Important: By using StarsTalk, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully before using our services.
1. Acceptance of Terms
Welcome to StarsTalk. By accessing or using our mobile application and services ("Services"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our Services.
These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and StarsTalk ("we," "us," or "our").
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use StarsTalk. By using our Services, you represent and warrant that:
- You are at least 13 years of age
- You have the legal capacity to enter into this agreement
- If you are under 18, you have obtained parental or guardian consent
- You are not prohibited from using our Services under applicable laws
3. Account Registration and Security
3.1 Account Creation
To use StarsTalk, you must create an account using either:
- Google OAuth: Sign in with your Google account
- Email/Password: Create an account with email and password
3.2 Account Security
You are responsible for:
- Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
- All activities that occur under your account
- Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
- Using a strong, unique password (for email/password accounts)
3.3 Account Accuracy
You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information to keep it accurate, current, and complete.
4. Acceptable Use Policy
4.1 Permitted Use
You may use StarsTalk to:
- Send and receive encrypted messages
- Create and manage private circles
- Organize and participate in events
- Share photos and media with circle members
- Communicate with contacts through secure chat
4.2 Prohibited Activities
You agree NOT to:
- Illegal Activities: Use StarsTalk for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any laws
- Harassment: Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users
- Hate Speech: Post content that promotes violence, hatred, or discrimination
- Spam: Send unsolicited messages, advertisements, or promotional content
- Impersonation: Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
- Malware: Distribute viruses, malware, or other harmful code
- Interference: Disrupt or interfere with the Services or servers
- Reverse Engineering: Attempt to decompile, reverse engineer, or hack the app
- Data Scraping: Use automated tools to collect data from StarsTalk
- Account Sharing: Share your account credentials with others
Violation Consequences: Violation of these prohibited activities may result in immediate account suspension or termination without notice.
5. Content and Intellectual Property
5.1 Your Content
You retain ownership of all content you create and share on StarsTalk ("User Content"), including:
- Messages, photos, and media
- Event details and descriptions
- Profile information
5.2 License to StarsTalk
By posting User Content, you grant StarsTalk a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:
- Store and transmit your User Content (in encrypted form)
- Provide Services to you and your circle members
- Back up and secure your data
Important: Due to end-to-end encryption, we cannot access or read your encrypted content. This license is solely for technical operations necessary to provide the Services.
5.3 StarsTalk Intellectual Property
All rights, title, and interest in StarsTalk (including software, design, logos, trademarks) are owned by us. You may not:
- Copy, modify, or distribute our software
- Use our trademarks or branding without permission
- Create derivative works based on StarsTalk
6. Privacy and Data Protection
Your privacy is important to us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information. By using StarsTalk, you also agree to our Privacy Policy.
Key Privacy Points:
- Messages are end-to-end encrypted using Signal Protocol
- We cannot read your encrypted content
- We do not sell your data to third parties
- You control your data and can delete your account at any time
7. Subscription and Payments
7.1 Free and Paid Tiers
StarsTalk offers both free and paid subscription tiers:
- Free Tier: Basic features with standard limitations
- Paid Tiers: Additional features, storage, and capabilities
7.2 Payment Terms
- Payments are processed securely through Stripe
- Subscription fees are billed in advance on a recurring basis
- Prices are subject to change with 30 days' notice
- No refunds for partial subscription periods
7.3 Cancellation
- You may cancel your subscription at any time
- Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period
- Access to paid features ends upon cancellation
8. Push Notifications
StarsTalk uses Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) to send notifications for:
- New messages
- Event invitations and updates
- Circle invitations
You can control notification preferences in your device settings.
9. Data Backup and Loss
9.1 Your Responsibility
You are responsible for:
- Backing up important content locally
- Maintaining access to your account credentials
- Storing your encryption keys securely (managed automatically by the app)
9.2 Our Efforts
While we implement industry-standard backup and redundancy measures, we:
- Cannot guarantee 100% data availability
- Cannot recover encrypted content if encryption keys are lost
- Are not liable for data loss due to hardware failures, disasters, or other causes
Important: If you reinstall the app or change devices, you may lose access to encrypted messages unless you have backed up your encryption keys (if supported in future versions).
10. Termination
10.1 Termination by You
You may terminate your account at any time by:
- Contacting support at [email protected]
- Requesting account deletion through in-app settings (if available)
10.2 Termination by Us
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:
- You violate these Terms
- You engage in prohibited activities
- Required by law or legal process
- Your account is inactive for an extended period
10.3 Effect of Termination
Upon termination:
- Your access to StarsTalk will be revoked
- Your account data will be deleted within 30 days
- You remain liable for any obligations incurred before termination
- Sections of these Terms that should survive termination will remain in effect
11. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability
11.1 Service "As Is"
StarsTalk is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:
- Warranties of merchantability
- Fitness for a particular purpose
- Non-infringement
- Uninterrupted or error-free operation
11.2 Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, StarsTalk and its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for:
- Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
- Loss of profits, data, use, or goodwill
- Service interruptions or data loss
- Unauthorized access to your account
- Third-party conduct or content
Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.
11.3 Exceptions
Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties or exclusions of liability, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
12. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless StarsTalk and its affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:
- Your use of the Services
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your violation of any rights of another person or entity
- Your User Content
13. Dispute Resolution
13.1 Informal Resolution
If you have a dispute with StarsTalk, you agree to first contact us at [email protected] to attempt to resolve the issue informally.
13.2 Arbitration Agreement
Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except where prohibited by law. You agree to:
- Arbitrate disputes individually (no class actions)
- Arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA)
- Arbitration conducted in English
13.3 Exceptions to Arbitration
You may pursue claims in small claims court if they qualify. Additionally, we may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court to protect intellectual property.
14. Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of [Your State], without regard to conflict of law principles.
15. Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by:
- Posting the updated Terms on this page
- Updating the "Last Updated" date
- Sending an in-app notification or email
Your continued use of StarsTalk after changes indicates acceptance of the updated Terms.
16. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
17. Entire Agreement
These Terms, along with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and StarsTalk regarding the use of our Services.
18. No Waiver
Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.
19. Assignment
You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.
20. Third-Party Services
StarsTalk integrates with third-party services:
- Google OAuth: Subject to Google's Terms of Service
- Apple APNs: Subject to Apple's Terms
- Stripe: Subject to Stripe's Terms for payment processing
We are not responsible for third-party services or their terms.
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