Privacy Policy

Last updated: 16 August 2026

This policy explains how xiangqisancai.net collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use our Xiangqi San Cai (Extended Chinese Chess) platform on web and mobile.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide when creating an account: email address, username, country, and optional avatar image. We also collect game-related data including your games and moves and friend connections. Technical data such as device type, operating system, and IP address may be collected for security and service operation purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to: operate and maintain your account; provide matchmaking and real-time gameplay; calculate and display ratings and rankings; store and display your game history; send transactional emails (account confirmation, password reset); improve the service and fix technical issues; enforce our Terms of Service and prevent cheating or abuse.

3. Hosting

xiangqisancai.net is hosted on infrastructure provided by Strato AG (Germany). Strato provides the virtual server on which our own application, authentication, and database logic run. We do not use third-party authentication-as-a-service or analytics platforms. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

4. Cookies & Tracking

We use only essential cookies required for the service to function: a session cookie that keeps you signed in, and a cookie that remembers your language preference. These cannot be disabled without affecting the service. We do not currently use third-party analytics or tracking cookies. Should this change in the future, this policy will be updated accordingly and, where required, your consent will be requested via a cookie banner.

5. Data Retention

Account data is retained as long as your account is active. Game history and ratings are retained to maintain ranking integrity and allow you to review past games. If you delete your account, your personal data (email, username, avatar) will be removed. Anonymized game records may be retained for statistical purposes.

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have the right to: access your personal data; rectify inaccurate data; request erasure of your data; restrict or object to processing; request data portability; withdraw consent at any time. You can delete your account directly in the app settings, or contact us to exercise these rights.

7. International Data Transfers

Our infrastructure is hosted entirely in Germany via Strato AG. We do not currently transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area. Should this change in the future (for example, if we introduce additional service providers), this policy will be updated accordingly and appropriate safeguards will be put in place.

8. Children's Privacy

xiangqisancai.net is not intended for children under 13 years of age (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, we will take steps to delete that information.

9. Security

We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encrypted data transmission, secure authentication, and access controls. However, no system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the app or website. Your continued use of xiangqisancai.net after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at: xiangqisancai@gmail.com