Terms of Service — FaithOnline

Welcome to FaithOnline. We are building a Christ-centered community where devoted believers can discover Biblical teaching, connect in authentic fellowship, and grow daily. To preserve this space as a sanctuary free from distraction and division, we have established these Terms of Service ("Terms").

These Terms govern your access to and use of FaithOnline (the "Platform," "we," "us," or "our"). You accept these Terms by completing the acceptance steps described in Section 2 (How You Accept These Terms), which form a binding agreement between you and FaithOnline. You must affirmatively accept these Terms to use the Platform. If you do not accept these Terms, do not create an account or use the Platform.

1. Our Foundation: A Christ-Centered Community

FaithOnline is a private, Christ-centered community built upon our Statement of Faith. When you accept these Terms under Section 2, you agree that your conduct, posts, and interactions will align with and respect our Statement of Faith & Community Standards. Content that contradicts or undermines these standards may be removed in accordance with these Terms.

FaithOnline is a private, expressive religious community organized around evangelical Christian beliefs. Our editorial and moderation decisions reflect the religious convictions of FaithOnline as a private association exercising rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, including the right of expressive association recognized in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640 (2000). FaithOnline is religious in character and purpose, and our editorial, participation, and moderation decisions are religiously motivated exercises of that character.

FaithOnline is not a place of public accommodation. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we reserve the right to limit participation by, restrict the content of, or terminate the accounts of individuals or groups whose conduct, expression, or beliefs are inconsistent with our Statement of Faith & Community Standards or these Terms. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to remove content, limit visibility, restrict features, suspend accounts, or terminate access to enforce these Terms and Policies and to protect the integrity, safety, and spiritual health of the community.

2. How You Accept These Terms

How You Accept These Terms

Acceptance of these Terms requires three affirmative actions at the time you create your account, each recorded separately: (1) checking a box that reads "I confirm I am 13 years of age or older"; (2) checking a separate box that reads "I agree to engage in alignment with the FaithOnline Statement of Faith & Community Standards," which is linked at that point and includes the Community Standards and the Scriptural Position Statements; and (3) clicking an "Agree and Continue" button beneath a disclosure stating that by doing so you accept these Terms of Service and the Accessibility Statement and acknowledge the Privacy Policy, each of which is linked at the point of signup. FaithOnline records the date, time, account identifier, and version of each policy accepted.

Additional Affirmations to Publish

If you apply to publish on the Platform as a Formation voice, we ask you to make additional affirmations at that point, each as a distinct act: that you align with the Statement of Faith & Community Standards and the Scriptural Position Statements, that you will participate in good faith in the editorial review process described in the Community Standards, and that the information in your application is true and complete. Those affirmations are part of your acceptance of these Terms and are recorded in the same way.

If we make material changes to these Terms, we will require your re-acceptance before you can continue to use the Platform.

3. Incorporated Policies

These Terms incorporate by reference the following policies, as updated from time to time (collectively, the "Policies"):

Statement of Faith & Community Standards (which includes the Scriptural Position Statements and the Music & Media Content section)

Accessibility Statement

Any additional guidelines, rules, or standards we publish for specific features or content categories

4. Policy Updates and Enforcement

FaithOnline may update, refine, or introduce additional Policies as the Platform evolves.

All Policy updates are incorporated by reference and enforced in accordance with these Terms.

If there is a conflict between these Terms and a Policy, these Terms control unless the Policy states otherwise.

5. Eligibility and Account Requirements

Agreement with our Statement of Faith is a condition precedent to creating an account and using the Platform. Through the acceptance steps in Section 2, you affirm that you have read and assent to our Statement of Faith. FaithOnline relies on this affirmation in granting you access to our community, and any moderation actions made on doctrinal grounds are made in reliance on your affirmation. Your assent to the Statement of Faith, and any denomination or religious affiliation you add to your profile, is information that reveals your religious beliefs. We treat it as sensitive personal information and handle it as described in Section 16 (Privacy) of these Terms and in our Privacy Policy.

FaithOnline is intended for users age thirteen (13) and older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under thirteen (13). The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501 to 6506, and its implementing rule at 16 C.F.R. Part 312 govern the online collection of personal information from children under 13. FaithOnline is not directed to children under 13. Section 10 (Children and Minors) of our Privacy Policy describes what we do if we learn we have collected information from a child under 13.

Users between 13 and 17 years of age may use the Platform only with the consent of a parent or guardian as required by the laws applicable to where they live. If you are between 13 and 17, you represent, when you accept these Terms, that you have obtained that consent. Parents and guardians who learn their minor child is using the Platform without their consent may contact us at support@faith.online with the subject line "Minor Account Request" to request review.

You represent and warrant that you meet the age requirement and that the information you provide is accurate and complete.

You represent and warrant that you are a resident of the United States. FaithOnline is offered to U.S. residents only. We do not knowingly direct services to users outside the United States. If you are located outside the United States, you should not use the Platform.

FaithOnline does not allow anonymous participation.

You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account and for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.

We may restrict, suspend, or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or any Policy, or that we believe pose a risk to the Platform or community.

6. Organization Profiles

To create or claim a profile for a church, ministry, business, or other organization, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to act on that organization's behalf. FaithOnline may verify claims, may grant or withhold a verified badge at its discretion, and may suspend, reassign, or revoke a claim or badge if authorization cannot be confirmed or is disputed. Claiming or controlling a profile you are not authorized to represent is a violation of these Terms.

The individual who creates or administers a business or organization account represents and warrants that they are at least eighteen (18) years of age and that they are authorized to bind the organization. By accepting these Terms in connection with a business or organization account, that individual binds both themselves and the organization to these Terms, to our Privacy Policy, and to our Statement of Faith & Community Standards. This requirement applies only to the individual who creates or administers a business or organization account. It does not change the thirteen (13) and older age requirement in Section 5, which governs individual membership, and it does not create an age requirement for publishing on the Platform.

7. User Content

"User Content" includes any content you submit, post, upload, share, transmit, or otherwise make available on the Platform (including text, images, audio, video, links, and other media).

FaithOnline recognizes that much of what you share — prayer requests, testimonies, confessions of struggle, reflections on your faith — is personal and often sacred to your relationship with God and to our community. We treat this content with the seriousness it deserves and ask the same of our community. Reproducing, distributing, or sharing another community member's prayer request, testimony, or personal content outside the Platform without their consent is a violation of these Terms and may result in account restrictions or termination.

Your Representations and Warranties

You are solely responsible for your User Content and your use of the Platform.

You represent and warrant to FaithOnline that:

(a) your User Content is your own original work, or you have all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to post it;

(b) your User Content, including any image, photograph, artwork, audio, or video contained in it, does not infringe or violate any third-party right, including copyright, trademark, trade dress, right of publicity, or privacy right;

(c) your User Content does not contain defamatory material, meaning false statements of fact that harm a person's reputation;

(d) your User Content does not violate any applicable law;

(e) your User Content complies with these Terms and all Policies;

(f) the information you have provided to FaithOnline, including in your account registration and in any application to publish on the Platform, is true and complete;

(g) you have the legal capacity and authority to enter into and perform these Terms; and

(h) you will not knowingly use the Platform to harm FaithOnline, its community members, or its community.

You make these representations and warranties each time you post User Content, and they survive termination of your account.

License You Grant to FaithOnline

You own your content. As between you and FaithOnline, you retain ownership of all User Content you share. We need your permission to display your content and operate the Platform.

In plain language, before the legal text. Anything you post on FaithOnline may be featured on FaithOnline's own surfaces, meaning the Platform, faith.online, FaithOnline's own social media accounts, and FaithOnline's email to members. Paid advertising is narrower. Three kinds of work may appear in the advertising FaithOnline pays for on Instagram, Facebook, and other outside services, and only those three. A long-form written piece, a long-form audio piece, or a long-form video piece, made by a Formation voice. Everything else you share here stays out of paid advertising, including anything in the stream, your testimonies, your prayer requests, your posts, your comments, and your direct messages. Deleting a piece of content stops us using it in new placements.

Two kinds of content, and the line between them. This section treats published Formation content differently from ordinary member content, so the definition comes first. Published Formation content is a long-form written piece, a long-form audio piece, or a long-form video piece that you created as a Formation voice and published on FaithOnline. Formation voices are the members FaithOnline has approved to publish. That is the role Section 7 of the Statement of Faith & Community Standards governs. It is reached by applying and going through FaithOnline's vetting process before approval, and the work is then submitted through Scroll, FaithOnline's own publisher, and reviewed before it appears. Ordinary member content is everything else you share on the Platform, including anything in the stream, testimonies, prayer requests, posts, comments, and direct messages. Ordinary member content stays out of FaithOnline's paid advertising whatever surface it appears on. You can apply this line to your own work without asking us. If FaithOnline has not approved you as a Formation voice, everything you share here is ordinary member content. If FaithOnline has approved you, the long-form pieces you published are published Formation content and the rest of what you share is ordinary member content.

Content license. By posting or sharing User Content, you grant FaithOnline a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully paid-up license, sublicensable solely to our service providers acting on our behalf and only to the extent necessary to operate the Platform, to host, store, reproduce, display, perform, distribute, translate, and modify your User Content for the purpose of:

(a) operating, maintaining, and improving the Platform;

(b) featuring, promoting, and advertising your User Content and the Platform, which this limb splits into two distinct rights:

(b)(i) Featuring on FaithOnline's own surfaces. We may feature, promote, and advertise your User Content and the Platform on FaithOnline's own surfaces, meaning the Platform itself, faith.online, FaithOnline's own social media accounts, and FaithOnline's email to members. This right covers all User Content. For this purpose we may use an excerpt, a clip, or the whole of it, and we do not ask you separately each time.

(b)(ii) Paid advertising. We may use published Formation content, meaning your long-form written pieces, your long-form audio, and your long-form video published as a Formation voice, in paid placements that FaithOnline purchases on third-party services, including social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and other Meta properties. For this purpose we may use an excerpt, a clip, or the whole of that published content, and we do not ask you separately each time. This right reaches published Formation content only, and ordinary member content stays outside it whatever surface it appears on;

(c) permitting other community members to access, view, and share your User Content through the features the Platform provides; and

(d) retaining the limited copies described under "What Deletion Does and What We May Retain" below.

Our commitment on paid advertising. The only member content FaithOnline uses in the advertising it pays for is published Formation content, meaning long-form written pieces, long-form audio, and long-form video created by Formation voices. Everything else a member shares stays out, including anything in the stream, testimonies, prayer requests, posts, comments, and direct messages, on Meta properties or anywhere else, whatever surface it appeared on here. Where another provision of these Terms could be read to allow more, this paragraph governs.

Scope of "modify." Modification means technical modification only: resizing, transcoding, reformatting for different devices, and creating backup copies. It does not include editing the substance of your User Content, and nothing in this license permits us to publish your User Content under anyone else's name.

This license is transferable solely in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of substantially all of FaithOnline's assets, subject to the successor entity assuming our obligations under these Terms.

Identity license. You separately grant FaithOnline a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license, sublicensable solely to our service providers acting on our behalf, to use your name, username, likeness, image, and any tradename, trademark, or logo you post, in connection with distributing, promoting, and advertising your User Content. This grant follows the same split as limb (b) above. On FaithOnline's own surfaces it runs with all of your User Content, under limb (b)(i). In paid placements it runs with published Formation content only, under limb (b)(ii), so your name, username, and likeness travel into a paid placement only alongside your own long-form written, audio, or video work published as a Formation voice. This grant is narrower than the content license. It is tied to your User Content and does not extend to general FaithOnline marketing. We will not use your name, likeness, or image to promote products, services, or causes unrelated to your User Content without your prior written consent.

What needs your permission each time. One use sits outside both licenses above and needs your permission for each item: use of your name, username, likeness, or image in a general FaithOnline campaign, meaning marketing about FaithOnline itself rather than about your User Content.

That permission is given through a "feature my content" choice, which does not exist in the product yet. Until it does, there is no way to give it, so we will not use your name, username, likeness, or image in a general FaithOnline campaign. When the choice exists, choosing it for one post will be permission for that post and nothing else, you will be able to withdraw it at any time, and we will stop the use going forward, though we will not be able to pull back a paid placement that has already run.

What Deletion Does and What We May Retain

This subsection states FaithOnline's position on deletion. Where any other provision of these Terms could be read to give FaithOnline broader retention or display rights than this subsection allows, this subsection governs.

What deletion does. When you delete an individual piece of User Content, or delete your account, we stop displaying that content publicly on the Platform, we stop using it to promote your work or the Platform, and the content license and identity license above end as to that content, except as stated below. We delete or de-identify the content within thirty (30) days of a verified request, consistent with Section 7 (Data Retention) of our Privacy Policy.

What we do not claim. FaithOnline does not claim a perpetual or irrevocable license to publicly display your User Content after you have deleted it. Deleting your User Content or your account is not a breach of these Terms.

What we may retain. Four categories survive deletion, and only these four:

Non-public archival copies. We may keep an archival copy of User Content, and of the moderation, vetting, and editorial records associated with it, for recordkeeping, security, abuse investigation, and defense of legal claims. Archival copies are not publicly displayed, are not used to promote FaithOnline, are not licensed to anyone other than service providers acting on our behalf, and are not used to train any model except on a de-identified basis within the limits stated below. We keep an archival copy only for as long as it is needed for those purposes, and then delete or de-identify it. Content and records under a legal hold or a preservation obligation are kept until the hold or the obligation lifts, as described in the Legal holds and legally required retention category below.

Content already incorporated into a collective work. If your User Content was incorporated into a compilation, curriculum, devotional series, or other collective work before you deleted it, that collective work may continue to be distributed. We will remove your individual contribution where it is reasonably separable, and we will remove your name and likeness from it at your request.

Commissioned work made for hire. If you accept a written or e-signed commission from FaithOnline for specific work, that work is governed by the scope of work you sign, which may provide that the work is made for hire and owned by FaithOnline. Deletion does not reach commissioned work. FaithOnline commissions no work today, and no User Content is commissioned work unless you have signed a separate scope of work saying so.

Legal holds and legally required retention. We may preserve content and account records where we are required or permitted by law to do so, including in response to a subpoena, preservation demand, litigation hold, regulatory obligation, or an open safety investigation. Content preserved on this basis is held only for as long as that obligation lasts and is deleted when it lifts.

Two practical limits apply to any deletion. Residual copies may remain in routine backups for a commercially reasonable period before they are overwritten in the ordinary backup cycle. And we cannot retrieve copies of your User Content that other community members have already shared or saved outside the Platform.

Artificial Intelligence

Your disclosure of AI use, in both directions. If you use generative artificial intelligence tools, including large language models, image generators, voice synthesis tools, or video generators, in creating any User Content you post, you must disclose that use in both of the following ways:

(a) privately to FaithOnline at the time you submit the content, identifying which tools you used and for what purpose, wherever a submission or review flow is provided; and

(b) publicly to your audience, in a visible and unambiguous form. Public disclosure may take the form of a caption tag at the top of written content, on-screen text visible during the first ten seconds of video content, a stated audio disclosure at the beginning of audio content, or a pinned note on reposts of FaithOnline content.

The types of AI use you have to identify. Your private disclosure under (a) must identify each type of AI use separately. Section 7.5 of the Statement of Faith & Community Standards lists the seven types, running from ideation or inspiration through translation or transcription, and tells you what to do where your use does not fit one of them. That list governs what (a) requires of you.

You may not present AI-generated content as fully human-authored. Undisclosed use of generative AI is grounds for removal of the content under Section 11, and repeated undisclosed use is grounds for suspension or termination.

We permit the responsible, disclosed use of these tools. We do not prohibit them. We take the view that audience trust depends on transparency, and we may specify approved or restricted tools by separate notice.

AI that assists and AI that replaces. Meeting the disclosure requirements above is not the only question we ask. Where artificial intelligence has substantially authored the theological substance of published content, meaning the interpretation, the pastoral application, or the doctrinal claims, we reserve the right to flag that content through editorial review whether or not you met those requirements. That is a separate ground from a disclosure failure and either one stands on its own. Section 7.5 of the Statement of Faith & Community Standards states it in full.

Limits on use of your User Content. Without your separate, opt-in consent, we will not: (a) use your User Content to train artificial intelligence or machine learning models, except for narrowly-scoped operational models that improve Platform safety, moderation, and content discovery, and only on de-identified User Content; (b) sell your User Content to third parties; (c) use your User Content to advertise products, services, or organizations other than FaithOnline, or use anything other than published Formation content, meaning long-form written pieces, long-form audio, and long-form video created by Formation voices, in the paid placements described in limb (b)(ii) of the content license above; or (d) license your User Content to third parties other than service providers acting on our behalf to operate the Platform.

Vetting and editorial review. When you apply to publish on the Platform, or submit User Content for editorial, doctrinal, or safety review, you consent to both of the following: (a) FaithOnline retaining your submission and the resulting review decision as part of our editorial and moderation records; and (b) FaithOnline using de-identified copies of those submissions, together with the doctrinal and editorial labels applied to them, as a reference set to develop, evaluate, and improve the operational models and the human review processes we use for content vetting, doctrinal review, safety, moderation, and discovery. The limits in the paragraph immediately above apply to this use in full: no training on identified User Content without your separate opt-in consent, no sale, no use to advertise products, services, or organizations other than FaithOnline, and no licensing to third parties other than service providers acting on our behalf.

Our Commitments Regarding Your Content

We will not misappropriate your User Content, use it in an exploitative way, or seek to profit from it by any means other than facilitating the FaithOnline community and serving its members.

The diversity of voices on FaithOnline is itself a feature of the Platform. We will apply our editorial standards and our enforcement rights in a manner that preserves the distinct voice of each person who posts, and we will not use editorial discretion to flatten voice into a single house style.

No Confidentiality

FaithOnline cannot guarantee confidentiality of User Content you post or share on the Platform.

You should avoid posting sensitive personal information and use discretion when sharing prayer requests, testimonies, or other personal content.

FaithOnline's Rights Regarding Content

We may remove, restrict, or limit visibility of User Content at our sole discretion if we believe it violates these Terms or any Policy, or if we believe action is necessary to protect the Platform or community.

We are not responsible for User Content posted by users, and views expressed by users are their own.

8. Prohibited Content and Conduct

To ensure FaithOnline remains edifying and rooted in Scripture, you agree not to post, share, request, or promote content or conduct that violates our Community Standards. Because we prioritize the spiritual health of the Body of Christ over engagement metrics, the following are strictly prohibited.

Content primarily focused on electoral politics, partisan campaigning, candidates, or political parties, including (without limitation) campaign endorsements or opposition, electioneering, political fundraising, partisan advocacy, calls to political action regarding electoral outcomes, or content primarily intended to influence elections or political party affiliation. Biblical or theological commentary on moral, ethical, or public-policy issues is permitted to the extent it remains rooted in Scripture and consistent with our Statement of Faith and Scriptural Position Statements. This prohibition is anchored to our religious mission and to the character of this community as a place set apart from partisan division. It is not a viewpoint rule, and it is not applied at our sole discretion. Commentary that applies Scripture to a moral, ethical, or public-policy question is permitted, including where Scripture speaks to a question that is also contested in the political arena, so long as it stays rooted in Scripture, addresses the question rather than a candidate, party, or campaign, and is consistent with our Statement of Faith and Scriptural Position Statements. FaithOnline determines, in good faith, by reference to our religious mission and within the Section 230(c)(2)(A) framework, whether specific content falls within the prohibition or within the permitted scope of biblical and theological commentary.

Sexual content, nudity, partial nudity, pornography, sexually explicit or sexually suggestive content, exploitation of any kind, or immodest content intended to draw sexual attention

Harassment, bullying, hate speech, hateful conduct, threats of violence, incitement, or content that promotes, encourages, glorifies, or instructs self-harm or harm to others

Doxxing or sharing private or confidential personal information about others without permission

Fraud, scams, deceptive practices, spam, or unauthorized solicitation

Impersonation of any person, church, ministry, organization, or brand

Illegal activity or instructions to facilitate illegal activity

Attempts to scrape, collect, copy, or compile user or Platform content for external use

Attempts to evade enforcement actions, including creating new accounts after restriction or termination

9. Music, Media, and Third-Party Services

FaithOnline does not host, store, or stream copyrighted music or audio files unless explicitly licensed.

Music and media may be shared only through links or embedded players from third-party platforms that retain their own licensing and distribution rights.

You are responsible for ensuring you have the appropriate rights to any music, media, or other content you share.

Third-party services, links, and embedded content are provided for convenience. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party platforms, their content, availability, or their terms.

For our full music and media content standards, see the Statement of Faith & Community Standards (Music & Media Content section).

10. Apple and Google Platform Terms

If you access or use FaithOnline through an application distributed by Apple Inc. ("Apple") via the Apple App Store, or by Google LLC ("Google") via the Google Play Store, the following terms also apply:

(a) These Terms are entered into between you and FaithOnline only, and not with Apple or Google. FaithOnline, not Apple or Google, is solely responsible for the Platform and its content.

(b) Apple and Google have no obligation whatsoever to furnish any maintenance and support services with respect to the Platform.

(c) In the event of any failure of the Platform to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price for the application to you, if any; and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Apple will have no other warranty obligation whatsoever with respect to the Platform. As between FaithOnline and Apple or Google, any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, or expenses attributable to any failure to conform to any warranty will be the sole responsibility of FaithOnline.

(d) FaithOnline, not Apple or Google, is responsible for addressing any claims relating to the Platform or your possession or use of the Platform, including (i) product liability claims, (ii) any claim that the Platform fails to conform to any applicable legal or regulatory requirement, and (iii) claims arising under consumer protection, privacy, or similar legislation.

(e) In the event of any third-party claim that the Platform or your possession and use of the Platform infringes that third party's intellectual property rights, FaithOnline, not Apple or Google, will be solely responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement, and discharge of any such intellectual property infringement claim.

(f) You represent and warrant that (i) you are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo, or that has been designated by the U.S. Government as a "terrorist supporting" country; and (ii) you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.

(g) You will comply with the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions or the Google Play Terms of Service, as applicable, in your use of FaithOnline.

(h) Apple and Google are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms with the right to enforce these Terms against you as your end-user license agreement with respect to your use of FaithOnline via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, as applicable.

(i) No paid features today. The Platform currently offers no in-app purchases, subscriptions, paid features, or creator compensation, and these Terms contain no purchase, subscription, billing, or refund terms.

11. Reporting, Moderation, Enforcement, and Appeals

Statutory Framework. FaithOnline acts as a provider of an interactive computer service under 47 U.S.C. § 230. We are not the publisher or speaker of User Content under § 230(c)(1). Our moderation actions — including decisions to remove, restrict, restore, limit the visibility of, or take any other action regarding User Content or accounts — are taken in our editorial discretion as a private religious community and in good faith to restrict access to content we consider obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable under § 230(c)(2)(A). This includes content that conflicts with our Statement of Faith & Community Standards or these Terms. Nothing in these Terms waives or limits the immunities, protections, or defenses available to FaithOnline under § 230 or any other applicable law.

Reporting Content or Community Members

FaithOnline provides in-app tools to report content, block community members, and flag objectionable behavior. We review reports in good faith. You may also contact us at support@faith.online if you cannot complete a report through the in-app tools.

Community members may not misuse reporting tools, including submitting false, harassing, or retaliatory reports.

No Duty to Monitor

FaithOnline may, but is not required to, monitor, review, or pre-screen content.

We do not guarantee that all content violating our standards will be identified or removed.

How We Moderate

FaithOnline may review content and user behavior using a combination of user reports, automated signals, and human review.

We may take action when content or behavior violates, or appears likely to violate, our Policies, or when we determine, in our sole discretion, that action is necessary to protect the integrity, safety, privacy, or spiritual health of the community.

Enforcement Actions

If FaithOnline determines that content or conduct violates these Terms or any incorporated Policy, we may take action at our sole discretion, with or without notice, including:

Removing, editing, limiting, or restricting visibility of content

Disabling features (including posting, commenting, messaging, or other interactive functions)

Issuing warnings or applying temporary account limitations

Temporarily suspending an account

Permanently terminating an account

Taking any other action we deem appropriate to enforce standards and protect the community

Grounds for action. Reasons that may lead to action include, without limitation: breach of these Terms or any Policy; conduct inconsistent with the Statement of Faith & Community Standards; content that is theologically unsound, partisan in the sense described in Section 8, exploitative, or harmful to the community; undisclosed use of generative artificial intelligence under Section 7; and conduct off the Platform that materially undermines the standards you affirmed when you accepted these Terms.

Notice and cure. FaithOnline is not obligated to give notice or an opportunity to cure before acting. Where we determine, in our reasonable judgment, that notice or a cure period is appropriate given the nature of the breach, we may give written notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure before taking final action. Extending a cure opportunity in one matter does not waive our rights in any later matter.

Publishing Access, Departure, and Content Following Departure

This subsection applies to Formation voices, meaning the members FaithOnline has approved to publish. The general enforcement provisions above apply to those members as they apply to everyone.

Ending your participation. You may end your participation as a member who publishes at any time by telling us in writing at support@faith.online with the subject line "End Publishing". When we receive your request we will confirm your departure and give you the transition plan for your published User Content described under "What happens to your published content" below.

Grounds for revoking publishing access. We may revoke your publishing access for any of the following: (a) material breach of these Terms or any Policy, including the artificial intelligence disclosure obligations in Section 7 and the content standards in the Statement of Faith & Community Standards; (b) conduct that, in our determination, is inconsistent with the values and mission of the Platform; or (c) inactivity exceeding thirty (30) consecutive days without prior notice to us.

Notice and cure for publishing access. Except in cases of egregious or repeated violation, we will make reasonable efforts to give you written notice and a ten (10) business day opportunity to cure before revoking publishing access. We may act immediately, without notice and without a cure period, where immediate action is required to protect the integrity of the Platform, the audience, or other members. The Notice and cure paragraph above governs every other enforcement action. This paragraph governs revocation of publishing access.

What happens to your published content. You keep copyright ownership of everything you published. The following applies to User Content published on the Platform at the time your participation ends or your publishing access is revoked:

FaithOnline keeps a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to continue displaying your previously published User Content for thirty (30) days after the effective date of departure or revocation, unless you ask for earlier removal in writing at support@faith.online.

You may ask us in writing to remove your published User Content and we will process the request. We may retain User Content where removal would disrupt an ongoing series, a community discussion, or an audience relationship. Where we do, we will discuss alternatives with you in good faith.

After those thirty (30) days, what happens to your User Content is governed by Section 7 under "What Deletion Does and What We May Retain," including the four categories of material FaithOnline may retain.

This is a thirty-day license, not a perpetual one. FaithOnline claims no perpetual or irrevocable right to publicly display your User Content after you leave. This subsection is aligned to Section 7.

You cannot currently remove your own published content. Because of how the Platform is built today, members who publish have no administrative access to unpublish or delete their own published User Content. That is true across every content format the Platform hosts. Every content management action on published content requires FaithOnline admin action taken on your behalf, and this subsection governs how and when we take it. Where these Terms describe deletion of published User Content, that describes what we will do when you ask us, not a control you can operate yourself today.

Repeat Violations and Evasion

Repeated violations, patterns of boundary-pushing, or attempts to evade enforcement may result in further restrictions or permanent loss of access.

Safety and Legal Escalation

Where content indicates imminent harm, credible threats, exploitation, or illegal activity, FaithOnline may take appropriate action in accordance with applicable law, including restricting access and responding to lawful requests.

Appeals

If your content is removed or your account is restricted, you may appeal the moderation or enforcement decision by emailing support@faith.online with the subject line "Appeal" within thirty (30) days of the decision.

Appeal requests should include the account email or username and a brief explanation of the request.

Where FaithOnline reviews an appeal, we review it in good faith and on its merits. We do not promise any particular outcome. Whether to uphold, modify, or reverse an enforcement action remains our decision, made in good faith.

Repeated, abusive, or bad-faith appeal requests may result in account restrictions under these Terms.

12. Spiritual Care and Professional Disclaimers

FaithOnline exists to foster spiritual encouragement, prayer, fellowship, and authentic Christian community among believers. Content shared by community members reflects personal beliefs and community expression and is not intended as professional, pastoral, medical, legal, or psychological advice. FaithOnline does not provide pastoral oversight, counseling, or crisis intervention services. Community members remain responsible for their own decisions and actions.

If you or someone else may be in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a qualified professional right away.

13. Copyright Complaints

FaithOnline respects the intellectual property of others. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, please submit a written notification to our Designated Copyright Agent at:

Designated Copyright Agent: DMCA Agent, Faith Online LLC

U.S. Copyright Office DMCA Designated Agent Registration No. DMCA-1074034

Email: support@faith.online (subject line: "DMCA Notice")

Mailing Address: PO Box 2207, Pasco, WA 99302

Phone: 201-855-6351

A DMCA notice must include:

Your name and contact information

A description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed

A link or description reasonably sufficient to locate the allegedly infringing content

A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law

A statement that the information provided is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

Your physical or electronic signature

What We Do When We Receive a Notice. When we receive a notification that includes the elements listed above, we review it, and where it is valid we remove or disable access to the identified material. We then email the account that posted the material, at the address on that account, tell them what was removed and why, include a copy of the notice we received, and explain how to submit a counter-notification.

Repeat Infringer Policy. FaithOnline maintains and reasonably implements a policy, in accordance with 17 U.S.C. § 512(i), of terminating in appropriate circumstances the accounts of users who are repeat infringers. A user who receives multiple valid DMCA notices within any twelve (12) month period is subject to account termination at FaithOnline's discretion. Repeated submission of false or bad-faith DMCA notices or counter-notifications may also result in account restrictions or termination.

Counter-Notification. Counter-notifications should be sent to support@faith.online with the subject line "Copyright Counter-Notification." If your content has been removed or disabled in response to a DMCA notice, and you believe in good faith that the removal was the result of mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification to our Designated Copyright Agent. A counter-notification must include:

Your physical or electronic signature;

Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled, and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or disabled;

A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material;

Your name, address, and telephone number;

A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if outside the United States, for any judicial district in which FaithOnline may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who submitted the original notification or that person's agent.

Counter-notifications are sent to us by email at the address above. There is no in-app or web counter-notification form today.

What We Do When We Receive a Counter-Notification. We review the counter-notification against the elements listed above. Where it includes them, we promptly send a copy to the person who submitted the original notice, at the contact information given in that notice, we inform that person that we will replace the removed material or cease disabling access to it in ten (10) business days, and we tell you we have done so. If that person does not notify us that they have filed an action seeking a court order to restrain you from engaging in infringing activity relating to the material, we will restore the material not less than ten (10) and not more than fourteen (14) business days after that person receives the copy of your counter-notification. If they do notify us that they have filed such an action before that period runs, the material stays down.

14. Platform Intellectual Property

The Platform, including its design, features, software, branding, and original content created by FaithOnline (excluding User Content), is owned by FaithOnline and protected by applicable laws.

FaithOnline and related names, logos, and marks are our trademarks and may not be used without our permission.

You are granted a limited, revocable, non-transferable right to access and use the Platform for its intended purposes, subject to these Terms and Policies.

15. Feedback

If you submit feedback, ideas, or suggestions, you grant FaithOnline the right to use them without restriction or compensation.

16. Privacy

Our collection and use of information is described in our Privacy Policy, which Section 3 incorporates into these Terms and which you accept through the acceptance steps in Section 2.

Sensitive categories. Information that reveals your religious beliefs or affiliation, including your assent to the Statement of Faith, the denomination shown on your profile, and any church or ministry affiliation you add, is sensitive personal information. We collect it only with your consent, we use it to operate faith-based features and to enforce our community standards, and we apply heightened protections to it. See our Privacy Policy, including Section 9 (Your Privacy Rights and Choices) and its subsection on Sensitive Personal Information, and Section 7 (Data Retention) for how long we keep it. Section 7 of these Terms describes what happens to that information when you delete your account.

17. Termination

You may stop using FaithOnline at any time.

Account Deletion. You may delete your FaithOnline account at any time directly from within the app at Settings → Manage Account → Delete Account, or by emailing support@faith.online with the subject line "Account Deletion Request." Deletion is processed within thirty (30) days, subject to the limited retention exceptions described in our Privacy Policy (Section 7, Data Retention). Once your account is deleted, your right to access the Platform ends immediately, and the provisions of these Terms intended to survive termination will continue to apply. Deleting your account ends public display of your User Content as described in Section 7 (What Deletion Does and What We May Retain), which also states the four categories of material FaithOnline may retain and for what purpose.

We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms or our Policies, or if we determine termination is necessary to protect the Platform or community.

Upon termination, your right to access or use the Platform ends immediately.

Provisions intended to survive termination will survive. Without limiting that, the following survive termination of these Terms and closure of your account:

Section 7 (User Content), including the content license and identity license to the extent stated under "What Deletion Does and What We May Retain," your representations and warranties, the Artificial Intelligence provisions and the limits on use of your User Content, and Our Commitments Regarding Your Content

Section 8 (Prohibited Content and Conduct), as to conduct occurring before termination

Section 11 (Reporting, Moderation, Enforcement, and Appeals), as to the appeal rights of a member whose account has been terminated. You have thirty (30) days from the decision to appeal, and that right has to outlive the decision it applies to

Section 11, under Publishing Access, Departure, and Content Following Departure, as to the thirty-day post-departure display license and your right to request earlier removal in writing

Section 12 (Spiritual Care and Professional Disclaimers)

Section 13 (Copyright Complaints), including the counter-notification and repeat infringer procedures

Section 14 (Platform Intellectual Property)

Section 15 (Feedback)

Section 16 (Privacy)

Section 18 (Disclaimers)

Section 19 (Limitation of Liability), including No Personal Liability

Section 20 (Indemnification)

Section 21 (Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver)

Section 22 (Governing Law and Venue)

Section 26 (Time Limit for Bringing Claims)

In Section 24: Severability and Reformation, Affiliates, No Waiver, Assignment, Entire Agreement, Electronic Communications and Consent, Headings, Third-Party Beneficiaries, Notice to FaithOnline, Notice to You, Choice of Language, and No Agency or Employment

18. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available."

We make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the Platform, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not guarantee the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

19. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the FaithOnline Parties will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenues, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the Platform, regardless of the legal theory and regardless of whether the FaithOnline Parties have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the aggregate liability of the FaithOnline Parties for any claim arising out of or related to these Terms or the Platform will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid FaithOnline (if any) in the twelve (12) months prior to the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).

The limitations in this section limit the liability of the FaithOnline Parties. They do not limit your obligations under Section 20 (Indemnification), your liability for breach of Section 7 (User Content) or Section 8 (Prohibited Content and Conduct), or any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

No Personal Liability. No individual associated with FaithOnline, whether as a member, manager, officer, director, employee, agent, or contractor of FaithOnline, or as a trustee or beneficiary of any trust that owns or is otherwise upstream of FaithOnline, or as a member, manager, officer, director, employee, agent, or contractor of any parent (whether direct or indirect), affiliate, or upstream owner of FaithOnline, shall have any personal liability under these Terms. All obligations of FaithOnline under these Terms are obligations of Faith Online LLC, and no claim, demand, or cause of action arising out of these Terms may be asserted against any individual in their personal capacity, including any individual who directly or indirectly owns, controls, or beneficially holds an interest in FaithOnline.

20. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FaithOnline and its parents (whether direct or indirect), subsidiaries, affiliates, members, managers, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, successors, and assigns, and the respective members, managers, officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors of any of the foregoing (collectively, the "FaithOnline Parties") from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of or related to:

(a) your use of the Platform;

(b) your User Content, including any claim that your User Content infringes or misappropriates a third party's rights, is defamatory, or was created or published with generative artificial intelligence without the disclosure Section 7 requires;

(c) your breach of any representation, warranty, or covenant in these Terms, including the representations and warranties in Section 7;

(d) your violation of these Terms or any Policy; or

(e) your violation of any applicable law.

FaithOnline reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, in which case you will cooperate with FaithOnline in asserting any available defenses. You may not settle any such claim in a way that requires FaithOnline to admit liability, pay any amount, or take or refrain from taking any action, without FaithOnline's prior written consent.

21. Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Please read this section carefully. It requires you to resolve most disputes with FaithOnline through binding individual arbitration rather than in court, and it waives your right to participate in a class action.

Agreement to Arbitrate. You and FaithOnline agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Platform, or your use of the Platform — whether based on contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory — will be resolved exclusively by final and binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitrator, not any federal, state, or local court or agency, has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute about the formation, interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or scope of this Arbitration Agreement.

Arbitration Procedure. The arbitration will be conducted in English before a single arbitrator. The arbitration may be conducted by telephone, by video, or on written submissions. If an in-person hearing is required, the hearing will be held in the federal judicial district where you reside, in accordance with AAA Consumer Arbitration Rule R-11 and the AAA Consumer Due Process Protocol, or at another location you and FaithOnline agree on in writing. FaithOnline will not require you to travel outside the federal judicial district where you reside in order to attend a hearing. These Terms do not fix a hearing location in Delaware or in any other place away from where you live. The arbitrator's award is final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action and Representative Action Waiver. You and FaithOnline agree that each may bring claims against the other only in your or its individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, representative, or private attorney general action. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, may not preside over any form of representative or class proceeding, and may award relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that party's individual claim. If this Class Action and Representative Action Waiver is held unenforceable as to any particular claim, that claim must proceed in court rather than in arbitration; the remainder of this Arbitration Agreement remains in full force and effect.

Mass Arbitration. If twenty-five (25) or more substantially similar arbitration demands are filed by or with the coordination of the same counsel or coordinated group within any sixty (60) day period, the parties agree the demands will be administered as a batch under AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules (effective January 2024) or any successor procedure adopted by AAA. The first ten (10) demands will proceed as bellwether arbitrations, and the parties will negotiate in good faith based on bellwether outcomes before the remaining demands proceed. The parties further agree to cooperate in good faith with AAA's procedures for consolidating filing fees and case management for mass-filed claims.

Jury Trial Waiver. You and FaithOnline each waive any right to a jury trial in any proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms or the Platform.

Exceptions to Arbitration. This Arbitration Agreement does not apply to: (a) claims brought in small-claims court, so long as the claim remains in small-claims court and proceeds only on an individual basis; (b) claims for injunctive or equitable relief to enforce intellectual property rights or address violations of the Prohibited Content and Conduct or License provisions of these Terms; or (c) claims that cannot be arbitrated as a matter of law.

30-Day Right to Opt Out. You have the right to opt out of this Arbitration Agreement by sending written notice within thirty (30) days of first creating your FaithOnline account to support@faith.online, with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out," stating your name, the email address associated with your account, and that you wish to opt out of the Arbitration Agreement. Opting out of arbitration has no other effect on the rest of these Terms. If you do not opt out within thirty (30) days of account creation, you and FaithOnline are bound by this Arbitration Agreement.

Survival and Severability. This Arbitration Agreement survives termination of these Terms and the closure of your account. If any provision of this Arbitration Agreement is held unenforceable, that provision shall be reformed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Class Action and Representative Action Waiver is held unenforceable as to any particular claim, that claim shall proceed in court rather than in arbitration, but all other claims subject to this Arbitration Agreement shall remain in arbitration and the remainder of this Arbitration Agreement shall remain enforceable in full. The parties intend that this Arbitration Agreement be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law.

22. Governing Law and Venue (Delaware)

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.

For any dispute not subject to the Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section above, other than a small-claims action, the dispute will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wilmington, Delaware, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue in such courts, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

A small-claims action permitted by the exception in Section 21 may be brought in the small-claims court serving the county where you reside, or in any other court where venue is proper. Requiring you to travel to Delaware to bring a small-claims action would defeat that exception, so these Terms do not require it.

23. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will provide at least thirty (30) days' advance notice by email to the address associated with your account and by in-app notice before the changes take effect, and we will require your affirmative re-acceptance for any changes that materially reduce your rights or expand your obligations. For non-material changes (such as clarifications, formatting updates, or corrections that do not affect substantive rights), we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of these Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, your sole remedy is to stop using the Platform and delete your account before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an update constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

24. Miscellaneous

Severability and Reformation. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be reformed and enforced to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its intent. If it cannot be reformed, it will be severed, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. Section 21 (Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver) contains its own reformation and severability provision, which governs that section.

Affiliates. For purposes of these Terms, "Affiliate" (and "Affiliates") means any entity that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Faith Online LLC, where "control" means ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting equity or the power to direct the management and policies of the entity. Where these Terms use "affiliate" or "affiliates" in lower case, the words have the same meaning.

No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision does not waive our right to do so later.

Assignment. We may assign these Terms. You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent.

Entire Agreement. These Terms and the Policies constitute the entire agreement between you and FaithOnline regarding the Platform.

Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under these Terms to the extent such failure or delay is caused by circumstances beyond the party's reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government action, pandemics, labor disputes, power or telecommunications failures, internet service provider failures, denial-of-service attacks, or failures of third-party cloud, hosting, authentication, or communications providers on which the Platform depends.

Electronic Communications and Consent. You consent to receive communications from FaithOnline electronically. Communications delivered by email to the address associated with your account, by in-app notice, or by posting on the Platform satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. You agree that your electronic acceptance of these Terms, your electronic signature where applicable, and your electronic acknowledgments have the same legal effect as a physical signature or paper communication, consistent with the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq., and applicable state Uniform Electronic Transactions Acts.

Headings. Section headings and subsection headings in these Terms are for convenience of reference only and do not affect the interpretation or construction of these Terms.

Third-Party Beneficiaries. Except as expressly stated in these Terms (including the rights granted to Apple Inc. and Google LLC as third-party beneficiaries with respect to your use of the Platform via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, as applicable), there are no third-party beneficiaries to these Terms, and no person or entity not a party to these Terms shall have any right to enforce any provision of these Terms.

Notice to FaithOnline. Any legal notice or formal demand to FaithOnline must be sent in writing to: Faith Online LLC, Attn: Legal, PO Box 2207, Pasco, WA 99302, with a courtesy copy to support@faith.online with the subject line "Legal Notice." Notice is effective upon receipt at the physical address.

Notice to You. We may give you notice under these Terms by email to the address associated with your account, by in-app notice, or by posting on the Platform. Notice by email is effective when sent. Keeping the email address on your account current, and making sure our messages are not filtered out, is your responsibility.

Choice of Language. These Terms and the Policies are written in English, and all notices and communications under them will be in English. If we provide a translation for convenience, the English version controls in the event of any conflict or difference in meaning.

No Agency or Employment. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, agency, joint venture, or fiduciary relationship between you and FaithOnline. If you publish on the Platform, you do so as a Formation voice, not as an employee, agent, or representative of FaithOnline, and you may not hold yourself out as any of those.

25. Contact

Support: support@faith.online

Privacy: support@faith.online

Mailing Address: PO Box 2207, Pasco, WA 99302

Legal Entity Name: Faith Online LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

26. Time Limit for Bringing Claims

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to these Terms or your use of the Platform must be filed, whether in arbitration under Section 21 or in a court permitted by Section 21 or Section 22, within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action accrues. A claim not filed within that period is permanently barred. This provision does not apply where the applicable law does not permit a shortened limitations period, and it does not shorten any period that applicable law requires be longer.