Effective July 29, 2026
Here is what Prodigy Classic collects, who can see messages, and where our privacy protections stop. We would rather be specific than tell you everything is private.
Chat rooms are shared spaces. Instant messages are limited to the people in the conversation through normal account access, but they are not end-to-end encrypted.
What we collect
- Your Service ID, screen name, password hash, profile details, and email address when you provide one.
- Mail, instant messages, bulletin-board posts, feedback, buddy lists, and other content you send.
- Connection and security details such as IP address, browser or app information, sign-ins, room joins, message-send events, and rate-limit events.
- Basic usage and cost records used to operate chat and its automated room characters.
Who can see messages?
- Chat rooms: everyone in the room can read what you post. Other people may save or capture it.
- IRC Lounge: messages are also sent to the connected EFnet channel and are subject to EFnet and IRC participants' practices.
- Instant messages: only the signed-in sender and recipient can retrieve the conversation through the site. IMs are stored temporarily for delivery and purged from the active database when either participant logs out.
- Mail: mail is stored for later delivery. Desktop mail may be end-to-end encrypted when the recipient has an encryption key. The app tells you when that protection is unavailable.
Authorized administrators who maintain the server can technically access server-stored information, including unencrypted messages.
Automated chat characters
When an automated character generates an intelligent reply, your message and a limited amount of recent room context may be processed by Google Gemini or OpenRouter. Do not post passwords, addresses, financial details, or other sensitive information.
How we protect the service
- The website uses HTTPS, and supported desktop chat connections use TLS.
- Passwords are stored as salted hashes, not readable passwords.
- Sessions, access checks, CSRF protection, rate limits, and audit events help prevent abuse.
- Room-message text is not written into the normal chat audit log.
No internet service can promise perfect security. Use a unique password and keep sensitive personal information out of chat.
Retention and your choices
Instant messages are temporary and are purged on logout. Account information, mail, posts, feedback, and security records remain while needed to provide and protect the service, or until they are deleted by a member or administrator where that option exists. We do not yet publish a fixed deletion schedule for every record type.
You can log out to clear active IM history and ask the administrator to review or delete account information. Send privacy questions through the contact form and label the message as a privacy request.
Cookies and outside services
We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and protect forms. We do not sell personal information or run behavior-based advertising. YouTube, Internet Archive sites, EFnet, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, and other linked services have their own privacy practices.
Children and changes
The service is not directed to children under 13. Do not submit a child's personal information through chat or account forms. We will update this notice and its effective date when these practices materially change.
