1. Acceptance
By accessing or using CivixThread (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, don't use the Service.
2. Eligibility & Accounts
You must be at least 18 years old to use CivixThread. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account (including keeping your password secure) and for all activity under your account. We use Firebase Authentication for login.
3. Identity Verification
To keep discourse authentic and reduce spam, certain actions (e.g., posting, voting, reporting) may require successful verification through Stripe Identity. Stripe processes ID images and biometric data on our behalf. CivixThread may have limited access to verification information through Stripe's secure dashboard for review and support purposes, but we do not download or store ID images or biometric data in our own systems.
3a. Identity Verification Eligibility
CivixThread uses third-party identity verification services to confirm user identity. While these services may successfully verify certain forms of government-issued identification, including limited term or temporary identification documents, CivixThread reserves the right to:
Review verification status at its sole discretion.
Revoke or remove verification badges or status.
Request additional documentation.
Suspend or restrict access to verification-dependent features.
If the submitted identification does not meet CivixThread's internal eligibility criteria for participation in certain civic engagement features. Verification status does not guarantee eligibility for all platform functionality and may be subject to reevaluation at any time.
4. Your Content & Conduct
You retain ownership of content you post. You grant us a worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute your content solely to operate the Service. You're responsible for your content and for obtaining any necessary permissions.
Acceptable Use & Community Conduct
You agree not to:
Impersonate or misrepresent your identity or affiliation.
Engage in harassment, threats, hate speech, intimidation, or doxxing.
Post spam, unsolicited messages/comments, astroturfing, or coordinated inauthentic behavior.
Upload or share illegal content or engage in unlawful activities.
Use the Service in violation of applicable laws or court orders.
Attempt to hack, modify, disrupt, or bypass security measures of the Service.
Access non-public/private APIs or crawl, scrape, or cache content at scale.
Upload malware (worms, viruses) or any destructive code.
Infringe intellectual property rights (including copyright or trademarks).
Submit fraudulent information or misuse identity verification processes.
Upload nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit/suggestive content.
Violations may result in content removal, feature restrictions, or account suspension/termination. You remain solely responsible for the content you submit or display through the Service.
5. Permitted Uses
You may use the Service to follow legislation, track representatives, participate in verified civic conversations, and access tools we provide for personal, non-commercial use unless otherwise authorized.
6. Prohibited Uses
You agree not to:
Reverse engineer, scrape at scale, or circumvent technical protections.
Use bots or automation to create accounts, post, or manipulate discussions.
Upload malicious code or interfere with the Service's security or availability.
Misuse verification processes or submit fraudulent information.
Use the Service for political campaigning in violation of applicable laws.
7. Payments / Donations
If you purchase features or make donations, you authorize our payment processor (e.g., Stripe) to charge your selected payment method. All billing terms (pricing, refunds, renewals) will be presented at checkout.
8. Intellectual Property & Licenses
CivixThread, our logos, and the Service's look-and-feel are our IP. You may not use our marks without permission. Where we provide APIs or data, separate terms may apply.
9. Third-Party Services
We rely on providers like Stripe Identity, Firebase/Google Cloud, and others. Their terms and privacy policies apply in addition to ours. We're not responsible for third-party websites or services.
10. Disclaimers
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." We don't promise uninterrupted or error-free operation. Information (e.g., bill data) may come from third-party sources and could be incomplete or inaccurate. CivixThread may also analyze anonymized or aggregated platform activity (such as general participation or sentiment trends) to improve service features or support civic engagement initiatives.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, CivixThread and its affiliates won't be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, profits, or revenues.
12. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CivixThread and its affiliates from claims arising out of your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.
13. Suspension & Termination
We may suspend or terminate access if you violate these Terms, harm other users, or risk the integrity or security of the Service. You may stop using the Service at any time.
14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Wisconsin, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Courts located in Wisconsin will have exclusive jurisdiction, unless otherwise required by law.
15. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our Service or the law. We'll post updates here and revise the "Last updated" date. Material changes may be announced in-app or by email.
Contact
Questions about these Terms? Email us at [email protected].
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