Terms of Use

1. Who we are and these Terms

2016Chat ("the app", "the service") is operated by an individual developer (a sole trader), Josh, United Kingdom ("the Operator", "we", "us"). These Terms of Use, together with our Privacy Policy, govern your use of 2016Chat. If you do not agree to them, do not use the app.

2. Eligibility and age

You must be at least 13 years old to use 2016Chat. By using the app you confirm that you are 13 or over and that you are able to enter into these Terms. If you are under 18, you should use the app with the involvement of a parent or guardian where appropriate. We may refuse, suspend, or remove accounts that do not meet these requirements.

3. Your account

You are responsible for the activity on your account and for keeping your sign-in details secure. Provide accurate information, do not impersonate others, and do not share or transfer your account. Tell us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to use 2016Chat to:

abuse, harass, bully, threaten, stalk, defame, or harm other people;
impersonate any person or misrepresent your identity or affiliation;
post or send content that is unlawful, hateful, harassing, sexually explicit, exploitative of minors, violent, or otherwise objectionable;
create, send, share, or request child sexual abuse material, or use 2016Chat for any form of child sexual abuse or exploitation, including grooming — see our Child Safety Standards;
send spam, scams, or unsolicited promotional messages;
break the law, infringe others' rights, or facilitate illegal activity;
attempt to disrupt the service, bypass security or rate limits, scrape data, access accounts or data without permission, or interfere with other users' use of the app.

5. Zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive users

There is no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive behaviour on 2016Chat. You can report content or users (in the app and at support@2016chat.com) and block users at any time. We aim to review reports and act on objectionable content within 24 hours — which may include removing content and suspending or removing the user who provided it. Accounts may also be automatically suspended when reported by enough distinct users. By using 2016Chat, you agree to this enforcement approach.

6. Your content

You keep ownership of the content you create (such as your messages, profile details, and photo). To run the service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, copy, display, and transmit your content solely to operate, secure, and provide 2016Chat (for example, delivering your messages to the people you send them to and showing your profile to users you choose to be discoverable to). This licence ends when your content or account is deleted, except for content that other users are entitled to retain (such as messages already delivered to them) and copies kept for the limited safety, security, and legal purposes described in our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for the content you submit and confirm you have the right to share it.

7. Safety and moderation

We may review, restrict, remove, preserve, or report content or account activity where reasonably necessary for safety, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, dispute handling, support, or operating the service. Profile photos are screened automatically for adult, violent, or explicit content. See our Safety / Reporting page.

8. Suspension and termination

We may limit, suspend, or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, create a safety or security risk, or interfere with the reliable operation of the service. You can stop using 2016Chat at any time and delete your account from within the app (Profile → Delete account) or via our Account Deletion page. If you believe an enforcement action was a mistake, you can appeal at support@2016chat.com.

9. Third-party services and content

2016Chat shows information from third parties (for example places, maps, events, news, and weather) and supports third-party sign-in. We are not responsible for third-party content or services, and your use of them may be subject to their own terms.

10. Service availability

We may change, suspend, or discontinue features at any time. The service may be unavailable during maintenance or for reasons outside our control. We do not guarantee that the app will be uninterrupted or error-free.

11. Disclaimers

To the fullest extent permitted by law, 2016Chat is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. 2016Chat is a tool for meeting and messaging other people; we do not verify users' identities and are not responsible for the conduct of any user, online or offline. Use good judgement and follow our safety guidance when interacting with or meeting people.

12. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising from your use of (or inability to use) 2016Chat. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law — including, for consumers, your mandatory legal rights and any liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for fraud.

13. Indemnity

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to be responsible for claims arising from your misuse of the service or your breach of these Terms, except to the extent caused by us.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and disputes are subject to the courts of England and Wales. If you are a consumer, you keep the benefit of any mandatory consumer-protection rules and the rights of the country where you live, which these Terms do not take away.

15. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will change the "Last updated" date above, and where changes are material we will take reasonable steps to make them known. Continuing to use 2016Chat after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.