Privacy Policy

SchildiChat for Android

Last updated: May 28th, 2023

SchildiChat will be referenced in the later context as "the app".
"We", "us" and similar terms refer to the SchildiChat developer team.
"You", "the user" and similar terms refer to anybody using SchildiChat.

Understand how your data is used

The Matrix protocol is designed with your privacy and data sovereignty in mind. Because it is a decentralised, federated service, there are a few important things to know before you use the Service.

The kind and amount of data shared with us or third parties highly depends on user's interaction with the app. This app can communicate with any matrix homeserver which supports the matrix specifications. The user is free to choose their homeserver and has to accept the privacy policy of this homeserver before using it. Furthermore, the user may participate in federated chat rooms, which include more than one homeserver. In this case, the privacy policies by all participating homeservers need to be regarded.

The main functionality of this app lies in communication with other users (including users of other Matrix clients than SchildiChat). Thus, the user has the ability to share data with other users such as (but not limited to):

Such messages and attachments are only sent upon user action, indicating the user's wish to share this data with other users.

Federation

Services using the Matrix protocol rely on Matrix homeservers which share user data with the wider ecosystem over federation.

Bridging

Some Matrix rooms are bridged to third-party services, such as IRC networks, twitter or email. When a room has been bridged, your messages and media may be copied onto the bridged service.

Identity server

The user may wish to use an identity server, which allows to look up Matrix contacts from other personal identifiers such as email addresses or phone numbers. In order to provide this service, the app has the possibility to access the users contacts stored on their device. No contacts are accessed without user action indicating their wish to do so.

For the privacy policy of the identity server, please ask the provider of your identity server. The identity server in use can be influenced by the homeserver's configuration and the user's own preference. For the matrix.org identity server, please refer to their privacy policy here.

Integration Services (Bots and Widgets)

The homeserver the user is using, and other homeservers that the user's homeserver is federating with, may provide a range of integrations in the form of Widgets (web applications accessed as part of the Matrix Client webapp) and Bots (automated participants in rooms). Bots and Widgets have access to the messages and files in rooms in which they participate. Please refer to the privacy policies provided by the operators of these services for further details.

TURN (Voice and Video Calls)

For voice and video calls, SchildiChat may connect to a so-called TURN server for routing during the call. The app will prefer the TURN server suggested by your homeserver. If your homeserver does not configure any preferred TURN server, the app may decide to fall back to one operated by matrix.org, of which you can find the privacy policy here. For federated rooms, a TURN server suggested by one of the other chat participants may be used. Please refer to the privacy policy provided by the operator of the appropriate TURN server for further details.

Jitsi (Multi-user Voice and Video Calls)

In rooms with more than two users, SchildiChat implements multi-user calls using a Jitsi widget, which connects the app to a dedicated Jitsi-server during the call. The app will prefer the Jitsi server suggested by your homeserver. If your homeserver does not configure any preferred Jitsi server, the app may decide to fall back to one hosted for Element by New Vector Ltd, of which you can find the privacy policy here. For federated rooms, a Jitsi server suggested by one of the other chat participants may be used. Please refer to the privacy policy provided by the operator of the appropriate Jitsi server for further details.

Firebase Cloud Messaging

The app uses Firebase Cloud Messaging for push notifications (unless you use UnifiedPush, which is explained in the next section). In this setup, push notifications are sent from the user's homeserver to a gateway server hosted by the SchildiChat team, which then forwards the notification to Google's FCM infrastructure (please refer to their privacy policy for further details).

The SchildiChat push gateway servers may thus receive following data, and store it in log files for a limited time:

UnifiedPush

The app supports UnifiedPush. If the user installs a compatible distributor application, the app may share data with the respective chosen push provider to enable push notification functionality. Please refer to your push provider's privacy policy for further details.

Furthermore, the SchildiChat team hosts a push gateway, which is used to translate UnifiedPush requests for the user's matrix homeserver. When using UnifiedPush, the push gateway server may thus receive following data, and store it in log files for a limited time:

For more information about UnifiedPush, please visit the UnifiedPush website.

In-app bug reporting (sometimes also called "rageshake") and feature requests

The app allows you to share bug reports with us and suggest app changes to us. Both of these actions require user interaction. When sending us a bug report or suggestion, you agree to share personal information with us that help us understand your issue. In particular, when invoking a bug report or sending a suggestion, the app reports following information to us:

Furthermore, you can choose to additionally send us following information:

It is possible for screenshots and application logs to contain further personal information, such as (but not limited to) timestamps of usage, joined rooms, communication partners, and partial message content.

Forgetting your Data

The app developer has no control over the data stored on your homeserver. You may wish to request your homeserver operator to forget your data if you deactivate your account. Each user in a Matrix conversation receives their own copy of all messages and files in that conversation (similar to email), so the homeserver operator might ensure data is forgotten by ensuring that your data is not shared further and is not visible to future users – please refer to the privacy policy of your homeserver for details. In case you use the matrix.org homeserver, you can find their privacy policy here.

If you remove (redact) a message, the message content will no longer be accessible to users. Redactions only remove message content, your display name and avatar – your username will still be visible. Federated homeservers and some matrix clients may not honour the redaction request.

Commitment to Children's Privacy

We never knowingly collect or maintain information in the app, through any of the Services provided, from those we know are under 16, and no part of the app is structured to attract anyone under 16. If you are under 16, please do not use the Service.

Contact information

Should you have any questions regarding this privacy policy, please send us an email at the following address:

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