Privacy Policy

1. Overview

MingTag ("we", "us", "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and what rights you have. By using MingTag, you agree to the practices described here.

We have designed MingTag to be a low-data service. We do not collect more than we need to operate, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties under any circumstances.

2. Information we collect

a) Information you provide directly:

• Account: when you sign in with Google we keep an identifier for your Google account, your email address where Google confirms it, and — to start your profile off — the name and profile photo on that account. Both become your nickname and avatar, which everyone in the café can see, and you can change either at any time from Edit Profile.
• Account (Apple): when you sign in with Apple we keep an identifier for your Apple account and your email address, which may be an Apple private-relay address if you chose to hide your own. Apple provides your name only on your first sign-in; we use it to start your profile and it is never sent again.
• Account (guest): when you continue as a guest we collect no personal information at all.
• Profile: nickname, gender (optional), avatar emoji (optional), and the date you joined.
• Chat: messages you send and receive, and the metadata of those messages (timestamps, delivery status).

b) Information collected automatically:

• Notifications: if you allow them, a notification token for your device, so we can tell you about a request or a message. It is deleted with your account.
• Technical: your IP address is used at the moment of a request to limit how often sign-ins and connection requests can be made. MingTag contains no analytics and no advertising software: we do not record which screens you visit, how long you spend in the app, or anything about your device model.
• Location: only if you choose to share it. You can send a one-off location in a chat, and you can turn on live location sharing with connections you individually choose — see "Location" below. We also record the table you are linked to, which is set when you scan a table QR.

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• provide, maintain, and improve MingTag;
• match you with other guests at the same table and deliver chat messages;
• detect, prevent, and address abuse, fraud, and security issues;
• send you important service announcements (e.g. a chat request you received);
• respond to your support requests and enquiries;
• comply with our legal obligations.

We do not use your chat content for advertising. We do not build advertising profiles. We do not sell your data to anyone.

4. When we share information

We share information only in these limited circumstances:

• With other users: your nickname and avatar are visible to other guests at your current table. Chat messages are visible to the recipient(s) you send them to.
• With service providers: companies that help us run MingTag (hosting, error monitoring, email delivery). These companies are bound by confidentiality and data-protection agreements.
• For legal reasons: if we receive a valid legal order, or to prevent imminent harm to a person, we may disclose information to law enforcement or other authorities.
• Business transfers: if MingTag is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. You will be notified in advance.

We never sell your personal information. We never share it for marketing or advertising.

5. Location

If you turn on live location sharing, MingTag collects your device's location and shows it to the connections you have individually chosen. Collection continues while the app is closed or not in use, for as long as sharing is switched on.

We store only your most recent location, not a history of where you have been. A person stops seeing it the moment you switch them off, when you block them, or when your conversation with them is deleted or expires. The stored location itself is erased when you switch sharing off, if the café removes your account, and when you delete your account.

It is never sold, never shared with advertisers, and never shown to anyone you have not chosen. Live location sharing is off by default and is not available on guest accounts.

6. How long we keep your data

We keep your account data for as long as your account is active. Chat messages are kept for 90 days after the conversation ends, after which they are permanently deleted from our servers.

If you delete your account — from Settings, using Delete account, or by emailing privacy@mingtag.com — your personal data is removed from our servers immediately, along with your conversations, the messages in them and the files you sent.

Two exceptions, both deliberate: reports made about you are kept with the cafe so that deletion is not a way to erase a safety record, and records we are required by law to retain (e.g. tax records, anti-fraud logs) are kept for as long as that requirement lasts.

7. How we protect your data

All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Access to production data is restricted to a small number of authorized personnel, all of whom have signed confidentiality agreements and completed data-handling training.

No system is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a security breach that affects your personal data, we will notify you and the relevant authorities within 72 hours, in line with applicable law.

8. Your rights

You have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• delete your data;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• receive a portable copy of your data;
• withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email shown at the bottom of this document. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies, pixels & similar

MingTag does not use tracking cookies or advertising pixels. We use a single first-party session cookie to keep you signed in. We do not share cookie data with any third party.

Our website at mingtag.com carries no analytics, no cookies and no third-party scripts at all.

10. Children

MingTag is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child under 18, please contact us at the email below and we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the app and, where required by law, by email. The "last updated" date at the top of this document reflects the most recent change.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at the email or postal address shown at the bottom of this document.