Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating a Connections account or using the Connections application/website (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Community Guidelines, and Safety Tips, as well as any additional terms presented to you for any add-on features or services. If you do not accept these terms or the policies referenced, you must not use the Service. Connections may make changes to these Terms and the Service from time to time. If a change includes material changes affecting your rights or obligations, we will notify you in advance by reasonable means (e.g. via the Service or email) and give you an opportunity to review the changes. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any updates constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use Connections. By accessing or using the Service, you represent and warrant that:

• You can form a binding contract with Connections under applicable law.
• You are not prohibited from using the Service by any applicable law – for example, you do not appear on any government list of persons barred from receiving services.
• You will comply with these Terms and all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations.
• You have never been convicted of a violent or sexual felony, and you are not required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction.

Connections is intended solely for adults 18 and over. Accounts of persons under 18 will be terminated.

3. Your Account

To use Connections, you may sign in with Google or other provided login methods. By doing so, you authorize Connections to access and use certain information from that account (e.g. your public profile data) in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials, and you are solely responsible for all activities that occur under those credentials. If you suspect unauthorized access to your account, please contact us immediately.

4. Modifications and Termination

Connections is always evolving. We may add or remove features, improve the Service, or suspend the Service altogether. We will endeavor to notify you in advance of any major changes or an entire shutdown of the Service, unless safety, security, or legal concerns prevent us from doing so.

You may terminate your account at any time for any reason via the Settings section of the Service. (If you made any purchases through a third-party app store account, you are responsible for managing those subscriptions separately to avoid further billing.) Connections may terminate your account without notice if we believe you have violated these Terms or have engaged in behavior we deem inappropriate or unlawful. Upon termination, you will not be entitled to any refund of fees, and these Terms will cease to apply (except for any provisions that by their nature should survive termination).

5. Safety and User Interactions

Connections strives to foster a respectful user experience and offers features to encourage safe interactions (for example, profile verification and other safety tools). However, Connections is not responsible for the conduct of any user on or off the Service. You agree to exercise caution in all interactions with others, especially if you decide to communicate outside the Service or meet in person. You agree to read and follow our Safety Tips before using the Service. In addition, you agree not to provide your financial information (such as credit card or bank details) or transfer money to any other user.

YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MEMBERS. Connections does not conduct criminal background checks on users and does not verify the personal background of its members. CONNECTIONS MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING USER CONDUCT. Always use your best judgment and prioritize your safety when interacting with others.

6. Rights Connections Grants You

Connections grants you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-transferable, non-exclusive, revocable, and non-sublicensable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use only, as intended by Connections and permitted by these Terms. This license is conditional on your compliance with these Terms and does not grant you any rights to:

• Commercial Use: You may not use the Service or any content contained in the Service for any commercial purposes without our written consent.
• Copying/Distribution: You may not copy, modify, transmit, create derivative works from, or reproduce any copyrighted material, trademarks, trade names, service marks, or other intellectual property or proprietary information accessible through the Service without Connections's prior written consent.
• Implying Endorsement: You may not express or imply that any statements you make are endorsed by Connections.
• Automated Access: You may not use any robot, spider, crawler, scraper, site search/retrieval application, proxy, or other manual or automatic device, method or process to access, retrieve, index, or data-mine any portion of the Service or its content.
• Interference: You may not use the Service in any way that could interfere with, disrupt, damage, or impair the Service or any servers or networks connected to the Service.
• Malware: You may not upload viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or other malicious code, or do anything that could compromise the security of the Service.
• Header Forgery: You may not forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers to disguise the origin of any information transmitted to or through the Service.
• Framing/Mirroring: You may not "frame" or "mirror" any part of the Service without Connections's prior written authorization.
• Meta Tags: You may not use meta tags, code, or other devices containing any reference to Connections (or any trademark, trade name, service mark, logo) to direct any person to any other website or service for any purpose.
• Reverse Engineering: You may not modify, adapt, sublicense, translate, sell, reverse engineer, decipher, decompile or otherwise disassemble any portion of the Service, or cause others to do so.
• Unauthorized Apps: You may not develop, support, or use any third-party applications or extensions that interact with the Service or other users' content or information without our written consent.
• Connections API: You may not use, access, or publish any Connections application programming interface (API) without our written consent.
• Vulnerability Testing: You may not probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service or any system or network related to the Service, nor breach any security or authentication measures.

Connections may investigate and take legal action in response to any illegal or unauthorized use of the Service, including termination of your account.

We may automatically download and install upgrades, updates, or other new features of the software as they become available. You may be able to adjust these automatic downloads via your device settings.

7. Rights You Grant Connections

By creating an account, you grant Connections a worldwide, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free license to host, store, use, copy, display, reproduce, adapt, edit, publish, modify, and distribute the information you provide or authorize us to access. This includes: (i) information you authorize Connections to obtain from third-party accounts (for example, your Google or Facebook profile information if you choose to sign up via such accounts), and (ii) any content, photos, text, or information that you post, upload, display, or otherwise make available on the Service or transmit to other users ("Content").

Connections's license to your Content is non-exclusive, except that Connections's license will be exclusive with respect to derivative works created through use of the Service (for example, screenshots of the Service that include your Content).

This license to your Content is subject to your rights under applicable law (for instance, laws regarding personal data protection to the extent any Content contains personal information as defined by those laws) and is for the limited purpose of operating, developing, providing, and improving the Service, as well as researching and developing new services. You agree that any Content you place or that you authorize us to place on the Service may be viewed by other users and may be viewed by anyone visiting or participating in the Service (such as individuals who receive shared Content from Connections users).

You represent and warrant that all information you submit upon account creation (including information from any third-party login) is truthful and accurate, and that you have the right to post the Content on Connections and to grant the license above.

You agree that Connections may monitor or review any Content you post as part of the Service. Connections reserves the right to remove or delete any Content, in whole or in part, that in our sole judgment violates these Terms or could harm the reputation or integrity of the Service or other users.

When communicating with our customer support or any Connections representatives, you agree to be respectful. If we feel that your behavior towards our staff is at any time threatening or abusive, we reserve the right to immediately terminate your account.

In consideration for Connections allowing you to use the Service, you agree that we, our affiliates, and our third-party partners may display advertising on the Service. By submitting suggestions or feedback to Connections, you agree that Connections may use and share such feedback for any purpose without compensating you.

You agree that Connections may access, preserve, and disclose your account information and Content if required to do so by law or if we, in good faith, believe that such access, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (i) comply with legal process (e.g., a subpoena, court order, or search warrant); (ii) enforce these Terms; (iii) respond to claims that any Content violates the rights of third parties; (iv) respond to your requests for customer service; or (v) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of the Company or any person.

8. Community Rules

By using Connections, you agree that you will not engage in any of the following prohibited activities on the Service:

• Illegal or Unauthorized Use: Do not use the Service for any purpose that is illegal or prohibited by these Terms. This includes, but is not limited to, using the Service in a way that violates any law or regulation.
• Malicious or Harmful Activities: Do not use the Service for any harmful, deceitful, or nefarious purpose. You may not attempt to harm or exploit others through the Service.
• Damage to Connections: Do not use the Service in any way that could damage, disable, or impair Connections's reputation, systems, or security.
• Violation of Guidelines: Do not violate our Community Guidelines, which provide specific examples of inappropriate content and behavior. These guidelines are incorporated by reference into these Terms.
• Spam or Fraud: Do not spam, solicit money or financial information from other users, or defraud any person. Scams, pyramid schemes, or similar unethical solicitations are strictly prohibited.
• Impersonation: Do not impersonate any person or entity, and do not post images of another person without their permission. You must be yourself and truthfully represent your identity.
• Harassment or Hate: Do not bully, stalk, intimidate, assault, harass, or defame any person. Hate speech, threats, and encouragement of violence are strictly forbidden.
• Intellectual Property Infringement: Do not post any Content that infringes or violates someone else's rights, including copyright, trademark, trade secret, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights.
• Prostitution and Trafficking: Do not use the Service to solicit or facilitate any form of paid sexual services, escorting, sex trafficking, or exploitation. Connections strictly prohibits using the platform for prostitution or any exchange of intimacy for compensation.
• Explicit or Pornographic Content: Do not post any Content that is sexually explicit, pornographic, or obscene. Connections is not a platform for sharing sexual content.
• Violent or Graphic Content: Do not post Content that contains nudity, excessive violence, or gore, or any content that incites violence or harm.
• Hate Speech: Do not post any Content that promotes racism, bigotry, hatred, or physical harm against any group or individual. Discrimination or offensive stereotypes have no place on Connections.
• Personal Information Abuse: Do not solicit other users' login credentials or personal identifying information for commercial or unlawful purposes. Do not share someone else's personal information without their consent.
• Multiple Accounts: Do not use another user's account or share an account with another person. You may not maintain more than one personal account on Connections.
• Ban Evasion: If Connections has terminated your account, you may not create a new account without our permission.

Connections reserves the right to investigate and, at our discretion, terminate your account without refund if you violate these Terms, misuse the Service, or engage in behavior that Connections deems inappropriate, unlawful, or in violation of the letter or spirit of these Terms. This applies to actions on the Service and, where relevant, off the Service.

9. Shots (Public Posts) Feature

Connections includes a feature called "Shots" that allows users to create and share short-form public posts (text, images, and other media) visible to other users on the Discover timeline. Shots are similar to social media posts and are subject to the following additional terms:

9.1. Nature of Shots

Shots are public content by default and are visible to all Connections users in the Discover feed. Unlike private messages, Shots are not private communications. By posting a Shot, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Your Shot (including any text, images, hashtags, and attached media) will be viewable by all Connections users.
• Other users may interact with your Shots through likes, direct messages, and other available features.
• Connections may feature, recommend, or distribute your Shots through algorithmic feeds, trending sections, or search results.
• Your Shots may appear in hashtag search results, trending topics, and regional feeds.

9.2. Content Ownership & License for Shots

You retain ownership of the content you post in your Shots. By posting a Shot, you grant Connections the same worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable license described in Section 7 ("Rights You Grant Connections"), specifically including the right to:

• Display, distribute, and recommend your Shots to other users through our algorithmic feed and trending features.
• Cache, store, and process your Shots to ensure timely delivery and optimal performance.
• Use your Shots in connection with content moderation, safety analysis, and platform integrity efforts (including automated systems).
• Modify the formatting of your Shots for display across different devices and interfaces.

9.3. Shot Expiration & Deletion

Shots may have configurable lifetimes. When a Shot expires or is deleted by you, Connections will remove it from the public feed within a reasonable timeframe. However, cached copies may persist briefly in our systems, and Connections may retain anonymized or aggregated data derived from Shots for analytics purposes. Other users who viewed or interacted with your Shot before its removal may retain their own records (screenshots, saved content, etc.) — Connections has no control over such third-party copies.

9.4. Prohibited Shot Content

In addition to the Community Rules in Section 8, the following are explicitly prohibited in Shots:

• Misleading or Deceptive Content: Shots that contain deliberately false or misleading claims intended to deceive other users, including fabricated personal information, fake endorsements, or manipulated context.
• Synthetic & Manipulated Media: AI-generated or digitally manipulated images, videos, or audio that are shared without clear disclosure. If you use AI tools to create or edit content for your Shot, you must clearly indicate this (e.g., "AI-generated" or "AI-edited"). Deepfakes, face-swaps, or other synthetic content designed to deceive are strictly prohibited.
• Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior: Using multiple accounts, automated tools, or coordinating with other users to artificially amplify, trend, or manipulate the visibility of Shots. This includes artificially inflating likes, creating fake engagement, or gaming hashtags.
• Harmful Misinformation: Shots that spread verifiably false information that could cause real-world harm, including but not limited to health misinformation, false emergency alerts, or dangerous hoaxes.
• Self-Harm & Eating Disorder Promotion: Content that promotes, glorifies, or provides instructions for self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders is strictly forbidden. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to local crisis services.
• Non-Consensual Intimate Media: Sharing intimate, sexual, or nude images of any person without their explicit consent, including "revenge pornography" and AI-generated intimate imagery of real people.
• Political Campaign Content & Election Interference: Connections is a dating and social platform, not a political advertising platform. Organized political campaigning, election manipulation, and voter suppression content are not permitted.

10. Content Moderation

Connections employs a combination of automated systems and human review to moderate content on the platform, including Shots, profile content, and reported messages. Our content moderation approach is designed to be transparent, fair, and proportionate.

10.1. How We Moderate Content

• Automated Detection: We use automated systems, including AI and machine learning models, to proactively detect and flag content that may violate our Terms, Community Guidelines, or applicable law. This includes nudity detection, spam filtering, and text analysis for hate speech, harassment, or dangerous content. Automated systems may act immediately to remove or restrict content that is clearly in violation (e.g., child sexual abuse material), or may flag content for human review.
• Human Review: Trained content moderators review flagged and reported content to make enforcement decisions. Human reviewers assess context, intent, and severity before taking action. All appeals are reviewed by human moderators.
• User Reports: Any user may report content (including Shots, profiles, and messages) using the in-app reporting tools. Reports are reviewed in the order received, with priority given to safety-critical reports (e.g., imminent threats, child safety). Reporting is confidential — the reported user will not know who filed the report.
• Proactive Monitoring: In addition to reactive moderation based on reports, Connections proactively monitors publicly visible content (such as Shots and profiles) for policy violations, especially for high-severity categories like child exploitation, terrorism, and violent threats.

10.2. Enforcement Actions

When content or behavior violates our Terms or policies, Connections may take one or more of the following enforcement actions, depending on the severity, context, and frequency of the violation:

• Content Removal: The specific violating content (Shot, image, profile text, etc.) is removed from the platform.
• Content Labeling or Restricted Visibility: In certain cases, content may be labeled with a warning or have its visibility limited rather than being removed entirely (e.g., graphic but newsworthy content, or borderline content that requires additional context).
• Warning: The user receives a formal warning explaining the violation and the expected behavior.
• Temporary Restriction: The user's ability to post Shots, send messages, or use certain features may be temporarily suspended for a defined period.
• Account Suspension: The user's account is temporarily suspended, preventing all access to the Service.
• Permanent Ban: The user's account is permanently terminated. This is reserved for severe violations (e.g., child exploitation, terrorism, repeated serious offenses) or users who have accumulated multiple enforcement actions.
• Law Enforcement Referral: In cases involving imminent threats to life, child exploitation, terrorism, or other serious criminal activity, Connections may report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

10.3. Appeals Process

If you believe an enforcement action taken against your content or account was made in error, you have the right to appeal. The appeals process works as follows:

• You may submit an appeal within 30 days of the enforcement action by contacting us at connections@dating-universe.com or through the in-app appeal option (if available).
• Your appeal will be reviewed by a human moderator who was not involved in the original decision.
• We aim to process appeals within 15 business days of receipt.
• You will be notified of the appeal outcome via email or in-app notification.
• If your appeal is successful, the removed content will be restored and/or your account restrictions will be lifted.
• The appeal decision is final. Connections reserves sole discretion in all content moderation matters.

Note: Certain categories of content are not eligible for appeal and will not be restored under any circumstances. These include: child sexual abuse material (CSAM), non-consensual intimate imagery, credible threats of violence, and content that constitutes a criminal offense under applicable law.

10.4. Transparency

Connections is committed to transparency in our content moderation practices. We may periodically publish aggregate data on the volume of content removed, the categories of violations detected, and the number of appeals processed. We will also clearly communicate any changes to our content moderation policies to users in advance.

11. Other Users' Content

Connections does not guarantee that other users' content will always comply with these Terms or our guidelines. You understand that any content posted by users is the sole responsibility of the user who posted it, and Connections is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or legality of user posts. However, we reserve the right to review and remove any content that violates these Terms or applicable law. If you see content that you believe violates our Terms or Community Guidelines, please report it to us through the Service or by contacting support.

12. Purchases, Subscriptions, and Virtual Items

Connections offers optional paid features, subscriptions, and virtual items to enhance your experience. All purchases are processed through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. By making a purchase, you agree to the following terms:

12.1. Subscriptions (Premium Plans)

Connections offers subscription plans (e.g., Premium, Premium Plus, Premium Plus Smart) that provide enhanced features. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription through your device's app store settings. Subscription fees are charged to your app store account upon confirmation of purchase.

12.2. AI Credits

AI Credits are virtual currency used to access AI-powered features including chat message suggestions, AI image generation, and AI image editing. AI Credits are:

• Non-refundable: Purchases are final once completed through the app store.
• Non-transferable: Credits cannot be transferred to other users or accounts.
• No cash value: Credits cannot be exchanged for real money.
• No Expiration: AI Credits do not expire and remain available until used.

Usage: The number of AI Credits required for each feature varies and is displayed within the app before use. Credit costs may change from time to time at Connections's discretion.

AI Disclaimer: AI features are powered by third-party artificial intelligence models that may change over time. AI is capable of producing inaccurate, inappropriate, or biased content ("hallucinations"). You are solely responsible for reviewing and approving any AI-generated content before sharing it with other users. Success of dating interactions is not guaranteed.

12.3. Profile Boosts

Boosts are one-time consumable items that temporarily increase your profile's visibility in the Discover section. Boosts are:

• Non-refundable: Purchases are final once completed through the app store.
• Non-transferable: Boosts cannot be transferred to other users or accounts.
• No cash value: Boosts cannot be exchanged for real money.
• Single use: Each Boost can only be activated once and lasts for a limited duration as displayed in the app.
• No guarantees: Boosts increase visibility but do not guarantee matches or interactions.

12.4. Refund Policy

All purchases (subscriptions, AI Credits, and Boosts) made through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store are governed by the respective store's refund policy. Connections does not process refunds directly. To request a refund, please contact Google Play or Apple App Store support. Refunds for partially consumed credit bundles or used Boosts will not be issued.

12.5. Price Changes

Connections reserves the right to modify pricing for subscriptions, AI Credits, Boosts, and other virtual items at any time. Price changes will not affect purchases already completed. For subscriptions, price changes will take effect at the next renewal period.

13. Copyright Infringement – DMCA Policy

Connections respects intellectual property rights and expects users to do the same. If you believe that content on the Service infringes your copyright, please send a notice to our designated Copyright Agent at connections@dating-universe.com with the following information:

• A description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed.
• A description of where the material you claim is infringing is located on the Service (such as a screenshot or profile link).
• Your contact information (name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address).
• A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf.
• An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright.

Upon receipt of a proper notice, Connections will investigate and take appropriate action under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) or other applicable intellectual property laws. It is our policy to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers when appropriate.

14. Disclaimers

Connections provides the Service on an "as is" and "as available" basis to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Connections makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, with respect to the Service. This includes, without limitation, any implied warranties of quality, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Connections does not warrant that: (a) the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, (b) any defects or errors in the Service will be corrected, or (c) that any content or information obtained on or through the Service will be accurate or reliable.

Connections assumes no responsibility for any content that you, another user, or third party posts, sends, or receives through the Service. Any material downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of the Service is accessed at your own discretion and risk.

15. Third-Party Services

The Service may contain advertisements or promotions offered by third parties, and may include links to third-party websites or resources. Connections is not responsible for the availability, content, or accuracy of third-party advertisements or sites. If you interact with any third-party services (including by clicking links or purchasing goods or services), you do so at your own risk. Any such third party's terms will govern your relationship with them. Connections is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your interactions with third parties.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, in no event will Connections, its affiliates, employees, licensors, or service providers be liable for any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special, or punitive damages, including, but not limited to, loss of profits, data loss, loss of goodwill, service interruption, device damage, or system failure. This applies even if Connections has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event will Connections's aggregate liability to you for all claims relating to the Service exceed the amount (if any) that you paid Connections to use the Service, or USD $100, whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some or all of the above exclusions and limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

17. Entire Agreement and Miscellaneous

These Terms (together with the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Safety Tips, and any additional terms disclosed to and agreed by you if you purchase or use additional features) constitute the entire agreement between you and Connections regarding your use of the Service. These Terms supersede any prior agreements or understandings on the same subject matter. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect.

The failure of Connections to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. You may not transfer or assign your rights or obligations under these Terms to anyone without Connections's prior written consent, and any attempt to do so will be null and void. Connections may assign its rights and obligations to others without notice to you.

No agency, partnership, joint venture, fiduciary, or employment relationship is created by these Terms – you and Connections are independent parties. You have no authority to make any commitments on behalf of Connections.

You agree that your Connections account is non-transferable and that all of your rights to your profile or contents within your account terminate upon your death, unless otherwise required by law.

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at connections@dating-universe.com.