Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 18 August 2026
At AussieChat, your privacy matters. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and how we look after it — in plain English, no legal waffle. We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
1. What Information We Collect
When you sign up and use AussieChat, we may collect: • Account info: your name, email address, and password (stored securely, never in plain text). • Profile info: your suburb, postcode, state, date of birth, bio, and profile photo — all optional except where needed to show local content. • Content you create: posts, comments, group messages, and direct messages. • Usage data: how you use the app, what you click on, and when — to improve your experience. • Device info: browser type, operating system, and IP address for security purposes.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to: • Show you relevant local content based on your suburb and postcode. • Let you connect with people in your area. • Keep the platform safe by detecting and preventing abuse, spam, and illegal activity. • Send you notifications about activity relevant to you (you can turn these off in settings). • Improve AussieChat — we analyse usage patterns to make the platform better. • Comply with Australian legal obligations. We do NOT sell your personal data to third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
3. Who We Share Your Information With
We only share your data when necessary: • Service providers: trusted third-party services that help us run AussieChat (e.g. hosting, analytics). They are bound by strict data processing agreements. • Legal requirements: if required by Australian law, a court order, or to protect the safety of our users. • With your consent: if you ask us to share something, we will. We never sell your data. Full stop.
4. Your Location & Postcode
Your suburb, state, and postcode are used solely to show you content relevant to your local area. We don't track your precise GPS location. This information is visible to other users in your area as part of your public profile (suburb and state only — never your full address).
5. Public vs Private Information
Public (visible to all users): • Your display name, username, suburb, state, bio, and profile photo. • Posts and comments you make on the public feed. • Groups you create (not groups you've joined privately). Private (only visible to you or parties you message): • Your email address and date of birth. • Your direct messages and group chat history. • Your exact postcode (used for matching, not displayed publicly).
6. Data Retention
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law (e.g. for fraud prevention or legal compliance). Some anonymised, aggregated data (not linked to you personally) may be retained for analytical purposes.
7. Security
We take security seriously: • Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. • All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. • We conduct regular security reviews. • Access to user data internally is restricted to staff who need it to do their job. If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected users and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
8. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand how people use AussieChat. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features may not work properly without them.
9. Your Rights
Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to: • Access the personal information we hold about you. • Request correction of inaccurate information. • Ask us to delete your data (subject to legal obligations). • Complain to us about how we've handled your data. • Lodge a complaint with the OAIC if you're not satisfied with our response. To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@aussiecraft.com.au.
10. Third-Party Links
AussieChat may contain links to external websites or services. We're not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Always check their privacy policies before sharing your information.
11. Children
AussieChat is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us immediately at privacy@aussiecraft.com.au and we will remove the account.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll notify you of significant changes via email or in-app notification at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of AussieChat after that date means you accept the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
Got a privacy question or concern? We're here to help. 📧 privacy@aussiecraft.com.au Or write to us at: AussieChat Privacy Team PO Box 1234 Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Also check out our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.