone call).
• To synchronize your profile and rating across devices when you choose to sign in.
• To send optional push notifications when a friend challenges you or a tournament round begins (only if you enable notifications on your device).
• To maintain fair play and prevent abuse or unauthorized access.

Permissions Used by the App

ChessMate requests only essential permissions and never accesses sensitive hardware on your device:

How Information Is Shared

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party, advertiser, or data broker. Information is shared only in the following limited ways:

• Other Players in the App: Your chosen display nickname, profile avatar, chess rating, and match moves are visible to your opponents, spectators, and leaderboard viewers. Your email address is never shown to other players.
• Trusted Infrastructure Providers: We use secure cloud hosting and authentication providers (including Google Firebase for authentication and cloud database storage, and Apple/Google push notification services) solely to run the app on our behalf under strict confidentiality and security obligations.
• Legal Compliance: We may disclose information if required to do so by applicable law or valid legal process.

Deleting Your Account & Data

We retain your profile and gameplay information only for as long as you maintain an active account or guest profile. You can permanently delete your account and personal data at any time:

• Instant In-App Deletion: Open ChessMate, go to Account & Sync, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Account (for signed-in users) or Delete My Data (for guest users). Your account credentials, player profile, friend code, custom photo, and local data are permanently deleted immediately.
• Online / Email Deletion Request: If you have uninstalled the app, you can request full account and data deletion on our Account Deletion Page or by emailing privacy@alltechzone.au. Requests are completed within 7 business days.

Safe for Players of All Ages

ChessMate is a family-friendly board game suitable for players of all ages. Players can enjoy the app without providing any personal information, and the app does not include unmoderated text or voice chat between strangers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent. If a parent or guardian wishes to remove information associated with their child's account, they may delete it immediately inside the app or contact us at privacy@alltechzone.au.

International & Regional Rights (GDPR, CCPA & Australia)

Depending on where you live—including Australia (Privacy Act 1988), the European Economic Area and United Kingdom (GDPR / UK GDPR), and California or other US states (CCPA / CPRA)—you have the right to:

• Access a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct or update your display name, profile photo, or account details.
• Request permanent deletion of your account and personal information.
• Withdraw consent for optional features (such as push notifications or custom profile photos) at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, use the in-app controls in Account & Sync or contact us at privacy@alltechzone.au.

How We Protect Your Data & How to Reach Us

All data transmitted between ChessMate and our servers is encrypted in transit using industry-standard HTTPS / TLS encryption, and cloud records are encrypted at rest. If we update this Privacy Policy, we will post the revised version on this page with an updated effective date.