Terms of Service

Last Updated: May 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Vauchi ("the App"), you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the App.

2. Description of Service

Vauchi is a privacy-focused contact card exchange application. It allows you to:

  • Create and manage a personal contact card
  • Exchange contact cards with others via QR code scanning in physical proximity
  • Control which fields each contact can see
  • Sync contact data across your own devices
  • Back up and restore your data

3. Your Data and Privacy

Vauchi is designed around local-first, user-controlled data. Please review our Privacy Policy for full details.

Key points:

  • Your data stays on your devices. We do not store your contact cards, identity, or personal information on our servers.
  • End-to-end encryption. Contact card updates sent through our relay are encrypted on your device before transmission. We cannot read them.
  • No accounts. Your device holds your cryptographic identity. There is no username, password, or central account.

4. Relay Service

Vauchi operates a relay server that delivers encrypted contact card updates between devices. The relay:

  • Stores encrypted envelopes temporarily (deleted after delivery or 120 days)
  • Cannot decrypt any content
  • Logs connection metadata (cryptographic identity hash, connection timestamps) for rate limiting — IP addresses are not stored or logged, and connection metadata is retained for 24 hours
  • May be rate-limited to prevent abuse

We provide the relay service on a best-effort basis and may suspend or discontinue it at any time with reasonable notice.

5. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

  • Use the App only for lawful purposes
  • Not attempt to circumvent security measures or reverse-engineer the encryption
  • Not use the App to harass, stalk, or harm others
  • Not transmit malicious content through contact card fields
  • Not abuse the relay service (automated mass requests, denial-of-service attempts)

6. Account Deletion

You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from Settings > Delete Account. A 7-day grace period allows cancellation. After deletion:

  • A revocation signal is sent to all your contacts
  • The relay purges all stored data for your account
  • All local data is permanently destroyed
  • This action is irreversible after the grace period

7. Age Requirement

Vauchi is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. By using the App, you confirm that you are at least 13 years old, or that you have obtained parental or guardian consent.

8. Intellectual Property

Vauchi is free software, licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later). You may use, modify, and distribute the source code under the terms of this license. The source code is available at gitlab.com/vauchi.

The Vauchi name and logo are trademarks of the Vauchi project. Use of these trademarks is subject to our trademark guidelines.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE APP 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 App will be uninterrupted or error-free
  • The relay service will be available at all times
  • The encryption will protect against all possible threats

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE VAUCHI PROJECT AND ITS CONTRIBUTORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF CONTACTS, OR INABILITY TO ACCESS YOUR INFORMATION.

11. Self-Hosting

You may self-host the Vauchi relay server under the terms of the GPL-3.0-or-later license. Self-hosted instances are your responsibility. We provide no warranty or support for self-hosted deployments beyond published documentation.

12. Third-Party Services

Vauchi does not integrate with third-party services. The App does not use analytics, advertising networks, social media SDKs, or cloud storage providers.

13. Export Compliance

Vauchi uses strong encryption. By using the App, you acknowledge that export and use of encryption software may be subject to regulations in your jurisdiction. You are responsible for complying with applicable export control laws.

14. Modifications to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the App or our website. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Switzerland. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Switzerland.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

17. Contact

For questions about these Terms: