Privacy Policy

Respawn ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use the Respawn platform, available at respawnapp.uk and through our desktop application.

1. Who We Are

Respawn is a social platform for gamers, operated as a UK-based service. If you have any questions about this policy, you can contact us at support@respawnapp.uk.

2. What Data We Collect

When you create an account and use Respawn, we collect the following information:

Account information — your email address, username, and password (stored securely via Firebase Authentication)
Profile information — display name, avatar, banner, country, gaming platforms, and bio that you choose to share
Messages and content — messages you send in group chats and direct messages
Usage data — how you interact with the app, including groups you join and features you use
Device information — browser type, operating system, and general location (country level)
Preferences — your app settings such as theme, accent colour, and notification preferences

3. How We Use Your Data

We use the data we collect to:

Provide and maintain the Respawn platform
Enable you to connect with other gamers
Send you notifications about activity relevant to you
Improve and develop new features
Enforce our Terms of Service and keep the community safe
Respond to support requests

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising purposes.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using Google Firebase, which is hosted in European data centres. Firebase provides industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest. We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorised access.

Your password is never stored in plain text — it is handled entirely by Firebase Authentication.

5. Third-Party Services

Respawn uses the following third-party services:

Google Firebase — authentication, database, and hosting
Giphy — GIF search and display
Google Fonts — typography
Google Gemini API — powers the Ren AI assistant

Each of these services has their own privacy policies governing how they handle data.

6. Your Rights (GDPR)

As a UK or EU resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right to access — you can request a copy of the data we hold about you
Right to rectification — you can update your information at any time through your profile settings
Right to erasure — you can request deletion of your account and all associated data
Right to portability — you can request your data in a portable format
Right to object — you can object to how we process your data

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@respawnapp.uk.

7. Data Retention

We keep your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information within 30 days. Some data may be retained longer where required by law.

8. Cookies and Local Storage

Respawn uses browser local storage (not traditional cookies) to save your preferences such as theme, colour settings, and login session. This data stays on your device and is not transmitted to our servers except as part of normal app functionality.

9. Children's Privacy

Respawn is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes through the app. Your continued use of Respawn after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at support@respawnapp.uk.