Legal & Policies

Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and [Company Legal Name] ("hySocial," "we," "us"), operator of the hySocial social network and related features (the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to the Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines, Cookie Policy, and Copyright/DMCA Policy below. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Who can use hySocial

• Minimum age 13. If you are under the age of majority (typically 18), you may use the Service only with the consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these Terms.
• U.S. service. The Service is operated from and intended for users in the United States.
• Eligibility. You may not use the Service if barred by law or previously terminated for a violation.

2. Your account

• Sign-in. Accounts use Hypatia single sign-on (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Apple) or, where offered, email/password. You are responsible for your credentials and all activity on your account.
• Provide accurate information; keep it current. Accounts are for individuals unless we permit otherwise. Notify us of unauthorized use.

3. Acceptable use

Your use must comply with the Community Guidelines and all laws. You agree not to: post illegal, infringing, or prohibited content; use unauthorized automation (scraping, bots, credential stuffing); disrupt or attempt unauthorized access to the Service; circumvent security, rate-limiting, or moderation; or impersonate any person or entity.

4. Your content

• You own your content. You retain ownership of what you create or upload ("Your Content").
• License to operate. You grant hySocial a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, adapt, publish, display, and distribute Your Content solely to operate, secure, promote, and improve the Service and as permitted by your privacy settings. This license ends when Your Content or your account is deleted, except for content others have shared, content needed for safety/legal/backup purposes, and residual backup copies.
• You represent that you have the rights to post Your Content. Feedback you send may be used without obligation.

5. Customizable profile pages (the Page Standard)

You can deeply customize your profile with HTML, CSS, themes, widgets, and media. For safety, custom pages render in a sandboxed, isolated frame and are sanitized server-side under the hySocial Page Standard. You are responsible for your page's content and may not defeat the sandbox/sanitizer, embed malicious code, phish, or impersonate.

6. Health & wellness features (optional)

• Not medical advice. Health and wellness features and related content are for general informational, educational, and motivational purposes only — not medical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for professional care. Always consult a qualified health professional; never disregard professional advice because of something on the Service.
• Not a healthcare provider. hySocial does not practice medicine and is not a HIPAA-covered entity or business associate.
• Derived & privacy-safe. If enabled, only derived indicators are shown (score, tier, badges, estimated bio-age, streak, level, XP). hySocial does not display your raw health data — conditions, medications, lab/biomarker values, or genetic findings — to other members.
• Your choice. Using these features is optional; you can turn off badges, bio-age display, and milestone sharing anytime in Settings.

7. Payments, tips, and virtual items (hyPay)

• Test mode. hyPay (tips, peer-to-peer transfers, checkout) is currently in test / stub mode and does not process real money. Virtual tips, items, and balances have no cash value and are not a deposit, stored-value, or money-transmission service.
• Real-money features, if enabled later, will have additional terms and may require identity verification. Any digital-asset features are restricted and gated. Nothing here is financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.

8. Moderation, suspension, and enforcement

We may label, limit, remove, or restrict content, and warn, suspend, or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or the Guidelines, or as needed to protect the Service, users, or the public, or to comply with law. Where feasible we offer appeals. Report content or accounts using in-product tools.

9. Termination and account closure

You may deactivate or request deletion anytime in Settings; deletion permanently removes your profile, posts, messages, and uploaded media, subject to limited retention described in the Privacy Policy. We may suspend or terminate access for violations, legal/safety reasons, or if the Service is discontinued. Provisions that should survive termination do so.

10. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any health/wellness indicator is correct. The Service is in active development and may change.

11. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, hySocial WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE PRIOR 12 MONTHS OR USD $100. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some may not apply to you.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify hySocial from claims arising out of your content, your use of the Service, or your violation of these Terms or the rights of others, to the extent permitted by law.

13. Dispute resolution & governing law

Reviewer note: arbitration, class-action-waiver, and venue terms are placeholders and must be reviewed by counsel for enforceability.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [State], U.S., without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Before filing a claim, you agree to try to resolve disputes informally. [Placeholder — binding arbitration / class-action waiver / venue to be drafted by counsel.]

14. Changes & miscellaneous

We may update these Terms and will give reasonable notice of material changes (e.g., in-product or by updating the date above); continued use means acceptance. These Terms are the entire agreement regarding the Service; if a provision is unenforceable, the rest remains. No waiver by non-enforcement. You may not assign without our consent; we may assign in a merger or sale of assets.

15. Contact

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how [Company Legal Name] ("hySocial," "we," "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the Service.

1. Information we collect

You provide

• Account & identity — via single sign-on (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Apple) or email/password: name, email, provider account id.
• Profile — username, display name, bio, pronouns, location, website, avatar, and page customization.
• Content — posts, comments, reactions, messages, listings, and uploaded media.
• Optional health & wellness inputs — only if you choose to use health features (see §4).
• Support & reports — messages you send us and reports you file.

Collected automatically

• Usage & device data — interactions, approximate device/browser, and logs (IP, timestamps) used for security, abuse prevention, and reliability.
• Cookies & local storage — see §7 and the Cookie Policy.

2. How we use information

To provide, personalize, and improve the Service; authenticate you and keep sessions secure (including rate-limiting and content checks); enable social features you request; operate optional health features you enable; communicate with you; and enforce our Terms and comply with law. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your content for third-party advertising.

3. How information is shared

• With other users per your privacy settings (public, friends-only, private) and audience selections.
• Service providers (e.g., identity providers, infrastructure) under appropriate obligations.
• Safety & legal — to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce Terms, or protect people and the Service.
• Business transfers — in a merger, financing, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.

4. Health & wellness data (optional features)

• Privacy-safe, derived-only display. Only derived indicators are shown to others — score, tier, badges, estimated bio-age, streak, level, XP. We do not display to others, or use for advertising, your raw health data: conditions, medications, lab/biomarker values, or genetic findings.
• Your controls. You choose whether to use these features and can disable badges, bio-age display, and milestone sharing anytime in Settings.
• Consent & purpose. Inputs are processed only to provide the features you enable and compute the derived indicators above; we treat this category as sensitive.
• Not HIPAA-covered. hySocial is not a healthcare provider or HIPAA-covered entity/business associate; this is not protected health information under HIPAA, and health features are not medical advice.
• Retention. Kept while enabled and briefly afterward for security/integrity, then deleted or de-identified; account deletion removes it (subject to §9).

5. Messaging and privacy

Direct messages are visible to conversation participants and to hySocial as needed to operate, secure, and moderate the Service (e.g., to respond to a report). Unless a feature explicitly states it is end-to-end encrypted, do not assume messages are end-to-end encrypted.

6. Your rights and choices

• Access/know, export (Settings → Data), correct, delete/erase (subject to limited retention), and deactivate.
• Manage visibility with privacy levels, audience controls, and blocking; opt out of non-essential notifications and cookies.

For rights not available as self-service, contact [[email protected]]. We verify requests, respond as required by law, and do not discriminate against you for exercising rights.

7. Cookies and local storage

We use strictly necessary cookies (sign-in, session, CSRF/security) and optional functional and analytics storage. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. Manage choices via our in-product cookie settings or your browser. See the Cookie Policy.

8. Security

We use measures such as session isolation, CSRF protection, access controls, and rate-limiting; custom pages are sandboxed and sanitized server-side. No method is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data retention and deletion

We retain information while your account is active or as needed to provide the Service, then delete or de-identify it, except where longer retention is legally required. Account deletion removes your profile, posts, comments, messages, uploaded media, sessions, and index entries; residual copies may persist briefly in backups.

10. Children's privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information; if we learn we have, we delete it.

11. U.S. state privacy rights

Depending on your state (e.g., California's CCPA/CPRA and similar laws), you may have rights to know, access, correct, delete, and opt out of "sale"/"sharing" and certain profiling. hySocial does not sell personal information and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Use in-product controls or contact [[email protected]]; authorized agents accepted where permitted.

12. International users

The Service is operated from and intended for the United States. If you access it from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the U.S., where laws may differ.

13. Changes & contact

We may update this Policy and will give reasonable notice of material changes. Privacy questions or requests:

Community Guidelines

hySocial is built for genuine expression and member ownership. We keep our rules few, clear, and focused on safety and legality — we are not here to police lawful opinions or personal style. These Guidelines apply to all content and conduct and are part of the Terms of Service.

What we stand for

• Your voice, your space — express yourself, debate ideas, and customize your corner of hySocial.
• Safety first — expression does not extend to content that is illegal or that puts people in danger.
• Community-driven — reporting, blocking, and member controls shape the experience alongside our moderation.

Not allowed

Prohibited regardless of intent or framing:

1. Illegal content and conduct — anything violating U.S. law or facilitating a crime.
2. Child safety (zero tolerance) — CSAM, sexualization of minors, grooming, or endangering children. We remove it, terminate accounts, preserve evidence, and report to NCMEC and law enforcement as required.
3. Credible threats & incitement — threats, incitement, or coordination of violence.
4. Terrorism & violent extremism — promotion of or support for such organizations or acts.
5. Targeted harassment & bullying — sustained harassment, sexual harassment, or coordinated abuse of individuals.
6. Hateful attacks — attacks or dehumanization based on protected characteristics.
7. Promotion of self-harm — encouraging suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders. (Recovery stories and seeking support are welcome.)
8. Nonconsensual & exploitative content — NCII, sextortion, or non-consensual sexual content.
9. Privacy violations & doxxing — publishing private/identifying information without consent.
10. Spam, scams, and fraud — bulk/deceptive activity, phishing, fake engagement, pyramid/MLM, malware.
11. Impersonation — deceptively posing as another person, brand, or hySocial. (Clearly labeled parody/commentary is allowed.)
12. Platform abuse — breaking, overloading, scraping, or bypassing security, the sandbox, rate-limits, or moderation.
13. Regulated/dangerous goods — selling goods illegal to sell to the buyer (e.g., weapons where prohibited, controlled substances, counterfeits).
14. IP infringement — posting content you lack rights to (see Copyright/DMCA).

Adult and sensitive content

Mark adult or graphic content where tools are provided, keep it out of general-audience spaces, and never share content involving minors or non-consenting people. [Reviewer note: confirm final adult-content stance and age-gating.]

Health & wellness content

• Personal stories are welcome; member advice is not a substitute for professional care.
• No dangerous medical misinformation likely to cause real-world harm (e.g., discouraging emergency care, unsafe "cures").
• No selling/promoting unapproved or unsafe treatments, prescription drugs, or regulated substances to members.
• Derived health badges (score, tier, bio-age, streaks, levels, XP) are personal, optional indicators — not diagnoses; respect that others control whether theirs are shown.
• Health content on hySocial is informational only and not medical advice.

Customizable pages

Pages can be richly customized but must follow the hySocial Page Standard: no malicious code, no attempts to defeat the sandbox/sanitizer, no phishing, and no deceptive impersonation.

How we enforce

Depending on severity and history, we may remove or limit reach, label/warn, limit features, or suspend/ban accounts, and preserve information or notify authorities where legally required. We aim to act proportionately and consistently; egregious violations may mean immediate removal and a permanent ban.

Reporting and appeals

• Report via in-product tools or [[email protected]].
• Block members to stop interactions.
• Appeal where an appeal option is offered.

Copyright & DMCA Policy

hySocial respects intellectual-property rights. This policy describes how to report alleged copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 17 U.S.C. § 512, and how to submit a counter-notification. It is part of the Terms of Service.

1. Repeat-infringer policy

In appropriate circumstances and at our discretion, hySocial will disable or terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.

2. Designated copyright agent

Reviewer note: hySocial must register this Designated Agent with the U.S. Copyright Office (DMCA Designated Agent Directory) for the safe harbor to apply.

3. How to file a takedown notice (§ 512(c)(3))

Send a written notice to the Designated Agent including all of the following:

1. Your physical or electronic signature (owner or authorized agent);
2. Identification of the copyrighted work (or a representative list);
3. Identification of the infringing material with enough detail to locate it (e.g., URL/post link);
4. Your contact information (name, address, phone, email);
5. A good-faith belief statement that the use is unauthorized; and
6. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are the owner or authorized.

Incomplete notices may not be valid, and submitting a notice does not guarantee any particular action.

4. Our response

On a valid notice we act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material and take reasonable steps to notify the member who posted it (we may share a copy of the notice, including your contact details).

5. Counter-notification (§ 512(g))

If your content was removed by mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notification including:

1. Your physical or electronic signature;
2. Identification of the removed material and its prior location;
3. A statement, under penalty of perjury, of good-faith belief it was removed by mistake/misidentification;
4. Your name, address, and phone number; and
5. Consent to the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for your district (or any district where hySocial may be found, if outside the U.S.) and to accept service of process.

We may restore the material in 10–14 business days unless the complainant notifies us they have filed a court action.

6. Misrepresentation (§ 512(f))

Anyone who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or was removed by mistake, may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

7. Trademark / other IP & contact

For trademark or other non-copyright IP concerns, contact [[email protected]]. Copyright/DMCA matters: [[email protected]].

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how hySocial uses cookies and similar technologies (such as browser local storage). It supplements the Privacy Policy.

1. What are cookies and local storage?

Cookies are small text files a site stores on your device. Local storage is a similar mechanism for saving small amounts of data (like your theme or consent choice). We refer to both as "cookies / storage."

2. Our approach

hySocial is privacy-first: we use the minimum storage needed to run the Service securely. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies, and we do not sell your information.

3. Categories we use

a. Strictly necessary (always on)

Required to run the Service and keep you secure — you cannot turn these off through our controls. Examples: session / sign-in (e.g., the hypatia_session cookie) and security (CSRF protection, abuse prevention).

b. Functional / preferences (optional)

Remember your choices: your selected theme, your cookie-consent choice, and interface state such as a dismissed banner or drawer.

c. Analytics (optional, off by default)

If enabled, first-party, aggregated measurement that helps us improve reliability and features. Off unless you opt in.

We do not use an advertising/targeting category. hySocial does not run ad-targeting or cross-context behavioral advertising cookies.

4. Your choices

• In-product controls — use Cookie settings to accept or decline optional categories and change your choice anytime.
• Consent banner — on first visit, choose Accept all, Essential only, or Customize. Strictly necessary cookies are always active.
• Browser controls — most browsers can block/delete cookies and clear local storage; blocking necessary cookies may break sign-in.
• Because we do not use tracking cookies, there is no cross-site tracking to disable; we honor recognized opt-out signals for any optional analytics.

5. How long they last

Session cookies expire when your session ends; persistent cookies/storage (like theme and consent) remain until they expire or you clear them. [Reviewer note: confirm exact durations.]

6. Changes & contact

We may update this Cookie Policy as the Service evolves. Questions: [[email protected]].