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Terms of Service

Last updated: March 2025

1. Agreement and Eligibility

1.1 About Huddle

Huddle is operated by OpenTribe Pty Ltd (ACN 689 986 034) ("OpenTribe", "we", "us", "our"). These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Huddle mobile application ("Huddle" or the "Service").

For questions about these Terms, contact us at holly@opentribe.co.

1.2 Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing, or using Huddle, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

For users under 16 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf by creating your account.

1.3 Eligibility

Huddle is available to users in Australia who meet the following requirements:

Children (under 16 years):

  • Must have an account created by a parent or legal guardian
  • Cannot self-register
  • Parent must provide consent on their behalf

Users (16 years and over):

  • May create their own account
  • Must agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy at registration

Parents (18 years and over):

  • Must be 18 years or older to create a parent account
  • Must be the legal parent or guardian of any child accounts they create
  • Accept responsibility for their children's use of the Service

For users under 16, we require parental consent before the account can be used. This is obtained when a parent creates the child's account through their own verified parent account.

By creating a child account, parents confirm that:

  • They are the legal parent or guardian of the child
  • They are 18 years of age or older
  • They consent to the child's use of Huddle subject to these Terms
  • They have read and agree to our Privacy Policy on behalf of their child

1.5 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Huddle will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland, Australia.

1.6 Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days' notice via email and in-app notification before the changes take effect. Your continued use of Huddle after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you may delete your account before the changes take effect.

2. Account Types & Registration

2.1 Account Types

Huddle offers three types of accounts:

Child Account

  • For users under 16 years of age
  • Created by a parent or legal guardian through their parent account
  • Child logs in using a unique user code and password
  • Subject to parental oversight and controls

User Account

  • For users aged 16 years and over
  • Self-registered with email address and password
  • Full access to messaging features
  • May voluntarily link to a parent account

Parent Account

  • For users aged 18 years and over
  • Self-registered with email address and password
  • Can create and manage child accounts
  • Access to parental monitoring and control features

2.2 Registration Requirements

When creating an account, you must:

  • Provide accurate and complete information
  • Provide a valid date of birth (used to determine account type and eligibility)
  • Use a valid email address that you have access to (for user and parent accounts)
  • Create a secure password
  • Keep your email address up to date

You must not:

  • Provide false information about your age or identity
  • Create an account on behalf of someone else (except parents creating child accounts)
  • Create an account if you have previously been banned from Huddle
  • Create multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions or bans

2.3 Account Security

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
  • All activity that occurs under your account
  • Notifying us immediately at holly@opentribe.co if you suspect unauthorised access

We recommend:

  • Using a strong, unique password
  • Not sharing your login credentials with others
  • Logging out on shared devices

For child accounts, parents are responsible for maintaining the security of their child's login credentials and should only share them with the child.

2.4 One Parent Per Child

Each child account may only be linked to one parent account at a time. If parental responsibility changes, contact us at holly@opentribe.co to discuss transferring oversight to a different parent account.

3. Child Account Specifics

3.1 Account Creation

Child accounts are created by a parent or legal guardian through their parent account. The parent:

  • Sets the child's display name and password
  • Receives a unique user code for the child to log in
  • Provides consent on behalf of the child

The child uses their user code and password to log in. Children under 16 cannot create their own accounts.

3.2 Parental Access

Parents with a linked child account can view:

  • The child's friends list and pending friend requests
  • Group chat names and members (but not message content)
  • Usage statistics (time spent in app, messages sent)
  • Alerts sent by the child to the parent

Parents cannot view:

  • Message content (text, photos, videos)
  • Photos or videos sent or received
  • Saved items (favourites)

3.3 Parental Controls

Parents can manage their child's account by:

  • Accepting or declining friend requests on the child's behalf
  • Removing friends from the child's friends list
  • Setting daily time limits for app usage
  • Setting restricted hours (e.g., no access between 10pm and 7am)
  • Enabling or disabling streaks

3.4 Transparency

Children are informed when:

  • Their account is linked to a parent
  • Time restrictions are active
  • Streaks have been disabled by their parent

3.5 Independence at 16

When a child reaches 16 years of age, they may request independence from parental oversight:

  1. The child requests independence through Settings
  2. The parent receives a notification to review the request
  3. If the child account does not have an email address, the child must provide one
  4. The parent approves or declines the request
  5. If approved, the parent-child link is removed and the account becomes a standard user account

After independence:

  • The parent can no longer view the child's friends, usage, or alerts
  • The parent can no longer manage the child's account settings
  • The child retains full access to their existing friends, conversations, and saved items

4. Bluetooth Friend Adding

4.1 How Friend Adding Works

Huddle uses Bluetooth proximity to add friends. Unlike other social platforms, there is no search function, no friend suggestions, and no algorithm recommending people to connect with.

To add a friend:

  1. Both users open the Friends tab and enable "Huddling" mode
  2. Devices discover each other via Bluetooth when in close physical proximity
  3. One user sends a friend request
  4. The other user accepts the request
  5. Both users are now friends and can message each other

4.2 Why Bluetooth Only

This approach is designed to ensure users only connect with people they know in real life. By requiring physical proximity, we reduce the risk of strangers contacting children.

4.3 Bluetooth Permissions

To use Huddling mode, you must grant Huddle permission to use Bluetooth. This permission is only used for friend discovery and is not used to track your location or for any other purpose.

4.4 Alternative: Friend Codes

Each user has a unique 8-character friend code. This code can only be used by parents to add friends on behalf of their linked child accounts. This is useful when Bluetooth is unavailable or when adding a trusted friend who is not physically nearby.

User accounts (16+) and child accounts cannot add friends via friend codes — Bluetooth is the only method available.

4.5 User Responsibilities

When adding friends, you are responsible for:

  • Only adding people you know and trust
  • Verifying the identity of the person before accepting a request

You must not:

  • Attempt to manipulate Bluetooth signals to add people who are not nearby
  • Use any device or method to artificially extend Bluetooth range
  • Add friends on behalf of another user without their knowledge

4.6 Removing Friends

Any user can remove a friend at any time. For child accounts, parents can also remove friends on the child's behalf. When a friendship is removed:

  • Neither user can message the other
  • The conversation is hidden from both users
  • Either user may send a new friend request in the future

4.7 Parental Involvement

For child accounts, parents can:

  • View all pending friend requests
  • Accept or decline friend requests on behalf of their child
  • Add friends via friend code
  • Remove existing friends

Children can still send and receive friend requests via Bluetooth, but parents have oversight and final approval.

4.8 Huddle Request Limits

Huddle requests expire after 2 minutes if not accepted by both users. This ensures you're only adding people who are actively nearby and want to connect at that moment.

4.9 No Liability for Friend Choices

You are solely responsible for who you choose to add as a friend. Huddle does not verify the identity or intentions of users. We provide the tools for safe connections, but the decision to add someone is yours.

5. Acceptable Use Policy

5.1 Our Commitment to Safety

Huddle is designed to be a safe messaging platform for young Australians. To keep the community safe, everyone needs to follow these rules. This section explains what's not allowed on Huddle and what happens if someone breaks the rules.

5.2 What You Can't Share

You must not create, upload, or share any content that:

Is illegal

  • Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or any content exploiting children
  • Content that violates someone else's copyright or intellectual property
  • Defamatory content (false statements that harm someone's reputation)
  • Anything else that's illegal under Australian law

Involves harassment or bullying:

  • Intimidating, threatening, or abusive messages
  • Cyberbullying or targeted harassment
  • Threats of violence or harm to anyone
  • Coordinated attacks against other users

Contains hate speech or discrimination:

  • Content promoting violence or hatred based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
  • Slurs or dehumanising language

Is sexually explicit or inappropriate:

  • Pornographic content
  • Unwanted sexual advances or solicitation
  • Any content that sexualises minors

Shows violence or gore:

  • Graphic violence, torture, or mutilation
  • Self-harm or suicide content
  • Animal abuse or cruelty

Is spam or commercial content:

  • Unsolicited advertising or promotions
  • Pyramid schemes or get-rich-quick schemes
  • Phishing attempts or deceptive links

Contains malware:

  • Viruses, trojans, or harmful software
  • Links to malicious websites
  • Attempts to compromise other users' accounts or devices

5.3 How We Detect Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)

Automated scanning

We use Microsoft PhotoDNA EdgeHash technology to automatically detect known child sexual abuse material. Here's how it works:

  1. When you upload an image, a digital fingerprint (called an "edge hash") is created on your device
  2. This fingerprint is compared against a database of known CSAM maintained by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
  3. Your full image is NEVER sent to Microsoft or anyone else — only the fingerprint is checked
  4. If there's a match, the image is immediately blocked and quarantined

Why we do this

We're legally required to prevent CSAM from being shared on our platform. This technology protects children by stopping known abuse material from spreading, while protecting your privacy by never sending your actual photos to third parties.

What happens if CSAM is detected

If the system detects CSAM:

  1. Your upload is immediately blocked — the image will not be sent
  2. Your account is suspended or banned — you lose access to Huddle
  3. We report to authorities — we're legally required to report to:
    • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US
    • Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE)
    • Australian Federal Police (AFP)
  4. Evidence is preserved — the quarantined content is kept for law enforcement
  5. You may face criminal prosecution — CSAM is a serious crime in Australia

We have zero tolerance for CSAM. Even a single violation results in permanent termination and law enforcement referral.

If you think we made a mistake

The PhotoDNA system is highly accurate, but false positives can happen (for example, legitimate family photos). If you believe your content was incorrectly flagged:

  1. Email our Trust & Safety Officer at holly@opentribe.co
  2. Include your account details and describe the content
  3. Our Trust & Safety Officer will manually review your case
  4. If it was a false positive, we'll remove the flag and restore your account

All false positive cases are recorded in our system for transparency.

5.4 What You Can't Do

Impersonate others

  • Don't pretend to be someone else
  • Don't use another person's name, photo, or identity without permission
  • Don't create fake or misleading profiles

Evade bans

  • If your account is banned, don't create a new account
  • Don't use someone else's account to get around your suspension
  • Don't try to bypass technical restrictions we've put in place

Bypass safety features

  • Don't try to get around PhotoDNA scanning or content moderation
  • Don't hide prohibited content using encryption or other tricks
  • Don't interfere with parental controls or time restrictions
  • Don't use Bluetooth range extenders or signal boosters to add friends who aren't actually nearby

Use bots or scrape data

  • Don't use automated tools, bots, or scripts to access Huddle
  • Don't scrape or collect user data without permission
  • Don't create accounts using automated methods

Reverse engineer the app

  • Don't try to decompile or reverse engineer the Huddle app
  • Don't extract source code or attempt to copy our technology
  • Don't create modified versions of the app

Interfere with the service

  • Don't try to hack into our systems or other users' accounts
  • Don't send viruses or malicious code
  • Don't spam or flood the service (including sending too many reports)
  • Don't interfere with security features

5.5 What Happens If You Break the Rules

If you violate this Acceptable Use Policy, we may take action including:

  • Written warning
  • Temporary suspension of your account
  • Permanent termination and ban

The specific consequences depend on the severity and frequency of violations. Serious violations (like CSAM, threats, or illegal content) may result in immediate permanent termination and referral to law enforcement.

For details on account suspension, termination, appeals, and what happens to your data, see Section 13 (Account Termination).

5.6 How Moderation Works

Report review

When someone reports content:

  1. A moderator reviews the report
  2. They look at a snapshot of the content that was preserved when the report was made
  3. They decide if the content breaks our rules
  4. They take the appropriate action (warning, suspension, or ban)

Audit trail

Every moderation action is logged in an admin audit trail that records:

  • Which moderator took the action (their ID and name)
  • What action they took (warning, suspension, ban)
  • Which user or content was affected
  • Why the action was taken (which rule was broken)
  • When the action happened (timestamp)

This audit trail ensures accountability and transparency. These logs are kept for 7 years.

Our limitations

We're not responsible for everything users post. While we use PhotoDNA scanning and respond to reports, we don't review every message before it's sent. You are responsible for what you post on Huddle.

5.7 Your Responsibilities

As a Huddle user, you're responsible for:

  • Following these rules and Australian law
  • Reporting illegal content or violations you see (see Section 6)
  • Using Huddle in good faith and not trying to harm others
  • Keeping your password secure and not sharing it
  • If you're a parent: Supervising your child's use of Huddle

5.8 Changes to This Policy

We may update these rules from time to time. If we make major changes, we'll notify you by email and in-app message 30 days before the changes take effect (see Section 10). If you keep using Huddle after the changes take effect, that means you accept the updated rules.

6. Reporting & Safety

6.1 How to Report Problems

If you see something concerning on Huddle, we have two ways to report it:

Platform reports (report to Huddle moderators)

Use this to report:

  • Bullying or harassment
  • Inappropriate content (sexual, violent, hateful)
  • Spam or scams
  • Someone impersonating another person
  • Anything else that breaks our rules

To make a platform report:

  1. Long-press on the message
  2. Tap "Report to Huddle"
  3. Choose the type of problem
  4. Add a description (optional but helpful)
  5. Submit the report

Parent alerts (for children to alert their linked parent)

If you're under 16 or voluntarily linked to a parent, you can send an alert to your parent when:

  • Someone is being mean to you
  • You're being pressured to do something
  • You received inappropriate content
  • You feel uncomfortable or scared
  • You're being bullied
  • You need to talk
  • Something else is wrong

To send a parent alert:

  1. Long-press on the message (or send a general alert from Settings)
  2. Tap "Alert Parent"
  3. Choose the category that best describes the problem
  4. Add a message to your parent (optional)
  5. Submit the alert

Your parent will be notified immediately and can see the alert in their parent dashboard.

6.2 What Happens When You Report

Content snapshots

When you report a message or send a parent alert, we automatically save a snapshot (copy) of:

  • The message text
  • The image URL (if there was an image)
  • Who sent it (their user ID and display name)
  • When it was sent (timestamp)

Why we do this

Snapshots preserve evidence in case:

  • The person deletes the message
  • The person deletes their account
  • We need to investigate the report
  • Law enforcement requests information

How long we keep snapshots

  • Platform report snapshots: 2 years from the report date
  • Parent alert snapshots: 2 years from the alert date

Even if the original message is deleted or the sender deletes their account, the snapshot remains for this period.

Where images are stored

Image URLs in snapshots may point to:

  • The regular chat-images storage (if the image is still available)
  • The quarantine bucket (if PhotoDNA flagged the image)
  • The moderation-evidence bucket (for reported content)

Review process

After you submit a report:

  1. Huddle moderators review it — usually within 24-48 hours
  2. They look at the snapshot — to see what was reported
  3. They decide what action to take based on:
    • How serious the violation is
    • Whether it's a first offense or repeat violation
    • Whether it involves illegal content
  4. Action is taken — this could be:
    • Warning to the user
    • Temporary suspension
    • Permanent ban
    • Report to police or eSafety Commissioner (for serious violations)
  5. You're notified — you'll get a message confirming we reviewed your report (but we won't always share details about what action we took due to privacy)

Parent alert process

When you send a parent alert:

  1. Your parent is notified immediately — they get a push notification
  2. They can see the alert in their dashboard — including the category, your message, and any attached message snapshot
  3. Your parent can mark it as reviewed — once they've talked to you about it
  4. Your parent can forward it to Huddle — if they think it also violates our rules and needs moderator review

6.3 Rate Limits

To prevent abuse of the reporting system, we have limits:

Platform reports:

  • Maximum 10 reports per day
  • 1-minute cooldown between reports

Parent alerts:

  • Maximum 5 alerts per day
  • 1-minute cooldown between alerts

If you reach the limit, you'll see a message telling you to wait before reporting again.

Why we have limits

These limits prevent:

  • Spam reporting (flooding moderators with fake reports)
  • Harassment via false reports
  • System abuse

If you have a genuine emergency that exceeds these limits, contact holly@opentribe.co.

6.4 External Reporting

Some issues should also be reported to authorities outside of Huddle:

eSafety Commissioner (esafety.gov.au)

Report to the eSafety Commissioner if you experience:

  • Cyberbullying (if you're under 18)
  • Image-based abuse (intimate images shared without consent)
  • Illegal or harmful content online
  • Adult cyber abuse

The eSafety Commissioner can:

  • Help get harmful content removed
  • Investigate serious online safety issues
  • Take action against offenders

Police (000 for emergencies, or your local police station)

Call police if:

  • You're in immediate danger
  • Someone threatens violence against you
  • You've been a victim of a crime (blackmail, extortion, sexual exploitation)
  • You know about child exploitation or abuse

You can also report online crime to the Australian Cyber Security Centre: cyber.gov.au

ACCC Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au)

Report scams, phishing, or fraud attempts.

6.5 Your Obligation to Report

Legal obligation

Under Australian law, if you become aware of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), you should report it immediately. You can report to:

  • Huddle (we'll report to NCMEC and Australian authorities)
  • Police
  • ACCCE (Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation)

Community responsibility

Even when it's not legally required, reporting helps keep Huddle safe for everyone. If you see something that breaks our rules or makes you uncomfortable, please report it.

You should report:

  • Content that violates Section 5 (Acceptable Use Policy)
  • Bullying, harassment, or threats
  • Inappropriate content
  • Scams or spam
  • Anyone trying to get around safety features
  • Concerns about another user's safety or wellbeing

6.6 No Retaliation

Protection for reporters

You will not face any consequences for making good-faith reports, even if:

  • The report doesn't result in action
  • You misunderstood the situation
  • We determine no rules were broken

We only take action against reporters if:

  • You repeatedly make false reports knowing they're false
  • You use reporting to harass other users
  • You abuse the reporting system

Retaliating is prohibited

If someone reports you, you must not:

  • Harass or threaten the person who reported
  • Try to figure out who reported you
  • Encourage others to harass the reporter

Retaliation is a serious violation and will result in suspension or ban.

6.7 Privacy & Confidentiality

Reporter privacy

When you report content:

  • The person you reported does not see who reported them
  • Your report is confidential
  • Only Huddle moderators can see who made the report

Reported user privacy

We don't publicly disclose:

  • Who was reported
  • What action we took (unless legally required)
  • Details of investigations

Both reporters and reported users have privacy protections.

6.8 False Reports

Honest mistakes are okay. If you genuinely thought something was a violation but it turned out not to be, that's fine. We understand context can be unclear.

Intentional false reports

However, if you intentionally make false reports:

  • To harass someone
  • To get someone banned unfairly
  • To abuse the system

This is a violation of our Acceptable Use Policy and may result in:

  • Warning
  • Temporary suspension
  • Permanent ban (for repeat offenders)

6.9 Limitations

We're not responsible for everything

While we respond to reports and use automated scanning, we can't:

  • Monitor every message in real-time
  • Prevent all harmful content from being sent
  • Guarantee immediate response to every report
  • Control what users do outside of Huddle

Your role in safety

Safety is a shared responsibility:

  • You are responsible for what you send
  • Parents are responsible for supervising their children
  • Everyone is responsible for reporting problems

6.10 Emergency Situations

If you're in immediate danger

If you or someone else is in immediate physical danger:

  1. Call 000 (police, ambulance, fire) — get help first
  2. Then report to Huddle — we can preserve evidence and assist investigators

Do not wait for a Huddle response if there's an emergency.

Crisis support

If you're experiencing a mental health crisis or need someone to talk to:

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (24/7 for ages 5-25)
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24/7 anxiety and depression support)
  • 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (domestic and sexual violence support)

These services are confidential and available 24/7.

7. Content & App Features

7.1 Your Content, Your Ownership

You own what you create

When you send messages, share photos, or post any content on Huddle, you own it. We don't claim ownership of your content.

License you give us

However, by using Huddle, you give us permission (a "license") to:

  • Store your content on our servers
  • Transmit your content to the friends you choose to send it to
  • Display your content in conversations
  • Back up your content for service reliability
  • Process your content for safety (like PhotoDNA scanning)

When the license ends

This license ends when your content is deleted according to our retention policy:

  • Text messages: Deleted 90 days after friendship ends
  • Photos and videos: Deleted 7 days after sending OR 24 hours after all recipients view (whichever comes first)
  • Saved items: Deleted when you unsave them or delete your account
  • Profile pictures/avatars: Deleted when you change them or delete your account

Once content is deleted from our servers, we no longer have the right to use it.

Exception: Report snapshots

If your content is reported, the snapshot is retained for 2 years for investigation purposes, even if you delete the original content (see Section 6.2).

7.2 Message Types & How Long They Last

Huddle supports different types of messages with different retention rules:

Text messages

  • Stored until conversation is deleted or 90 days after friendship ends
  • Can be saved to your Saved Items
  • Visible to conversation participants

Photos from the camera

  • Ephemeral (disappear after a set time)
  • Deleted 7 days after sending OR 24 hours after all recipients view (whichever comes first)
  • Marked as "opened" when viewed
  • Cannot be saved in-app (but recipients can screenshot or use auto-save setting)

Videos

  • Same retention as photos (7 days or 24 hours after viewed)
  • Can include text overlays
  • Text overlays are part of the video content

Message reactions (emoji)

  • You can react to messages with a selection of emojis
  • Reactions are stored as long as the original message exists
  • Reactions are visible to all conversation participants
  • Reactions are considered user-generated content subject to the same rules

7.3 Saved Items

What you can save

You can save favorite messages within conversations by long-pressing and selecting "Save."

Saved items can be:

  • Text messages
  • Images
  • Videos

Your saved items are private

  • Only you can see your saved items
  • Other users (including parents) cannot see what you've saved
  • Saved items appear in a dedicated Saved Items section per conversation

How long saved items last

Saved items are retained according to the standard retention policy:

  • If you unsave an item, it's removed from your Saved Items immediately
  • If you remove a friend, saved items from that conversation are hidden and deleted after 90 days
  • If you delete your account, all saved items are deleted

7.4 Group Chats

Creating group chats

Any user can create a group chat, but there are safety rules:

  1. All members must already be friends with each other
    • You can only add people from your friends list
    • Everyone you add must also be friends with each other (not just friends with you)
    • This prevents strangers from being added to groups
  2. To create a group:
    • Go to the Chats tab
    • Tap "New Group"
    • Select friends to add (up to 20 people)
    • Give the group a name
    • You can only select friends who are all mutual friends with each other

Why this rule exists

This ensures:

  • No one is added to a group with strangers
  • Everyone in the group knows everyone else
  • Parents can be confident their child isn't in groups with unknown people

Group size limits

  • Maximum 20 members per group chat
  • Minimum 3 people (you + at least 2 friends)
  • For 2 people, just use a direct message instead

Adding members later

Anyone can add new members after creation, but:

  • The new member must be friends with all members of the group, otherwise they cannot be added

Group controls

Anyone in the group can:

  • Add new members (if they meet the friendship requirements)
  • Remove members
  • Change the group name

All members can:

  • Send messages in the group
  • Leave the group at any time
  • See who's in the group

When you leave a group

If you leave a group chat:

  • You can no longer send or receive messages in that group
  • Your previous messages remain visible to other group members
  • You cannot rejoin unless someone adds you back (and you're still friends with all members)
  • Previous membership will be noted in group history

When friendships end

If two people in a group remove each other as friends:

  • Both users remain in the group chat
  • They can still see each other's messages in that group
  • However, they cannot message each other directly outside the group
  • This allows groups to continue functioning even if some friendships end

Group messages and parents

If you're linked to a parent, they can see:

  • The group name
  • Who's in the group

They cannot see:

  • The messages in the group
  • Photos or videos shared in the group

7.5 Streaks

What are streaks?

Streaks track consecutive days you and a friend both send messages to each other.

How streaks work

To maintain a streak:

  1. Both you and your friend must send at least one message to each other
  2. Within a 24-hour period (from the last time the streak was maintained)
  3. If either of you doesn't message, the streak breaks and resets to 0

Where you see streaks

Streaks appear next to a friend's name in your friends list and at the top of their chat.

Parent controls for streaks

If you're under 16 or linked to a parent:

  • Your parent can disable streaks for your account in their parent dashboard
  • If your parent disables streaks, you won't see streak counts

Two-way streak rule

If either you or your friend has streaks disabled:

  • Neither of you will see the streak count
  • The streak count is still tracked in the background
  • If both of you re-enable streaks, the count resumes from where it left off

Why we have this rule

This prevents pressure or anxiety if one person has chosen to disable streaks for mental health reasons.

7.6 Auto-Save Images

What is auto-save?

You can enable a setting to automatically save received photos to your device's photo library (Camera Roll on iOS, Gallery on Android).

How to enable auto-save

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Toggle "Auto-save images" on

Privacy note

When auto-save is enabled:

  • Photos you receive are saved to your device storage
  • These photos are outside of Huddle's control once saved
  • They are not subject to Huddle's 7-day retention policy
  • Saved photos remain on your device until you manually delete them

If you're a parent with a linked child, you can see if your child has auto-save enabled in the parent dashboard.

7.7 Profile Pictures & Avatars

Penguin avatar system

By default, all users get a customisable avatar with:

  • Background color choices
  • Icon color choices

Custom profile pictures

  • You can upload a custom photo as your profile picture
  • Profile pictures must follow the same content rules as other images (no inappropriate content)
  • Profile pictures are subject to PhotoDNA scanning
  • Parents can see their linked child's profile picture

7.8 Huddle's Intellectual Property

What we own

Huddle owns:

  • The app logo
  • All branding, design elements, and graphics
  • The app code, design, and technology
  • All trademarks and intellectual property related to the service

What you can't do

You must not:

  • Copy, redistribute, or sell any part of the Huddle app
  • Use our logos, branding, or mascot without written permission
  • Create derivative works (modified versions of our app)
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or extract our source code

Fair use

You can:

  • Take screenshots of your own content for personal use
  • Share screenshots with others (but be respectful of privacy)
  • Mention Huddle in conversation or online
  • Link to our official website or app store listings

Respecting others' rights

When you share content on Huddle, you confirm that:

  • You own the content OR have permission to share it
  • It doesn't violate anyone else's copyright, trademark, or intellectual property rights

Don't share:

  • Pirated movies, music, or software
  • Content you copied from someone else without permission
  • Copyrighted images or videos you don't have rights to

If you see copyright violations

Because Huddle is a private messaging app (not a public platform), there's no formal DMCA takedown process. However:

  • If someone is sharing your copyrighted content without permission, you can report them via platform reports
  • Include "copyright violation" in the description
  • Provide evidence that you own the content

We'll review and may remove the content or take action against the user.

If we receive a copyright claim about your content

If a copyright holder claims you're sharing their content without permission:

  • We'll investigate the claim
  • We may remove the content
  • Repeated copyright violations may result in account suspension or termination

7.10 User Responsibilities

You are responsible for:

  • The content you create and share
  • Ensuring you have the right to share content
  • Not violating anyone's intellectual property rights
  • Understanding that content may persist even after you delete it (screenshots, auto-save, etc.)
  • Respecting the privacy of others (don't share private conversations publicly)

Parents are responsible for:

  • Supervising their child's content sharing
  • Educating their child about appropriate content
  • Monitoring time restrictions and app usage (via parental controls)

8. Parental Controls & Monitoring

8.1 Overview

If you're under 16 or voluntarily linked to a parent, your parent has access to certain monitoring and control features. This section explains what parents can see, what they can control, and what remains private.

Transparency

Children always know when parental monitoring is active:

  • You can see if you're linked to a parent in Settings
  • You can see your current time restrictions
  • You'll see when your parent takes actions (like removing a friend)

8.2 What Parents CAN See

Parents linked to your account can see:

Friends list

  • All your accepted friends (name and user code)
  • Pending incoming friend requests (people who want to add you)
  • Pending outgoing friend requests (people you want to add)
  • When friendships were created

Group chats

  • The names of group chats you're in
  • Who else is in each group (member names)
  • When you joined each group

Usage statistics

  • How many minutes you've used Huddle each day
  • Your daily usage trends over the past 90 days
  • When you were last active

Alerts from you

  • All parent alerts you've sent (see Section 6.1)
  • The category, your message, and any attached message snapshots
  • When each alert was sent

8.3 What Parents CANNOT See

The following information is completely private and parents cannot access it:

Message content

  • The text of your messages (in direct or group chats)
  • What you say to your friends
  • Conversation history

Photos and videos

  • Images you send or receive
  • Videos you share
  • Camera photos (even unopened ones)

Saved items

  • Which messages you've saved to favourites
  • Content of saved items

Message reactions

  • What emoji reactions you've used
  • How you've reacted to messages

Technical enforcement

These privacy protections are built into the database:

  • Row-level security (RLS) policies prevent parent access
  • Parents see a message saying "For privacy, message contents are not visible to parents"
  • Even Huddle staff cannot bypass these protections to give parents access

Why we do this

We believe children deserve privacy in their conversations. Parents can monitor who their children talk to and how much they use the app, but not what they say. This balance supports healthy parent-child relationships while giving children space to communicate with friends.

8.4 What Parents CAN Control

Parents can take the following actions:

Friend requests

  • Accept incoming friend requests on your behalf
  • Decline incoming friend requests
  • This helps parents ensure you're only connecting with people they approve

Remove friends

  • Remove any of your friends
  • When a parent removes a friend, the conversation is hidden and you can no longer message that person

Time restrictions (see Section 8.5 below)

  • Set hours when you can't use Huddle
  • Set different restrictions for different days of the week

Streaks

  • Enable or disable the streaks feature for your account
  • If disabled, you won't see streak counts with friends

View group membership

  • See which groups you're in and who else is in them
  • Parents cannot remove you from groups or control group membership directly (you must leave yourself)

8.5 Time Restrictions

How time restrictions work

Parents can set specific hours when you're not allowed to use Huddle. For example:

  • No access from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM on school nights
  • No access during school hours (8:30 AM to 3:30 PM) on weekdays

Setting restrictions

Parents can:

  1. Go to their parent dashboard
  2. Select your account
  3. Tap "Time Restrictions"
  4. Set start time and end time
  5. Choose which days of the week the restriction applies to (Sunday through Saturday)
  6. Save the restriction

Multiple restriction rules

Parents can create multiple time restriction rules:

  • Example: One rule for weeknights (9 PM - 7 AM, Monday-Thursday)
  • Example: Another rule for school hours (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Monday-Friday)

How restrictions are enforced

Time restrictions are enforced at the app level:

  • When you try to open Huddle during a restricted time, you'll see a message explaining the restriction
  • You won't be able to access any features during restricted hours
  • Notifications are paused during restricted times

You can see your restrictions

You can view your current time restrictions in Settings. This transparency helps you understand the rules and plan accordingly.

Disabling restrictions

Parents can:

  • Temporarily disable restrictions (toggle off)
  • Modify restriction times or days

8.6 Usage Tracking

What is tracked

Huddle tracks your daily app usage:

  • Minutes active per day (time spent with the app open and in use)
  • Date of usage
  • Usage trends over time

What is NOT tracked

We don't track:

  • Who you're messaging
  • What you're saying
  • Specific features you're using
  • Your location

How long usage data is kept

Usage logs are retained for 90 days, then automatically deleted.

Parent access to usage data

Parents can see:

  • A graph of your daily usage over the past 90 days
  • Total minutes used each day
  • Weekly and monthly summaries

This helps parents:

  • Monitor screen time
  • Ensure you're not overusing the app
  • Have conversations about healthy device habits

8.7 Streak Controls

Parent can disable streaks

If your parent thinks streaks are causing stress or pressure, they can disable the streaks feature for your account.

When disabled:

  • You won't see streak counts with any friends
  • Your friends won't see streak counts with you (even if they have streaks enabled)
  • This is the "two-way rule" (see Section 7.5)

Streak counts are preserved

If your parent disables streaks:

  • The actual streak counts are still tracked in the background
  • If your parent re-enables streaks later, the counts resume from where they left off
  • You don't lose your streak progress

Why parents can control this

Streaks can sometimes create anxiety or pressure to message every day. Parents can disable this feature if they think it's unhealthy for their child.

8.8 Transparency to Children

You always know what's happening

Children can see:

  • That they're linked to a parent (shown in Settings)
  • Their parent's name
  • Current time restrictions (hours and days)
  • Whether streaks are enabled or disabled

You won't know:

  • If your parent is viewing your friends list right now
  • If your parent is checking your usage stats
  • When your parent reviews alerts (unless they talk to you about it)

This balance ensures you know what controls are in place without constant notifications about parent monitoring.

8.9 Independence at 16+

Requesting independence

If you're 16 or older and linked to a parent, you can request independence:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap "Request Independence"
  3. Your parent receives a notification
  4. Your parent can approve or decline the request

If approved:

  • The parent-child link is deleted
  • You become a standard user account, and will be prompted to connect a proper email address
  • All parental controls and monitoring end
  • You gain full control of your account

See Section 3 for more details on the independence request process.

8.10 Parent Account Security

Parents are responsible for:

  • Keeping their login credentials secure
  • Not sharing their parent account password with anyone
  • Logging out on shared devices
  • Ensuring only authorized guardians have access to the parent dashboard

If a parent account is compromised, they could:

  • View your friends list and usage stats
  • Remove your friends
  • Change your time restrictions
  • See parent alerts

Protecting the parent account

Parents should:

  • Use a strong, unique password
  • Not write down the password where others can find it
  • Not let children or other unauthorized people access the parent dashboard
  • Report suspicious activity to holly@opentribe.co immediately

8.11 Who Can Be a Linked Parent

Requirements:

  • Parent must be 18 years or older
  • Parent must have a Huddle account
  • One child can only have one linked parent at a time
  • One parent can manage multiple children

Linking process:

Parents can link to children in two ways:

  1. Parent creates child account (under 16)
    • Parent creates the child account directly
    • Link is automatic
    • Child confirms the link when they first log in
  2. Child requests to link (16-17 year olds)
    • Child enters parent's user code in Settings
    • Parent approves the link request
    • Link is created with mutual consent

See Section 3 for detailed linking procedures.

8.12 Limitations of Parental Controls

What parental controls can't do:

Parental controls are a tool to help parents monitor and guide their children, but they have limitations:

Cannot prevent all risks

  • Parents can see who you're friends with, but not what you're saying
  • Time restrictions only apply within the Huddle app (children may use other apps)
  • Screenshots and auto-save can preserve content outside parental view

Cannot replace supervision

  • Parental controls work best when combined with open communication
  • Parents should talk to their children about online safety
  • Technology is a tool, not a replacement for parenting

Cannot guarantee compliance

  • Children may find ways around restrictions (using a friend's device, creating a new account)
  • Parents should regularly review controls and have honest conversations

Our recommendation:

Use parental controls as part of a broader approach to online safety that includes:

  • Open communication about online behavior
  • Education about risks and responsible use
  • Trust-building between parent and child
  • Regular check-ins about online experiences

9. Premium Features (Future)

9.1 Current Status

All features are currently free

During our testing period, all Huddle features are available to all users at no cost. There are no premium tiers, subscriptions, or paid features.

9.2 Future Premium Features

What might be offered

In the future, we may offer premium features or a subscription tier. These could include:

  • Advanced parental monitoring tools
  • Enhanced customisation options
  • Other features to be determined

This is not a commitment

We haven't decided what premium features (if any) will be offered. This section exists to let you know that paid features may be introduced in the future.

9.3 How It Would Work

If we introduce premium features:

Separate terms

  • Premium features will have their own subscription terms
  • You'll be asked to agree to those terms before subscribing
  • These Terms of Use will still apply to the core free features

Payment through app stores

  • All payments will be handled by:
    • Apple App Store (for iPhone/iPad users)
    • Google Play Store (for Android users)
  • Huddle does not process payments directly
  • You'll use your existing app store account and payment method

No credit card required from us

  • We won't ask for your credit card information
  • All billing is managed by Apple or Google
  • Your payment information stays with the app store

Subscriptions

  • Premium features (if offered) will likely be subscription-based (monthly or yearly)
  • You can cancel your subscription at any time through your app store account
  • When you cancel, you'll keep access until the end of your current billing period

Refunds

  • Refund requests are handled by Apple or Google, not Huddle
  • Each platform has its own refund policy:
    • Apple: Request refunds through reportaproblem.apple.com
    • Google: Request refunds through play.google.com/store/account
  • Huddle cannot issue refunds for app store purchases

9.4 Free Features Will Remain Free

Our commitment

Core features that are currently free will remain free, including:

  • Messaging (text, photos, videos)
  • Friend adding via Bluetooth
  • Group chats
  • Streaks
  • Saved items

If we introduce premium features, they will be additions, not replacements for existing free features.

9.5 Notice of Changes

30 days' notice

If we introduce premium features:

  • We'll notify you at least 30 days in advance via email and in-app notification
  • You'll have a chance to review the premium terms before subscribing
  • Your use of the free features won't be affected if you choose not to subscribe

Optional, not required

Premium features (if introduced) will be optional. You'll never be forced to upgrade to continue using Huddle's core features.

9.6 Parent Accounts & Premium Features

How it might work for families

If premium features are introduced:

  • Parents may be able to subscribe to unlock enhanced parental controls
  • Child accounts linked to a premium parent account may get access to premium features
  • Specifics will be determined when/if premium features are introduced

This is speculative — we haven't finalized how premium features would work for family accounts.

9.7 Testing Period

Current free access

All users during our testing period (before public launch) get access to all features for free. This includes:

  • Early adopters
  • Beta testers
  • Users who joined during the MVP phase

After public launch

We'll provide advance notice if we plan to transition to a premium model. You'll have time to decide whether to continue using the free version or subscribe to premium features.

10. Service Availability & Modifications

10.1 "As Available" Service

No uptime guarantees

Huddle is provided "as available," which means:

  • We don't guarantee the service will be available 24/7
  • There may be occasional downtime or interruptions
  • We don't promise a specific uptime percentage (like "99.9% uptime")

Why downtime happens

The service may be unavailable due to:

  • Scheduled maintenance
  • Technical issues or bugs
  • Server outages (Supabase, our hosting provider)
  • Internet connectivity problems
  • Unexpected system failures
  • Security incidents requiring emergency maintenance

We'll do our best to minimize downtime and restore service quickly.

10.2 Scheduled Maintenance

When we need to do maintenance

Sometimes we need to take Huddle offline temporarily to:

  • Update the app backend
  • Fix bugs or security issues
  • Upgrade servers or databases
  • Improve performance

Notice for scheduled maintenance

For planned maintenance:

  • We'll try to give at least 24 hours' notice via in-app notification and email
  • We'll schedule maintenance during low-usage periods when possible (like late at night)
  • We'll estimate how long maintenance will take

Emergency maintenance

Sometimes we need to perform emergency maintenance without notice:

  • Critical security patches
  • Major bugs affecting all users
  • Data integrity issues

In these cases, we'll restore service as quickly as possible and notify you of what happened.

10.3 Internet Connection Required

Huddle requires an active internet connection to:

  • Send and receive messages
  • Add friends via Huddling
  • Load photos and videos
  • Sync with our servers

No offline mode

Huddle does not currently support offline messaging. If you lose internet:

  • You won't be able to send or receive messages
  • Messages you try to send will fail (with an error notification)
  • You'll need to reconnect to the internet to use Huddle

Why we require internet

As a messaging app, Huddle needs real-time connectivity to:

  • Deliver messages instantly
  • Update conversation status
  • Run PhotoDNA scanning
  • Sync data across devices (if you log in elsewhere)

10.4 Modifying Features

We may change features

We reserve the right to modify, add, or remove features from Huddle. This could include:

  • Adding new messaging features
  • Changing how existing features work
  • Removing features that aren't being used
  • Redesigning the user interface

Two types of changes

Material changes (significant changes that affect how you use Huddle):

  • 30 days' notice via email and in-app notification before the change takes effect
  • Examples:
    • Removing a major feature (like group chats or streaks)
    • Significantly changing how friend adding works
    • Introducing new restrictions or requirements
    • Changes to data retention policies

Minor changes (small improvements or fixes):

  • May be immediate without advance notice
  • Examples:
    • Bug fixes
    • Performance improvements
    • UI tweaks (button colors, layout adjustments)
    • Small feature enhancements

Your options if you disagree

If we make changes you don't like:

  • You can stop using Huddle
  • You can delete your account (see Section 13)
  • Continued use after the change takes effect means you accept the change

10.5 Discontinuing the Service

We hope this never happens

We're committed to providing Huddle long-term. However, we reserve the right to discontinue the service entirely if:

  • We can no longer operate it sustainably
  • Legal or regulatory changes make it impossible to continue
  • Technical or security issues cannot be resolved
  • Other unforeseen circumstances

Notice if we discontinue

If we decide to shut down Huddle:

  • We'll provide at least 90 days' notice via email and in-app notification
  • We'll give you time to:
    • Export your data (if you want to keep it)
    • Find alternative messaging apps
  • We'll explain why we're shutting down (as much as we can)

Data deletion after shutdown

If Huddle shuts down:

  • All user data will be deleted 30 days after the service ends
  • Report snapshots and legal compliance data may be retained longer (see Section 13)
  • We'll confirm when data deletion is complete

10.6 Third-Party Service Dependencies

We rely on other services

Huddle depends on third-party services to function:

Supabase (database and storage)

  • Hosts all user data, messages, and images
  • If Supabase has an outage, Huddle will be unavailable
  • Supabase status: status.supabase.com

Expo (push notifications)

  • Delivers notifications to your device
  • If Expo has issues, notifications may be delayed or fail

Apple / Google (app stores and push services)

  • APNs (Apple Push Notification Service) for iOS
  • FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) for Android
  • If these services fail, notifications won't work

Microsoft PhotoDNA (CSAM detection)

  • If PhotoDNA is unavailable, we may temporarily disable image uploads until it's restored
  • This is a safety precaution

We're not responsible for outages or issues caused by these third-party services. However, we'll:

  • Monitor third-party service status
  • Communicate with you if there are known issues
  • Work to restore functionality as quickly as possible

10.7 App Updates

We regularly release app updates through:

  • Apple App Store (for iOS)
  • Google Play Store (for Android)

Updates may include:

  • New features
  • Bug fixes
  • Security patches
  • Performance improvements

Automatic updates

If you have automatic updates enabled on your device:

  • Huddle will update automatically when new versions are released
  • You don't need to do anything

Manual updates

If automatic updates are disabled:

  • You may be prompted to update within the app
  • Some features may not work until you update
  • Critical security updates may be required to continue using the app

Older versions

We may stop supporting older app versions:

  • If you're running a very old version, you may be required to update
  • We'll notify you in-app if your version is no longer supported

10.8 Feature Experiments

A/B testing and experiments

We may occasionally test new features with a subset of users:

  • Some users may see a new feature while others don't
  • This helps us determine if a feature works well before rolling it out to everyone
  • You may be randomly selected for these tests

Opting out

You cannot opt out of feature experiments, but:

  • Experiments are temporary (usually a few weeks)
  • They don't change core functionality
  • Your data is not at risk

If you don't like an experimental feature, you can provide feedback at holly@opentribe.co.

10.9 Changes to These Terms

These Terms of Use may be updated from time to time. When we update them:

Material changes:

  • 30 days' notice via email and in-app notification
  • Clear explanation of what changed
  • Effective date of the new terms
  • Examples of material changes:
    • Changes to data retention policies
    • Changes to account termination procedures
    • Changes to parental control features
    • Introduction of new user obligations

Minor changes:

  • May take effect immediately
  • Last updated date will change at the top of this document
  • Examples of minor changes:
    • Fixing typos or clarifying language
    • Updating contact information
    • Adding links to resources

Acceptance of changes

When we update these Terms:

  • Continued use of Huddle after the effective date means you accept the new terms
  • If you don't agree with the changes, you must stop using Huddle and delete your account before the effective date

Previous versions

You can request previous versions of these Terms by emailing holly@opentribe.co.

10.10 No Liability for Service Changes

Our right to change

We reserve the right to:

  • Modify or discontinue any feature
  • Change how the service works
  • Update our technology or infrastructure
  • Make improvements based on user feedback

No compensation

You are not entitled to compensation if:

  • A feature you liked is removed
  • The service is temporarily unavailable
  • We make changes you don't agree with
  • We discontinue the service entirely

Exception: Australian Consumer Law

This section does not limit your rights under Australian Consumer Law (see Section 15). If we provide a paid service in the future, consumer guarantees will apply.

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1 "As Is" Service

No warranties

Huddle is provided "as is" and "as available." This means:

  • We don't guarantee the service will be error-free
  • We don't promise it will meet all your expectations
  • We don't warrant that it will always be available or uninterrupted
  • We provide the service in its current state without any guarantees

We do our best

While we don't make legal warranties, we do:

  • Work hard to keep the service running smoothly
  • Fix bugs and issues when we discover them
  • Respond to user feedback and reports
  • Invest in security and safety features

11.2 What We're Not Responsible For

User-generated content

We are not liable for:

  • Content created or shared by users
  • Messages sent between users
  • Photos or videos uploaded by users
  • Harm caused by what users say to each other

Interactions between users

We are not liable for:

  • Bullying, harassment, or abuse between users
  • Friendships or relationships that develop through Huddle
  • Disputes or conflicts between users
  • Offline interactions that result from online connections

Data loss

We are not liable for loss of data:

  • After the retention period expires (see Section 7.2 for retention periods)
  • If you delete content yourself
  • If your account is terminated for violations
  • Due to technical failures beyond our control

Friendship restoration

If you remove a friend and want to restore the conversation:

  • You must re-friend them within 90 days
  • After 90 days, messages are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered
  • We are not liable for lost conversations after the 90-day window

Third-party service failures

We are not liable for issues caused by third-party services:

  • Supabase — Database outages, storage failures, performance issues
  • Apple / Google — App store issues, push notification failures, payment processing problems
  • Expo — Push notification delivery failures
  • Microsoft PhotoDNA — False positives in CSAM detection, service outages

Unauthorized account access

We are not liable if someone gains unauthorized access to your account due to:

  • You sharing your password with others
  • Using a weak or easily guessed password
  • Logging in on a public or shared device and not logging out
  • Falling for a phishing scam
  • Your device being stolen or compromised

We ARE responsible if:

  • Our systems are hacked due to our negligence
  • We fail to properly secure our servers
  • Our employees improperly access your account

Internet connectivity

We are not liable for:

  • Your inability to access Huddle due to poor internet connection
  • Messages that fail to send because you lost connectivity
  • Data usage charges from your mobile carrier

11.3 Maximum Liability

Liability cap

If we are found legally liable for something (and Australian Consumer Law allows us to limit liability), our maximum liability is:

For free users:

  • $0 AUD (since you haven't paid us anything)

For premium subscribers (if premium features exist in the future):

  • The amount you paid for premium features in the prior 12 months

Example: If you paid $5/month for premium features for 6 months ($30 total), our maximum liability would be $30.

11.4 Types of Harm Not Covered

Direct vs. indirect harm

If something goes wrong with Huddle, there's a difference between:

Direct harm (what we may be responsible for):

  • The actual problem itself
  • Getting the issue fixed
  • Restoring your access

Indirect harm (what's generally not covered):

  • Other consequences that flow from the problem
  • Losses beyond the service itself

Examples of indirect harm we don't cover:

  • Lost opportunities — If Huddle is down and you miss sending an important message
  • Emotional distress (with exceptions - see 11.5) — Frustration or inconvenience from service issues
  • Third-party costs — Extra data charges from a bug that uses too much data
  • Reputation or social harm — If a technical glitch makes you look bad to friends

Important: This doesn't apply to:

  • Death or personal injury from our negligence (fully liable)
  • Fraud or intentional misconduct (fully liable)
  • Consumer guarantees under Australian law (see Section 11.5)

11.5 What We CAN'T Limit (Australian Consumer Law)

Important: Australian Consumer Law protects you, and we cannot limit or exclude liability for:

Death or personal injury

  • If our negligence causes death or personal injury, we are fully liable
  • No limitation or cap applies

Consumer guarantees (if we charge for services in the future)

  • Services must be provided with acceptable care and skill
  • Services must be fit for purpose
  • Services must be delivered within a reasonable time
  • If we breach these guarantees, you have rights to remedies

Fraud or intentional misconduct

  • If we intentionally deceive you or act fraudulently, we are fully liable
  • No limitation applies

Other rights under Australian Consumer Law

  • Any statutory rights that cannot be excluded by contract
  • You can contact the ACCC (accc.gov.au) to learn about your consumer rights

11.6 Specific Scenarios

PhotoDNA false positives

If PhotoDNA incorrectly flags your content as CSAM:

  • We provide an appeals process (see Section 5.3)
  • A moderator will manually review your case
  • If it's a false positive, we'll restore your account
  • We're not liable for temporary inconvenience or distress during the review period
  • Exception: If we act in bad faith or ignore clear evidence, we may be liable

Account termination errors

If we mistakenly terminate your account:

  • You can appeal (see Section 5.5)
  • We'll restore your account if we made an error
  • We're not liable for temporary loss of access
  • Exception: If the termination was clearly wrong and we ignored your appeals, we may be liable

Data breaches

If our systems are breached and your data is exposed:

  • We'll notify you as required by law (Australian Privacy Act)
  • We'll take steps to secure the breach
  • Liability depends on whether we were negligent in securing data
  • We ARE liable if the breach was due to our failure to implement reasonable security measures

Parental control failures

If parental controls fail to work as described:

  • We'll fix the technical issue
  • We're not liable for what happened during the failure (like a child accessing the app during restricted hours)
  • Exception: If we misrepresented how parental controls work, consumer guarantees may apply

11.7 Your Responsibility to Mitigate Harm

Minimise your losses

If something goes wrong, you have a responsibility to:

  • Take reasonable steps to minimise harm
  • Use available tools (like reporting, blocking, or deleting your account)
  • Contact us promptly if there's an issue

Example: If you notice unauthorised access to your account, you should:

  1. Change your password immediately
  2. Contact us at holly@opentribe.co
  3. Check what the unauthorised person did

You can't let the problem continue and then claim we're liable for all the resulting harm.

11.8 Force Majeure

Events beyond our control

We are not liable for failure to provide the service due to events beyond our reasonable control, including:

  • Natural disasters (floods, fires, earthquakes)
  • War, terrorism, or civil unrest
  • Government actions or regulations
  • Internet infrastructure failures
  • Pandemics or public health emergencies
  • Cyberattacks (that we couldn't reasonably prevent)
  • Strikes or labor disputes

What happens during force majeure

If a force majeure event occurs:

  • We'll restore service as soon as reasonably possible
  • We may suspend service temporarily for safety or legal reasons
  • We'll communicate with users about the situation
  • We're not liable for service interruptions during this time

11.9 Exclusions Apply to Our Team

Protection extends to:

These limitations of liability also apply to:

  • Huddle's employees and contractors
  • Huddle's directors and officers
  • Our parent company, Opentribe
  • Service providers we work with (Supabase, Expo, etc.)

11.10 Severability

If part of this section is invalid

If a court finds that any part of this Limitation of Liability section is unenforceable:

  • The rest of the section still applies
  • Only the specific invalid provision is removed
  • We'll work to replace it with a valid provision that achieves the same intent

11.11 Your Acknowledgment

By using Huddle, you acknowledge:

  • You understand the risks of using an online messaging service
  • You accept that we provide the service "as is" without warranties
  • You understand the limitations on our liability
  • You've read this section and understand what we are and aren't responsible for
  • You know your rights under Australian Consumer Law can't be excluded

11.12 Getting Help

If something goes wrong:

  1. Contact us first: holly@opentribe.co
    • We want to resolve issues directly when possible
    • Many problems can be fixed quickly through support
  2. Consumer rights: If we can't resolve it, contact:
    • ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission): accc.gov.au
    • OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner): oaic.gov.au (for privacy issues)
  3. Legal advice: Consider getting independent legal advice before taking legal action

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Huddle, OpenTribe, and our affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

  • Your use of the Service
  • Your content or messages
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any rights of another person or entity
  • Your violation of any applicable laws

If you're a parent with a linked child account, you also agree to indemnify us for your child's use of the Service and any violations by your child.

When you're not responsible:

You are not required to indemnify us if the claim arose from:

  • Our negligence or failure to enforce our policies
  • Our technical errors or security failures
  • Our bad faith or intentional misconduct

How this works:

If a claim arises, we'll notify you and may assume control of the defense. You agree to cooperate with us in defending the claim. This obligation survives even after you stop using Huddle or delete your account.

13. Account Termination

13.1 How You Can End Your Account

Deleting your account

You can delete your Huddle account at any time by:

  1. Opening Settings
  2. Scrolling to "Delete Account"
  3. Following the prompts to confirm deletion

30-day grace period

When you delete your account:

  • Your account is immediately deactivated (you can't log in)
  • You have 30 days to change your mind
  • If you log back in within 30 days, your account is restored
  • After 30 days, your account and data are permanently deleted

What happens to your data:

When you delete your account (after the 30-day period):

  • Your messages are deleted
  • Your photos and videos are deleted
  • Your profile information is deleted
  • Your friends list is deleted
  • Your account cannot be recovered

Exceptions (data we keep):

  • Report snapshots: Kept for 2 years from report date (investigation purposes)
  • CSAM detections: Kept indefinitely (legal evidence)
  • Consent records: Kept for 7 years (legal compliance)
  • Audit logs: Kept for 7 years (if your account was involved in moderation)

If you're a parent:

When you delete your parent account:

  • All linked child accounts are also scheduled for deletion
  • Each child account gets a 30-day grace period
  • Children are notified of the pending deletion
  • Children aged 16+ can request independence before deletion (must provide email)
  • Children under 16 cannot prevent deletion (parent created the account)

13.2 How We Can End Your Account

Reasons we may terminate your account:

Violation of Terms

  • Breaking rules in Section 5 (Acceptable Use Policy)
  • After warnings and suspensions (see Section 5.5 for progressive discipline)
  • Immediate termination for severe violations (CSAM, threats, illegal content)

Legal requirements

  • Court order requiring us to terminate your account
  • Law enforcement request (with valid legal process)
  • Regulatory requirement

Extended inactivity

  • No login for 24 consecutive months
  • We'll email you at 23 months warning of potential deletion
  • If you don't log in by month 24, we may delete your account

Service discontinuation

  • If Huddle shuts down entirely (see Section 10.5)
  • We'll give at least 90 days' notice

Fraud or abuse

  • Creating multiple accounts to evade bans
  • Using stolen payment methods (if premium features exist)
  • Systematic abuse of reporting or safety features

Notice of termination:

If we terminate your account:

  • We'll send an in-app message and/or email explaining why
  • You'll have the right to appeal (see Section 5.5)
  • For immediate terminations (severe violations), you may not receive advance notice

13.3 Effect of Termination

Immediate loss of access

When your account is terminated (by you or us):

  • You can no longer log in
  • You can't send or receive messages
  • Your friends can no longer see you in their friends list
  • Your profile is removed

What happens to conversations:

When friendships end (you or friend deletes account, or you're banned):

  • The conversation is hidden from both users immediately
  • Messages are retained for 90 days after friendship ends
  • After 90 days, messages are permanently deleted
  • Exception: If you re-friend within 90 days, conversation history is restored

What happens to group chats:

If you delete your account or are banned:

  • You're removed from all group chats
  • Your previous messages remain visible to other group members
  • The group continues without you

Data deletion timeline:

Data TypeDeletion Timeline
Account accessImmediate (on termination)
Profile information30 days (grace period for self deletion) or immediate (banned)
Messages in active friendships90 days after friendship ends / account deletion
Photos/videos (media tab)7 days or 24h after viewed (standard retention)
Photos/videos (in chat)30 days from upload
Saved itemsDeleted with account
Usage logs30 days rolling
Report snapshots2 years from report date
CSAM detectionsIndefinite
Consent records7 years

13.4 Banned Users

Permanent bans

If we permanently ban your account:

  • You cannot create a new Huddle account
  • Creating new accounts to evade the ban is prohibited
  • We may block your device or IP address if you try to evade the ban
  • You may be reported to law enforcement if the ban was for illegal activity

If we have reason to believe an account is evading a ban, that account will be immediately terminated.

13.5 Recovering a Deleted Account

Within 30 days (self-deletion only):

If you deleted your account yourself:

  1. Open Huddle
  2. Log in with your email/user code and password
  3. You'll see a message: "Your account is scheduled for deletion. Do you want to restore it?"
  4. Tap "Restore Account"
  5. Your account and data are fully restored

After 30 days:

Account recovery is not possible. All data is permanently deleted.

If we terminated your account:

  • There is no automatic grace period
  • You must appeal the termination (see Section 5.5)
  • If your appeal is successful, we'll restore your account manually
  • If the appeal fails, the account remains terminated

13.6 Downloading Your Data Before Deletion

Data export (planned feature)

Before deleting your account, you can request a copy of your data:

  1. Email holly@opentribe.co
  2. Include your account details (display name, user code, email)
  3. We'll provide your data within 30 days in JSON format

What's included in your data export:

  • Account information (display name, DOB, user code, settings)
  • Friends list
  • Text messages you sent (content only, no images/videos)
  • Usage logs
  • Consent records

What's NOT included:

  • Messages sent by others
  • Images or videos (too large for export)
  • Group chat messages sent by others
  • Other users' private information

Note: This is currently a manual process. An in-app "Download My Data" feature may be added in the future.

13.7 Child Account Deletion

If you're under 16:

You cannot delete your account yourself. Your parent must delete:

  • Their own parent account (which deletes linked child accounts), OR
  • Your specific child account from their parent dashboard

If you're 16+ and linked:

You can:

  • Request independence (parent must approve, then you control your own account)
  • After independence is approved, you can delete your own account

Protecting children:

This prevents children from:

  • Impulsively deleting their account and losing all data
  • Deleting their account to hide violations from parents
  • Being pressured by others to delete their account

13.8 What Still Applies After Termination

Even after your account is deleted, you remain bound by: Section 7 (Content Ownership), Section 11 (Limitation of Liability), Section 12 (Indemnification), Section 14 (Dispute Resolution), and Section 17 (General Provisions).

13.9 No Refunds After Termination

If premium features exist in the future:

If we terminate your account for violations:

  • You are not entitled to a refund for any unused subscription time
  • Example: If you pay for a monthly subscription and are banned on day 10, you don't get a refund for the remaining 20 days

Exception:

  • If we terminate your account by mistake and don't restore it after your appeal, you may be entitled to a pro-rated refund

This policy is subject to Apple and Google's refund policies, which may provide additional rights.

14. Dispute Resolution

14.1 Contact Us First

If you have a problem with Huddle, please contact us first before taking legal action:

Email: holly@opentribe.co

We're committed to resolving issues directly when possible. Most problems can be fixed through support.

14.2 Informal Resolution

If you have a dispute with us:

  1. Email us at holly@opentribe.co with details of the issue
  2. We'll work with you in good faith to resolve it within 30 days
  3. If we can't resolve it informally, you have the options below

14.3 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia.

Any legal proceedings must be brought in the courts of Queensland, Australia. You agree to submit to the jurisdiction of those courts.

14.4 No Class Actions

You agree to resolve disputes with us on an individual basis only.

This means:

  • No class action lawsuits
  • No group or representative actions
  • Each dispute is handled individually

Exception: This does not prevent you from participating in class actions for consumer rights under Australian Consumer Law if such actions cannot be waived.

14.5 External Complaints

You can always complain to:

OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner)

eSafety Commissioner

ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)

Nothing in these Terms prevents you from making complaints to these government agencies.

14.6 Time Limits

Legal claims must be brought within the time limits set by Australian law:

  • Contract claims: Generally 6 years from the date of the issue
  • Personal injury claims: Generally 3 years from the date of injury
  • Other statutory time limits may apply

After these periods, claims cannot be brought.

15. Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) or other consumer protection laws that cannot be excluded by contract.

If we provide services to you for a fee in the future, you will have consumer guarantees under the ACL, including that services:

  • Are provided with acceptable care and skill
  • Are fit for the purpose you told us about
  • Are delivered within a reasonable time

For information about your consumer rights, visit the ACCC website at accc.gov.au or call 1300 302 502.

16. Communications

16.1 How We Contact You

We may send you communications via:

  • Email (to the address on your account)
  • In-app notifications (system messages within Huddle)
  • Push notifications (to your device)

16.2 Transactional Communications

You agree to receive transactional communications necessary for the Service, including:

  • Account verification emails
  • Password reset emails
  • Security alerts (new device login, suspicious activity)
  • Parent alerts (if you're a linked parent)
  • Account termination or suspension notices
  • Important updates to these Terms or our Privacy Policy

You cannot opt out of transactional communications.

16.3 Push Notifications

You can control push notifications in Settings:

  • Enable/disable notifications by type (messages, friend requests, alerts)
  • Show or hide message previews
  • Set quiet hours (notifications paused during specific times)

You can also disable push notifications entirely in your device settings.

16.4 No Marketing Emails

We will not send you marketing or promotional emails without your separate opt-in consent.

Huddle is focused on providing a messaging service, not marketing to you.

17. General Provisions

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Huddle regarding the Service. They supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect. The invalid provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not waive our right to enforce it later. A waiver of any breach does not waive any subsequent breach.

Assignment

You cannot transfer or assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign these Terms to any affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, government actions, pandemics, internet infrastructure failures, or cyberattacks.

Headings

Section headings in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.

18. Contact Information

18.1 Contacting Huddle

All enquiries:

Email: holly@opentribe.co

Mailing address:

OpenTribe Pty Ltd
62 Lawrence Dr, U21 Bushwalk
Nerang, QLD, 4211

18.2 External Resources

eSafety Commissioner (online safety issues)

OAIC (privacy complaints)

ACCC (consumer rights)

Emergency Services

  • Dial: 000 (police, ambulance, fire)

Crisis Support

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (24/7, ages 5-25)
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
  • 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7)