Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 4, 2026
BeeIn (the "Service") is developed and operated by Taiwan Telecom, Inc. We take your privacy seriously — this policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we handle it, and what you can do with your data.
1. Data We Collect
1.1 Data You Provide
- Account info: email, password (stored as a hash), username (@username), display name
- Profile: avatar, bio, stories, persona settings
- Contacts / messages: messages you send or receive (encrypted in transit; the server cannot read plaintext for end-to-end channels)
- Media: images, videos, audio, files (encrypted at rest; auto-deleted after 14 days)
- Official Account settings (OA admin): Webhook URL, Bot API tokens, follower lists
1.2 Data Collected Automatically
- Device info: model, OS, app version, locale, timezone
- Usage logs: login times, last activity, message delivered / read timestamps
- Network info: IP address, approximate geolocation (country / city) — used for anomalous-login detection
- Push tokens: FCM / APNs tokens, used for notifications
1.3 Data We Do NOT Collect
- Plaintext message content for end-to-end channels — server only sees ciphertext
- Precise GPS coordinates (unless you actively share a location)
- Your device's contact book — we do not upload your phone's contacts
- Browsing history / cross-site tracking
2. How We Use Your Data
- Deliver the service: message delivery, push notifications, cross-device sync
- Account security: anomalous-login detection, cross-country login warnings, abuse blocking
- Customer support: handle your reports and requests; we only access relevant records when you contact us
- Service improvement: aggregate, de-identified stats to understand feature usage
- Legal compliance: respond to lawful requests (court orders, etc.) when required to do so
We will not use your personal data to: sell to third-party advertisers, train AI models without your consent, or build a facial-recognition database.
3. Transport Security & Encryption
All client-server traffic uses TLS. Ordinary chats, groups and Official Accounts use server-managed AES-256-GCM encryption with integrity verification; this is not end-to-end encryption, and BeeIn servers can process the content to provide synchronization and account features. MiniApp account information is additionally encrypted for storage.
Secret Chats on Android/iOS phones and tablets use Signal Protocol end-to-end encryption between two bound devices. Private keys stay on those devices; BeeIn servers cannot decrypt the content. Attachments are encrypted locally with per-file AES-256-GCM keys before upload. Secret Chat content is excluded from ordinary cloud sync, notification plaintext, server-side AI and advertising keyword analysis. Message expiration is configurable. Routing metadata remains available to operate the service; end-to-end encryption does not provide anonymity.
4. Data Storage & Retention
- Messages: retained indefinitely (until you or the other party deletes them, or you leave the group)
- Media (images / video / audio / files): auto-deleted 14 days after upload (system cleanup)
- Stories: auto-deleted 24 hours after posting
- Login records / IP addresses: 90 days
- Deleted accounts: soft-deleted state retained for 30 days for recovery, then fully purged
5. Third-Party Services
To deliver the full service we use these third parties:
- Cloudflare: CDN, edge workers, R2 object storage (media files) — message plaintext is already encrypted server-side
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google): Android push
- Apple Push Notification Service: iOS push
- Stripe: payment processing (sticker purchases / paid OA services only) — we do not store your card number
- MaxMind GeoLite2: IP-to-country lookup (used for anomalous-login detection)
Each of these services has its own privacy policy; refer to their websites.
6. Your Rights
You can at any time:
- View / edit: update your profile in Settings → Profile
- Export data: request an export of your messages and files through Contact Us
- Delete account: Settings → Account → Delete Account — soft delete with 30-day grace, then permanent purge
- Mute notifications: per persona, per conversation
- Revoke access: revoke Bot API tokens you issued to external OAs
7. Cookies & Local Storage
The website only uses necessary local storage (localStorage / sessionStorage) for login state, language preference, active persona, etc. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or run retargeting ads.
8. Children's Privacy
The service is not targeted at children under 13. If you are a parent / guardian and discover that your child has signed up without consent, please use Contact Us and we will delete the account within 7 days of notification.
9. Policy Changes
For material changes to this policy, we will notify you via an in-app announcement 30 days before the effective date and update the "Last updated" date on this page. Continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
10. Contact Us
Questions about the privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights:
The contact form collects your name, email address, subject and messages to handle your inquiry. These records are encrypted at rest and sent to our support team by email. Private links allow both parties to continue the conversation. Unverified requests expire after 24 hours; website inquiry records are deleted after 180 days of inactivity. Email copies follow the support mailbox retention policy.