This Privacy Policy explains how ChessWithMe ("ChessWithMe," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you use our mobile application (the "App").
ChessWithMe is operated by Axel Bondu, an individual based in Basel, Switzerland. You can reach us at contactchesswithme@gmail.com for any question, request, or concern about this Policy or your data.
By creating an account or otherwise using the App, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.
1. Who this Policy applies to
This Policy applies to anyone who uses ChessWithMe, wherever they are located. If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with its own data protection law, you may have additional or different rights under that law — see Section 9.
ChessWithMe is intended for users 16 years of age or older. The App blocks account creation for anyone who indicates they are under 16. If we become aware that a user under 16 has provided us with personal data, we will delete that account and the associated data.
2. What data we collect
2.1 Account and profile data
- Email address and password (for authentication)
- Username/pseudonym, avatar image, free-text bio
- Self-declared chess level, or external ratings you choose to add, by game format
- Gender, date of birth (used only to verify you meet the minimum age and, if you choose to share it, shown on your profile)
- City (optional — only used to enable "new game near you" notifications)
- Preferred opening, your stated reason for using the App (competitive / casual / social), notification preferences
2.2 Game and location data
- Games and meetups you create or join: title, precise address and GPS coordinates, date, time, format, rules, equipment requests, and any comments you add
Because ChessWithMe is a location-based service for arranging in-person meetings, the address and approximate location of a game are visible to other users browsing the map or list while the game is open. This is inherent to how the App works — please do not include sensitive personal details (e.g. your home address) in a game listing unless you intend it to be visible to other players.
2.3 Communications
- Chat messages you exchange with other users, whether in a private 1:1 conversation (duels) or a shared group chat (meetups)
- System messages generated automatically (e.g. "X joined the meetup")
2.4 Trust & safety data
- Ratings and optional written feedback you leave about other users after a game
- Reports you submit about a game, a message, or another user, including the reason and any details you provide
- Reports submitted about you by other users
2.5 Technical data
- Device push notification token (to deliver notifications)
- Basic technical/log data generated automatically by our hosting and infrastructure providers (e.g. IP address, timestamps) for security and reliability purposes
We do not currently use third-party analytics or advertising trackers in the App. If this changes in the future, we will update this Policy accordingly.
3. How we use your data
We use your data to:
- Create and manage your account, and verify you meet the minimum age requirement
- Operate the core features of the App: displaying games/meetups on the map, matching you with other players, enabling chat, processing join requests, and running the rating and reporting systems
- Send you push notifications and, where applicable, transactional emails (e.g. email confirmation, password reset, game reminders) — you can control notification categories in Settings
- Investigate reports and enforce our Terms of Service and community rules
- Maintain the security, integrity, and reliability of the App
- Comply with legal obligations where applicable
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising.
4. Legal basis for processing (EEA/UK users)
Where the GDPR applies to our processing of your data, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Performance of a contract — processing your profile, game, and chat data is necessary to provide the core matchmaking service you sign up for
- Consent — for optional data you choose to provide (e.g. city, external ratings, optional profile fields) and for certain notification categories
- Legitimate interests — for trust & safety purposes (ratings, reports, fraud/abuse prevention), and for maintaining the security of the App
- Legal obligation — where we must retain or disclose data to comply with the law
Swiss users are protected under the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP/nLPD), which we also comply with.
5. Who we share your data with
We share data with the following categories of recipients, only as necessary to operate the App:
- Other users — your public profile, active games/meetups, ratings, and any chat messages you send are visible to the other users involved in that interaction, as described above
- Service providers (sub-processors) who process data on our behalf under contract, currently:
- Supabase (database, authentication, real-time chat, file storage) — hosted in the
eu-west-2region (London, UK) - Resend (transactional email delivery)
- Expo (push notification delivery)
- OpenStreetMap Foundation (Nominatim) — used for address search. Search queries are sent to the public Nominatim geocoding service, which may log IP addresses under its own usage and privacy policies
- CARTO — provides the map tile images displayed in the App; requests for map tiles are sent to CARTO's servers
- Apple (App Store distribution — subject to Apple's own privacy policy)
- Supabase (database, authentication, real-time chat, file storage) — hosted in the
- Authorities, if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of ChessWithMe, our users, or the public
We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. International data transfers
Some of our service providers may process data outside Switzerland or the EEA/UK. Our primary database is hosted in the United Kingdom, which benefits from adequacy decisions recognized by both the EU and Switzerland. Where a provider processes data in a country without an adequacy decision (for example, the United States), we rely on the safeguards those providers offer under applicable law, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent frameworks.
7. Data retention
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we permanently and irreversibly delete your profile, games, messages, ratings, and avatar — this cannot be undone or recovered.
Exception: content you submitted as part of a report may be retained separately (e.g. in our support inbox) for a reasonable period after account deletion, where necessary to investigate abuse, resolve disputes, or comply with legal obligations.
8. Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (TLS) and database-level access controls (Row-Level Security) that restrict which data each user can access. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data (you can also do this yourself via account deletion in the App)
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contactchesswithme@gmail.com.
If you are in the EEA or UK and believe we have not addressed your concern adequately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. If you are in Switzerland, you may contact the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).
10. Children's privacy
ChessWithMe is not directed at, and may not be used by, anyone under 16 years old. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If you believe a child under 16 is using the App, please contact us at contactchesswithme@gmail.com so we can investigate and delete the relevant account.
11. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time, for example as the App evolves or as required by law. We will update the "Last updated" date above, and for material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you in the App.
12. Contact
Axel Bondu
Email: contactchesswithme@gmail.com
13. Governing law
This Policy is governed by Swiss law. If you are a consumer resident in the EEA or another jurisdiction, mandatory consumer-protection provisions of your place of residence may still apply notwithstanding this choice of law.