Who we are
Koguko (“Koguko”, “we”, “us”) is a free, no-account one-to-one random chat service built and operated by Hane Studio (hane.studio). This policy explains what information is involved when you use Koguko, why, and the choices you have. By using Koguko you agree to this policy.
The short version
- No sign-up, no accounts, no profiles.
- We never ask for your name, email, or phone number.
- Ordinary chats are relayed live and are not stored. Chats are transmitted securely.
- Only if a chat is reported, or our safety system detects serious abuse, do we securely save the recent messages and related moderation data for review.
- We keep only the bare minimum needed to run the service and keep it safe.
Information we do not collect
We do not ask for or store your name, email address, phone number, date of birth, photos, contacts, location, or any account credentials — because there are no accounts. We do not build advertising profiles and we do not sell data. For roadmap voting on the Pulse page, we use a random browser ID and a server-generated non-reversible vote key to limit duplicate votes (see Local storage on your device below).
Information we do process
Chat messages (not stored for ordinary chats)
Messages you send are relayed in real time through our server to the stranger you are matched with. While a chat is active, the most recent messages are held briefly in memory so that reporting and basic safety checks (such as spam and abuse detection) can work. We do not write ordinary chats to a database. When a normal chat ends or you disconnect, that in-memory buffer is deleted and the conversation is gone from our systems.
The one exception: if you report a chat, or our safety system flags serious abuse (for example threats or content involving minors), we securely save the recent messages from that chat for moderation review. Those saved messages are encrypted at rest and can only be read inside our protected moderation system. They are never shown publicly.
Important: the other person can still read, remember, copy, or screenshot what you send while you are talking. Treat anything you share as public.
Connection data
Like every website, our servers and our infrastructure providers automatically receive technical connection data such as your IP address, approximate region, browser type, and timestamps. For ordinary use we do not store your raw IP address; where we need to recognise a connection for rate-limiting, ban enforcement, or basic safety, we use a privacy-preserving one-way hash instead. We do not use this data for advertising or invasive tracking.
Abuse reports & safety flags
If you report a chat, or our safety system detects serious abuse, we store a report/flag record — the reason, a temporary session identifier, a timestamp, and the recent messages from that chat. To investigate abuse and enforce bans, we also store the raw IP addresses of the people involved. All of this sensitive moderation data — saved messages and raw IPs — is encrypted at rest and can only be decrypted inside our protected moderation review system. It is never exposed to the public, never used for advertising, and is retained only as long as needed for safety and enforcement before being deleted.
Aggregate counts
We display a live count of how many people are online. This is a simple, non-personal number and is not tied to any individual.
Local storage on your device
We use browser local storage for two purposes. First, we store a flag to remember that you confirmed you are 18 or older, so we don’t ask on every visit — this stays on your device only. Second, on the Pulse roadmap page, we store a random browser ID used for anonymous feature voting. That ID is sent to our backend and combined with your IP address and browser information to create a non-reversible vote key. We use this to reduce duplicate votes without requiring an account. Neither item is an advertising cookie or used for cross-site tracking.
Service providers
We rely on infrastructure providers to host and protect Koguko — including Vercel for the frontend and AWS-based backend hosting infrastructure for the backend server. These providers process technical connection data on our behalf to deliver and secure the service, under their own privacy and security terms. Live chat traffic passes through our backend infrastructure. Reported or seriously flagged chat data may be stored on backend infrastructure as encrypted moderation records.
Cookies & analytics
Koguko does not use advertising cookies or cross-site trackers. We do not currently run third-party analytics. If we ever introduce analytics or any non-essential cookie, we will ask for your consent first where the law requires it.
How long we keep things
Ordinary chat contents: not retained — the in-memory buffer is deleted when the chat ends. Reported-chat transcripts: retained for up to 30 days by default. Serious safety-flag transcripts: retained for up to 90 days by default. Raw IP addresses attached to reports or flags: retained for up to 30 days by default. These periods may be configured differently. Report records, IP hashes, bans, moderation audit events, aggregate metrics, and Pulse votes may be retained longer for safety, abuse prevention, operations, and recordkeeping. We do not maintain long-term advertising or behavioural records about you.
Security
Traffic to Koguko is encrypted in transit (HTTPS / secure WebSockets). We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the limited data we handle. No online service can be guaranteed perfectly secure, but because we store so little, there is very little to lose.
Children
Koguko is strictly for adults aged 18 and over. It is not directed to children and we do not knowingly process data from anyone under 18. If we learn that a minor has used Koguko, we will remove any associated data. If you believe a minor is using the service, contact us at prateek@hane.studio.
International users
Koguko can be used from many countries, and the infrastructure that runs it may process technical data in locations outside your own. Where required, our providers use recognised safeguards for such transfers. By using Koguko you understand that limited technical data may be processed internationally as described here.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR or similar laws), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal data and to object to certain processing. Because we operate without accounts and hold almost no personal data, in most cases there is nothing tied to you for us to retrieve or erase. For any privacy request, contact our Grievance Officer at prateek@hane.studio and we will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Koguko evolves. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Material changes will be highlighted on this page. Continuing to use Koguko after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact & grievances
Questions, requests, or complaints about privacy? Reach our Grievance Officer, Prateek Panwar, at prateek@hane.studio. For general help, email hello@hane.studio. Koguko is operated by Hane Studio.