Terms & Conditions

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the Besties app ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Service.

2. About Besties

Besties is a social networking platform designed exclusively for college communities. The Service helps you connect with fellow students through:

• Friend discovery and profiles
• Direct messaging
• Community posts and comments
• Hangouts (group activities and events)
• Missed connections

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and a current student at a supported university to use this Service. You must have a valid school email address (.edu) to create an account. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements and that all information you provide is accurate and truthful.

4. Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorized use. We are not liable for any loss arising from your failure to protect your account information.

You may only create one account. Creating multiple accounts or fake accounts is prohibited and may result in termination.

5. User Conduct

You agree to use the Service in a respectful and lawful manner. The following behaviors are strictly prohibited:

• Harassment, bullying, or threatening other users
• Hate speech, discrimination, or offensive content
• Sharing explicit, sexual, or inappropriate content
• Impersonating others or providing false information
• Soliciting money or unauthorized commercial activities
• Sharing personal information of others without consent
• Spamming or disrupting the Service
• Using the Service for any illegal purpose
• Creating multiple or fake accounts
• Stalking or harassing others through any feature
• Posting false or misleading information

6. Content

You retain ownership of content you post ("User Content"), including photos, posts, comments, and messages. By posting content, you grant Besties, Inc. a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, and display your User Content solely for operating and improving the Service.

We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms, is reported by other users, or that we find objectionable.

7. Privacy Controls

We provide privacy controls to help you manage your visibility on the Service:

Private Mode:

You can enable Private Mode in Settings to hide your profile from the Friends discovery feed. When enabled, you will also be unable to browse the discovery feed yourself. Private Mode does not affect your visibility in community posts, groups, hangouts, or to existing friends.

Blocking:

You can block other users to prevent them from seeing your profile, sending you messages, or interacting with you on the Service.

8. Community Features

When participating in community features:

• Respect other users' privacy and boundaries
• Do not share content promoting academic dishonesty or illegal activities
• Hangout organizers are responsible for their events
• We are not responsible for user conduct at hangouts

9. Missed Connections

The missed connections feature allows you to post about someone you saw on campus. Important guidelines:

• Do not include identifying information that could be used to harass someone
• Do not use this feature to stalk or intimidate others
• Responses are anonymous until both parties agree to reveal identities
• We reserve the right to remove posts that violate our guidelines

10. Content Moderation

To maintain a safe community, we use automated content filtering and human review to detect and remove objectionable content.

Automated Filtering:

Posts and comments in Missed Connections are automatically screened before posting. Content that violates our guidelines may be blocked from being posted.

Zero Tolerance Policy:

We have zero tolerance for the following content, which will result in immediate removal and may lead to account suspension or termination:

• Racial slurs and hate speech
• Content sexualizing minors (CSAM)
• Credible threats of violence
• Self-harm instructions
• Severe harassment or targeted abuse
• Explicit sexual content

Response Time:

We review all user reports within 24 hours and take appropriate action, including content removal and account suspension where warranted.

11. Hangouts

When creating or joining hangouts:

• Organizers are responsible for accuracy of hangout details
• We do not verify, endorse, or supervise hangouts
• Participation is at your own risk
• Follow campus policies for on-campus events
• Do not create hangouts for illegal activities

12. Safety and In-Person Meetings

If you choose to meet other users in person, we strongly recommend:

• Meet in public places, especially for first meetings
• Tell a friend where you're going and who you're meeting
• Never share financial information or passwords
• Trust your instincts and leave if uncomfortable
• Report suspicious behavior to us and campus security

You acknowledge that meeting people carries inherent risks, and you assume all responsibility for your interactions both online and offline.

13. Push Notifications

If you enable push notifications, you may receive alerts about messages, friend requests, and app activity. You can control notification preferences in the app settings.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS, THE ACCURACY OF PROFILE INFORMATION, OR ANY RESULTS FROM USING THE SERVICE.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BESTIES, INC. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

16. Reporting and Blocking

If you encounter inappropriate behavior or content, you can:

• Block users to prevent them from contacting you
• Report users or content that violates these Terms
• Contact support for serious concerns

Besties has zero tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users. We review all reports and take action within 24 hours, including removing offending content and suspending or permanently banning users who violate these Terms.

17. Account Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account immediately if you violate these Terms. You may also delete your account at any time through Settings → Delete Account.

When your account is terminated or deleted:

• Your profile is immediately hidden from all users
• Your name is changed to "Deleted User"
• Your posts and comments are hidden
• This action is permanent and cannot be undone

18. Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by Besties, Inc. and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

19. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by one or more of the following:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date above
• Posting a notice within the app
• Emailing users (for material changes)

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

20. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Los Angeles County, California. You waive your right to a jury trial and the right to participate in class actions.

21. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of California. Any legal action must be brought in the courts located in Los Angeles County, California.

22. University Affiliation

Besties is an independent service by Besties, Inc. and is not officially affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any university. University trademarks are the property of their respective institutions.

23. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force.

24. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms or need to report a violation, please contact us: