ChatNode is peer-to-peer software you run on your own device. By downloading, installing or running ChatNode you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the software.
These Terms describe a decentralised network. There is no company hosting your messages, no account to close, and no operator who can act on your behalf. That places more responsibility on you than a conventional service would, and the sections below set out exactly where.
ChatNode is a peer-to-peer communication application. It runs as a program on your own computer or phone, connects directly to other people running the same software, and exchanges messages, calls and files over those direct connections.
ChatNode is not a hosted service. We do not operate servers that store your messages, and we cannot read, recover, moderate or delete them. The software is provided to you as a tool; what you do with it is your responsibility.
Your identity on the network is a cryptographic keypair generated on your device the first time you run ChatNode. It is stored on your device in a file named id.json.
This is the single most important thing to understand about using ChatNode.
Back up your key file, keep the backup somewhere safe, and never share it. Use the built-in backup feature to export it.
You agree not to use ChatNode to:
Because the network is decentralised, these rules are largely unenforceable by us in a technical sense. That does not make them optional. Operators of individual nodes may block or refuse connections from peers at their own discretion.
ChatNode includes a feature that lets you reach devices on the local network of a machine you run ChatNode on — for example your own router or NAS — from elsewhere, through your node's existing encrypted connection.
This feature is restricted by design: it is disabled unless you explicitly enable it, and it only reaches private network addresses on a small set of administrative ports. Connections are accepted from the peer you authorise and from the network administrator — the latter so that a node which is otherwise unreachable can still be recovered. Enabling it therefore grants the network administrator reachability into that machine's local network, and you should not enable it on a network you are unwilling to expose on that basis.
You agree to use it only on networks and devices you own or are authorised to administer. Using it to reach any other network may be a criminal offence in your jurisdiction. You are solely responsible for how you use it.
Operators who run a public bootnode should be aware that enabling this feature grants the named peer reachability into that machine's local network. Do not enable it on a machine whose network you are not willing to expose to that peer.
ChatNode can download and install updates. Every release is cryptographically signed, and your node verifies that signature before installing anything; an unsigned or altered build is refused.
You agree not to distribute modified builds under the ChatNode name, and not to attempt to bypass or disable signature verification.
ChatNode allows registration of a .chat name recorded on a blockchain. Blockchain transactions are irreversible. Once a transaction is submitted it cannot be cancelled, refunded or reversed by us or by anyone else.
You are responsible for the accuracy of any address you send funds to, and for any network fees. Registration confers no trademark or legal right in a name, and does not guarantee availability or continuity of any name.
ChatNode is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
We do not warrant that the software will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure against every possible attack. Software of this kind can contain defects, and cryptographic software can contain defects that are not obvious. Do not rely on ChatNode as the sole protection for information whose disclosure would cause you serious harm.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, loss of profits, loss of funds, or loss of an identity key, arising out of or relating to your use of ChatNode.
This applies whether the claim is based on warranty, contract, tort or any other legal theory, and whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damage.
ChatNode depends on other participants being online. Message delivery is not guaranteed. A peer that is offline may not receive what you send, and there is no central server holding messages indefinitely on your behalf.
We may stop publishing updates, stop operating bootnodes, or discontinue the project at any time. The software you already have will continue to run, but the network's usefulness depends on its participants.
We may update these Terms. The date at the top of this page shows when they last changed. Continuing to use ChatNode after a change means you accept the revised Terms.
Questions about these Terms can be raised through the support channel linked in the footer of this site.
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