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Children Policy

LighChat Children Policy

Last updated: 2026-08-03 Version: 2 Applies to: all LighChat clients (web, mobile, desktop).

1. Age requirement

LighChat is intended for people aged 16 and over. The Service is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly allow anyone under 16 to create an account or use the Service.

2. Legal framework

This policy reflects:

  • the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506 — we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13;
  • GDPR Art. 8 — the minimum age of digital consent in EU member states is 13 to 16; our uniform 16+ threshold meets or exceeds it everywhere;
  • the UK Online Safety Act 2023 and Ofcom's children's codes — we carry out a children's access assessment and keep records of it;
  • the Florida Online Protections for Minors law and comparable U.S. state minor-protection statutes;
  • age-rating requirements of the Apple App Store and Google Play.

3. Age assurance

At sign-up the user must confirm being at least 16 (a mandatory checkbox). Date of birth is optional and used only for profile features such as birthday reminders; if given, it must not contradict the age confirmation.

If we have reasonable grounds to believe an account belongs to someone under 16 — from a report, from the account's own statements or from other signals — we may suspend the account pending verification and terminate it if the doubt is not resolved.

4. What we never do

  • show advertising of any kind — the Service carries no ads;
  • use anyone's data for targeted advertising or sell it;
  • share user data with third parties for marketing purposes;
  • profile users for commercial purposes.

5. If we learn a user is under 16

On a parent's or guardian's request, or on our own discovery, we:

  1. block the account immediately;
  2. delete the associated personal data within 30 days, other than the minimum record needed to prevent re-registration and to evidence compliance;
  3. inform the person who raised it of the outcome.

Requests: privacy@lighchat.online, subject line "Minor account".

6. Parental rights (COPPA)

If a child under 13 has nevertheless provided personal information to us, a parent or guardian may contact privacy@lighchat.online to review that information, ask us to stop collecting or using it, and ask us to delete it. We will verify the request through the account concerned before acting.

7. Protection from harmful content

  • reporting and blocking tools in every chat and profile (see the Content Moderation Policy);
  • zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material: content removed, account terminated, referral to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as required by 18 U.S.C. § 2258A, and to other competent authorities;
  • controls over who can contact you, group invitations and profile visibility (Settings → Privacy);
  • optional end-to-end encrypted chats with disappearing messages;
  • parental controls — planned for a future release.

8. Contact

Parents, guardians and safety enquiries: privacy@lighchat.online / abuse@lighchat.online KDS Consulting Inc, 1730 S Federal Hwy, Suite 160, Delray Beach, FL 33483, USA