Privacy Policy

Updated: July 20, 2026

Effective Date: February 22, 2026

Pigeon ("Pigeon," "Pigeon Chat," "the App," "we," "us," or "our") is a messaging platform operated by Merandian LLC, a limited liability company. This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights with respect to it. By using our website at pigeonchatapp.com or our mobile applications (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Information we collect

When you browse our website (no account required)

You may visit our website without creating an account. When you do, we collect limited information about your visit for two purposes:

• Analytics — such as the pages viewed, the order and time spent on them, how your visit arrived (for example, a search engine or link), and the general location (country and, in some cases, region) your visit originates from. Each visit is assigned a new, non-persistent identifier that is not shared with third parties and is not used to link separate visits together. This information is tied to your browsing session, not to you as an individual, and we do not use it to build a profile of you across visits or devices.
• Security — separately from analytics, we log limited technical information, including IP address, to detect and prevent bots, fraud, and abuse and to keep the site secure and available. This information is kept separate from analytics data, is non-identifying, is never tied to a particular visit, is used strictly for security purposes, and is not used for advertising or profiling.

Our website analytics and security logging are performed in-house.

This applies to visits to our website only, not to the Pigeon apps. We do not use persistent cookies to track you across sessions on the website, and we do not respond to browser Do Not Track (DNT) signals because we do not track users across other websites or services.

When you create an account

To use the messaging Service, you must create an account. We collect:

• Email address - used for account authentication and transactional emails such as sign-in verification codes.

When you use the Service

Once you have an account, we collect the minimum data needed to operate the Service:

• Encrypted messages and files - We store messages and files in encrypted form for delivery and backup.
• Message delivery metadata - to route messages, we store the intended recipient of each message and when it was sent.
• Encrypted settings and device name - your in-app settings and device name are stored in encrypted form for backup and device management.
• Device platform - we store the platform of each device you connect (e.g., iOS, Android) solely to ensure compatibility with the correct app version.
• Push notification tokens - if you enable push notifications, your device provides us with a token issued by Apple (APNs) or Google (FCM). We use this token only to deliver notification alerts.
• Session and authentication tokens - standard tokens used to keep you signed in securely.

When you purchase a paid plan for the service

You may use the Service entirely for free. However, if you choose to purchase a paid subscription plan, we collect:

• Subscription details - if you choose to upgrade your use of the Service, we store a record of your latest payment status so we know what features of the Service to provide in your use of the Service.

Your full payment and billing information for in-app purchases is collected and managed by our app distribution platforms and payment and subscription management providers. They may collect device identifiers and subscription state even if you never upgrade to a paid plan. For information on how these third-party service providers are used by the Service, see the Sharing your information section below.

Information we do not collect

Our systems are not designed to collect:

• The plaintext content of your messages, files, or media
• Age, date of birth, or demographic information
• Cross-site tracking data or advertising identifiers

We do not use third-party analytics, advertising networks, or tracking SDKs.

Our third-party service providers may collect additional data as part of their own operations, as described in the Sharing your information section below.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect solely to provide, maintain, and improve the Service. Specifically:

• Website analytics and security data - to understand how visitors use our website and to protect it from bots, fraud, and abuse. Security data is kept separate from analytics data and is used strictly for security purposes.
• Email address - to authenticate your account, send sign-in verification codes, and notify you of material changes to this policy or our Terms of Service.
• Encrypted messages, files, and metadata - to deliver content to intended recipients, provide server-side backup, and calculate your usage against your plan limit.
• Encrypted settings and device name - to allow you to manage and restore your preferences when signing in on a new device.
• Device platform - to deliver the correct application version and ensure compatibility.
• Push notification tokens - to deliver notification alerts to your device.
• Session tokens - to maintain your authenticated session.

We do not use any of your information to serve advertisements, build behavioral profiles, or sell data to any third party.

Legal basis for processing your data

We process your data on the following legal bases:

• Contractual necessity - processing your email address and account data is required to provide the Service you signed up for.
• Legitimate interests - maintaining service security, delivering messages, and preventing abuse, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Consent - for optional features such as push notifications, where we rely on your explicit consent, which you may withdraw at any time in your device settings.

How we store your data

Messages, files, and settings are stored in encrypted form. The Service is designed so that we do not hold the keys needed to decrypt your content.

Your device stores a local copy of your data. If you delete the app, that local data is removed from your device. Server-side encrypted data is retained for message delivery and device sync purposes until you delete your account. This is not a guaranteed data recovery service.

Our web-based session uses browser storage for authentication and session state only.

All data is transmitted over encrypted connections and stored encrypted at rest.

Sharing your information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. We do not share your information with advertisers, data brokers, or marketers.

We do not process the limited data we have about you through any artificial intelligence (AI) tool or model.

We may share limited information in the following circumstances in order to provide the Service to you:

Third-party service providers

We work with a small number of trusted third-party service providers to help us operate, provide, and maintain the Service. Each provider receives only the data necessary for their specific function. These providers may operate under their own privacy policies, which govern their handling of any data they process.

• Database and authentication providers - store your email address, encrypted messages, encrypted files, encrypted settings, device platform, authentication tokens, and subscription plan status on our behalf. We configure our infrastructure to use United States-based server regions; however, our providers operate their own global infrastructure and may store or process data on any of their servers in accordance with their own policies.
• Email delivery providers - process your email address to deliver sign-in verification codes. We have disabled click and open tracking in our email delivery configuration. These providers may still retain delivery logs and IP address data according to their own privacy policies.
• Push notification services - if you enable push notifications, your device communicates a push token directly to the platform's notification service (such as those operated by your device manufacturer).
• App distribution platforms - distribute the application to your device. They may collect data about app downloads and usage according to their own policies, which we do not control.
• Website hosting providers - host our public website. These providers may log visitor access requests, which may include IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited. This applies to website visits only, not to the apps.
• Payment and subscription management providers - manage subscription plans and in-app purchases. They may collect device identifiers and subscription state regardless of whether you upgrade. If you choose to upgrade, these providers process your transaction and collect billing and payment information under their own policies.

Our website analytics and security logging are performed in-house, not through a third-party analytics service.

Legal requirements and protection of rights

We may disclose information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law, regulation, court order, or other legal process;
• Enforce our Terms of Service or investigate potential violations;
• Protect the security or integrity of the Service;
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Merandian LLC, our users, or the public.

The data available in response to legal process is limited to what is described in this Privacy Policy.

Business transfers

If Merandian LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or similar transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice within the Service before such a transfer takes effect. Your information will remain subject to this Privacy Policy until it is updated by a successor entity in accordance with the Changes to this policy section.

Data retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service.

• Email address and account data - retained until you delete your account, at which point it is permanently removed.
• Encrypted messages - retained on our servers until you delete them within the Service or delete your account.
• Encrypted files - retained on our servers until you delete them within the Service, delete your account, or trigger the retention file limit.
• Encrypted settings and device records - retained until you delete your account.
• Authentication and session tokens - retained for the duration of your active session or until revoked.
• Website security data - retained for a limited period for security purposes.

Deletion and removal

Chats you create or join may automatically delete messages after a certain number of days from when they were sent. This retention setting is configured when creating a chat and cannot be changed afterward.

You may delete your messages, either individually or from a chat all at once.

You may delete the files you send, or they may be deleted automatically when you exceed your subscription's file size send limit.

You may delete your account at any time. Doing so permanently removes your email address and account data from our servers, deletes all files you sent, deletes messages addressed to you, removes you from all chats, and signs you out of the app. Deleting your account does not automatically delete messages you sent.

All deletions - whether initiated by you or triggered automatically - permanently remove the affected data from our servers. The Service will also attempt to remove the data from connected devices of chat members, though we cannot guarantee deletion on devices outside our control. Copies moved outside the Service by you or other members are not affected. Each user is responsible for saving any files they wish to keep outside of the Service. By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree that automatic deletion will occur and that we are not liable for any loss of data resulting from any deletion, whether automatic or user-initiated.

Your rights and choices

The following rights are available to you:

• Access - view your account information and data.
• Correction - update your email address.
• Deletion - delete your account, individual messages, or files as described in the Data retention section above.

Depending on where you live, you may also have rights to access, correct, delete, port, or object to the processing of your personal data, or to withdraw consent, and to be free from discrimination for exercising those rights. To exercise any right, contact us using the information at the bottom of this policy. We do not sell, share, or use your data for advertising or profiling, so there is no action required on your part to opt out.

• EEA, UK, and Switzerland: you may access, correct, delete, export, or object to our processing of your data, and lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
• Canada: you may access and correct your data and withdraw consent; residents of Quebec have additional rights, including data portability and disclosure of any automated decision-making.
• Brazil: you may access, correct, delete, and port your data, and revoke consent at any time.
• Australia: you may access and correct your data; if a concern is unresolved, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
• California: you may know what we collect, request deletion, and opt out of any sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information, so the opt-out right has no practical application here.
• Other US states with applicable consumer privacy laws: you may access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of your data, and opt out of any sale. We do not sell personal data and will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

Security

We take reasonable and industry-standard precautions to protect your information, including encryption in transit and at rest. No security system is impenetrable, and we do not guarantee absolute security.

For more information on our security practices, see Security.

Children's privacy

We do not knowingly collect age or date of birth, and the Service is not designed to request or store such information. We have no means of verifying the age of users. The Service is not directed to children under the minimum age required in your jurisdiction. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you meet the applicable minimum age and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.

It is the sole responsibility of parents and guardians to monitor and control their children's use of the Service. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the applicable age without parental consent or a user does not meet the applicable minimum age, we may delete the account and all associated data without notice.

International users

Our Service is operated by Merandian LLC from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer and processing.

For users in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland: we process your data on the bases described in this policy, including our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Service.

Our third-party service providers may transfer, store, or process data on infrastructure located outside of the United States as part of their own operations, governed by their own privacy policies and data processing commitments. We comply with applicable data protection laws in the jurisdictions where we operate.

Legal

This Privacy Policy is governed by the terms and conditions set forth in our Terms of Service, including disclaimers, limitations of liability, governing law, and dispute resolution.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page and append a summary of changes in the Change Log section below. For material changes that affect how we handle your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify users with accounts before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not agree with any changes, stop using the Service and delete your account before the changes take effect.

Feedback and information

Any feedback you provide through the Service is considered non-confidential, and we may use it without restriction or obligation to you.

The information contained in this website is subject to change without notice.

Contact: pigeonchat@proton.me

Change log

July 20, 2026 - Disclosed first-party website analytics and security data collection, including IP address for security purposes, which are kept separate from analytics and used strictly for security. Clarified that this applies to website visits only and not to the Pigeon apps.

July 5, 2026 - Clarified that we collect limited and non-identifying first-party analytics on website visits, and no longer state that cookies are the reason we don't respond to Do Not Track signals.

February 22, 2026 - Original publish date.