Privacy Policy

1. Overview & Philosophy

At ApexListener, we believe media watch parties should be privacy-focused, anonymous, and effortless. You do not need to register an account or share personal information to enjoy sub-second YouTube video sync with friends.

2. Information We Process, Collect & Track

We keep data processing to the absolute minimum required to operate the service. Here is everything we handle:

• Room Codes & Synchronization State: We generate and track unique Room Codes (e.g. 6-character alphanumeric identifiers) to route active participants to the same virtual room. Inside a room, we track temporary Socket IDs, guest display names, YouTube video URLs/IDs, playback timestamps, and in-room chat messages in volatile server RAM. When a room closes, this session state is destroyed.
• Vercel Analytics: We use Vercel Analytics (`@vercel/analytics`) to collect aggregated, non-identifiable usage statistics (such as pageview counts, device types, and performance metrics). Vercel Analytics is strictly privacy-preserving — it does NOT log IP addresses, use tracking cookies, or build personal profiles across websites.
• Contact Form Submissions (`/contact`): If you send us a message via the Contact page, we collect your Email Address and Issue Message strictly to respond to your support request. IP addresses are temporarily cached in server memory to prevent spam (enforcing a rate limit of max 5 messages per hour).
• YouTube Player Integration: Video streams are embedded directly via YouTube's iframe API. Interacting with the video player is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

3. Data Storage & Retention

Room codes, video playback states, and room chat logs exist only in volatile server memory (RAM) while room members are connected. Once all users leave, the room state is cleared automatically.

Support emails submitted through `/contact` are sent directly to our support inbox via SMTP and retained only for as long as necessary to answer your inquiry.

4. Cookies & Client-Side Storage

ApexListener does not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking pixels. Browser Local Storage is used solely for non-sensitive client preferences (such as saving your preferred guest nickname on your device).