Terms of Service

Effective date: May 20, 2026

Last updated: May 20, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the HowCrowd mobile application, website, and related services (collectively, the "Service") operated by HowCrowd ("we," "us," or "our").

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction) to use the Service. If you are under 18, you represent that you have permission from a parent or legal guardian. The Service is not intended for children under 13.

2. Description of the Service

HowCrowd allows users to ask about crowd levels at locations ("pings") and share real-time crowd status ("responses"). Status information is primarily community-sourced and may include optional photos, official business updates, and aggregated views of recent activity.

Important: Crowd information is not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or current. Do not rely on the Service for safety-critical, medical, legal, or emergency decisions. Always follow local laws and venue rules.

3. Your account

• You may sign in with Apple, Google, email magic link, or browse as a guest (with limited features).
• You are responsible for activity under your account and for keeping your credentials secure.
• You must provide accurate information and not impersonate others.
• You may delete your account at any time via Profile → Delete Account or by emailing support@howcrowd.app. See our Privacy Policy for data deletion details.

4. User-generated content

4.1 Your content

You retain ownership of content you submit (pings, responses, photos, display names, etc.). By submitting content, you grant HowCrowd a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, store, display, reproduce, and distribute your content solely to operate, promote, and improve the Service.

4.2 Community standards — you agree NOT to:

• Submit false, misleading, or deliberately inaccurate crowd reports.
• Report a location as "closed" without honest belief and, when required, appropriate photo verification.
• Respond to pings when you are not physically at or near the location (within the app's verification radius).
• Post harassing, hateful, threatening, sexually explicit, or illegal content.
• Spam, scrape, automate, or manipulate the Service (including points or rewards).
• Upload content that infringes others' intellectual property or privacy rights.
• Attempt to bypass moderation, security, rate limits, or access controls.
• Use the Service for commercial solicitation without our permission.

4.3 Location-verified responses

Responses may require device location verification and, for certain reports (e.g., "closed"), photo verification. Circumventing these checks violates these Terms.

5. Moderation and enforcement

We use automated moderation (including third-party AI tools), community reports, and manual review to enforce these Terms. We may, at our sole discretion:

• Remove or hide content.
• Reduce trust scores or restrict features.
• Suspend or terminate accounts.
• Report illegal activity to authorities.

We are not obligated to monitor all content but may do so. We do not guarantee that objectionable content will be removed immediately.

6. Reporting abuse

If you see content that violates these Terms, use the in-app Report feature on responses. You may also contact support@howcrowd.app. For copyright complaints, see Section 14.

7. Rewards, points, and Pro membership

• Points are earned through eligible activity (e.g., verified responses) as described in the app.
• Points and rewards have no cash value, are not transferable, and may be modified or discontinued at any time.
• Pro membership (when available via points redemption or subscription) grants additional features such as unlimited pings and photo uploads, subject to fair-use limits.
• Subscriptions purchased through Apple are governed by Apple's payment terms. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID settings.
• We may adjust point values, reward tiers, or Pro benefits with reasonable notice where practicable.

8. Official business accounts

Verified businesses may publish official status updates for locations they manage. Business accounts must not misrepresent affiliation with a location. We may revoke official status at any time.

9. Third-party services

The Service integrates with third parties (Firebase, Apple, Google, OpenAI, maps providers). Your use of those services may be subject to their terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for third-party services.

10. Intellectual property

The Service, including the HowCrowd name, logo, design, and software, is owned by HowCrowd or its licensors and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer the Service except as permitted by law.

11. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT CROWD DATA IS ACCURATE, RELIABLE, OR TIMELY.

12. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HOWCROWD AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (USD $100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those cases, our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless HowCrowd from claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your content, your use of the Service, or your violation of these Terms or applicable law.

14. Copyright (DMCA)

If you believe content on the Service infringes your copyright, send a notice to support@howcrowd.app including:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work.
2. Identification of the infringing material and its location in the Service.
3. Your contact information.
4. A statement of good-faith belief that use is not authorized.
5. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act.
6. Your physical or electronic signature.

We may remove reported material and terminate repeat infringers.

15. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, for violation of these Terms or for any other reason. Sections that by nature should survive (disclaimers, liability limits, indemnity, governing law) will survive termination.

16. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of state and federal courts located in New York County, New York, except where prohibited by applicable consumer protection law in your country of residence.

Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at support@howcrowd.app to attempt informal resolution.

17. Apple App Store terms

If you downloaded the app from Apple's App Store, you acknowledge that:

• These Terms are between you and HowCrowd, not Apple.
• Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the app.
• Apple is not responsible for product claims, intellectual property claims, or third-party claims relating to the app.
• Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them against you.

18. Google Play terms

If you downloaded the app from Google Play, you acknowledge that Google is not responsible for the Service or these Terms, except as stated in Google Play's terms.

19. Changes to these Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. We will post updated Terms on this page and update the "Last updated" date. Material changes may be communicated in-app or by email. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

20. Contact

Questions about these Terms:

Email: support@howcrowd.app

See also our Privacy Policy.