Privacy Policy for FreeCat

Additional Notice

FreeCat uses Telegram API. This means the usage of the application is covered under Telegram Privacy Policy as well, which can be found at https://telegram.org/privacy.

You can consult it to find information about used application permissions, because FreeCat is based upon the official Telegram client.

The following information is only concerning what data is collected and processed by FreeCat developers only.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of data:

Account information:

• username;
• Telegram account ID;

Device and usage data:

• device model and OS version;
• IP address (temporarily, for VPN service);
• crash logs and diagnostics.

VPN‑related data:

• connection timestamps;
• bandwidth usage (aggregated, not per user).

Cookies and identifiers:

• anonymous app instance ID.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your information for:

Core functionality:

• maintaining your account;
• providing VPN connectivity.

Security and compliance:

• preventing spam and abuse;
• detecting and mitigating attacks;
• complying with legal requests (see Section 6).

Service improvement:

• analyzing app performance;
• fixing bugs;
• developing new features.

Communication:

• sending service notifications;
• responding to support inquiries.

3. Data Protection Measures

We implement industry‑standard safeguards:

• Secure VPN protocols (e.g., WireGuard, IKEv2) with perfect forward secrecy.
• Data minimization: we do not retain logs for VPN.
• Regular security audits and penetration testing.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only in these cases:

Service providers:

• cloud infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud);
• payment processors (for premium features);
• analytics tools (anonymous, aggregated data).

Legal obligations:

• in response to a valid court order;
• to prevent illegal activities (e.g., terrorism, child exploitation).

Business transfers:

• in case of merger or acquisition (with privacy commitments).

5. Your Rights and Controls

You may:

• Revoke app permissions (camera, contacts, etc.) in OS settings.
• Close your account permanently (deletes all data from our servers).
• To exercise these rights, contact us at telega.npv@gmail.com.

6. Legal Basis (GDPR/CCPA)

For EU/UK users:

• Processing is based on consent (for marketing) and legitimate interest (for service operation).
• We comply with GDPR data subject rights (Articles 12–22).

For California users:

• You have the right to know what data we collect and request deletion.
• We do not sell personal information (as defined by CCPA).

7. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for users under 16 years old. We do not intentionally collect data from minors.

8. International Data Transfers

Data may be transferred to servers in the US, EU, or other regions. We use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to ensure adequate protection.

9. VPN‑Specific Disclosures

• We do not log your browsing history, DNS queries, or online activities.
• VPN server locations are chosen by you; we do not track your physical location beyond IP geolocation.
• Connection logs (timestamp, server, bandwidth) are deleted after 7 days.
• We do not support torrenting or illegal activities via VPN.

10. Changes to This Policy

We will notify you of material changes via:

• in‑app alert;
• email (if provided);
• update to the «Last updated» date above.

11. Contact Us

For privacy concerns or requests:

• Email: telega.npv@gmail.com

12. Appendix I: Application Permissions and Telegram API

Because FreeCat uses Telegram API, Telegram's Privacy Policy applies to this app as well. You can find it on https://telegram.org/privacy. FreeCat does not use or store any of the derived data from user permissions, as this data is directly transmitted to Telegram API.

Location Data

If you share a location in a chat, this location data is treated like other messages in cloud or secret chats respectively.

If you share your Live Location in any chat or turn on 'Make Myself Visible' in People Nearby, Telegram API will use your data to display your location to those users with whom you are sharing it, even when FreeCat is closed – for as long as you keep these optional features activated.

Phone Number and Contacts

Telegram API uses phone numbers as unique identifiers so that it is easy for you to switch from SMS and other messaging apps and retain your social graph. FreeCat asks your permission before syncing your contacts.

Telegram API stores your up-to-date contacts in order to notify you as soon as one of your contacts signs up for Telegram service and to properly display names in notifications. Telegram API only needs the number and name (first and last) for this to work and stores no other data about your contacts.

Telegram's automatic algorithms can also use anonymized sets of phone numbers to calculate the approximate number of potential contacts an unregistered phone number may have on Telegram. When you open the 'Invite friends' interface, FreeCat displays the resulting statistics next to your contacts to give you an idea of who could benefit most from joining Telegram.

You can always stop syncing contacts or delete them from Telegram servers in Settings > Privacy & Security > Data Settings.

Accounts

If you would like to delete your Telegram account, you can do this on the deactivation page. Deleting your account removes all messages, media, contacts and every other piece of data you store in the Telegram cloud and will affect every app that uses Telegram API, including FreeCat. This action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone.

Please note that FreeCat as a service may retain some data (such as account ID) separately. As noted in Section 5, you can contact us at telega.npv@gmail.com in order to request deletion of associated FreeCat-specific data before deleting your Telegram account.