Terms of Service

Effective Date: March 1, 2026

Welcome to Kindred. By using our app, you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms"). Please read them carefully.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use Kindred. By creating an account, you confirm that you are 18 or older. We verify age during sign-up, and accounts found to belong to users under 18 will be terminated immediately.

2. Account

• You may create only one Kindred account per phone number.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account.
• Your nickname and avatar are your identity within Kindred. You may not impersonate another person.
• We reserve the right to reclaim or reassign nicknames that are inactive, misleading, or violate these Terms.

3. Anonymity

Kindred is designed around anonymity. During conversations, your partner can only see your nickname and generated avatar. You should not share personal identifying information (real name, phone number, address, social media) during anonymous conversations unless you choose to share your profile after the conversation.

We cannot guarantee that information you voluntarily disclose during voice conversations will remain private. Exercise judgment about what you share.

4. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users in any way
• Use hate speech based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics
• Share sexual or explicit content during conversations
• Spam or use Kindred for commercial solicitation
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Record conversations without the other person's consent
• Attempt to circumvent safety features, moderation systems, or matching algorithms
• Use automated tools (bots, scripts) to interact with the service
• Attempt to identify or deanonymize other users through technical means

5. Content Moderation

We use automated systems and user reports to maintain a safe environment. We may:

• Monitor audio during your first 5 sessions using automated content detection
• Review reports submitted by other users
• Take action on accounts that violate these Terms, including warnings, suspensions, and permanent bans

6. Account Suspension and Termination

• Warnings: For minor or first-time violations, we may issue a warning.
• Suspension: For repeated or serious violations, your account may be temporarily suspended.
• Permanent ban: For severe violations (threats, hate speech, sexual harassment), your account will be permanently banned.

Moderation decisions are made based on the severity and frequency of violations. You may appeal a moderation decision by contacting support@chatkindred.com.

7. Blocking

You may block any user at any time. Blocking is privacy-preserving: the blocked user will not be notified and will simply not be matched with you again.

8. Intellectual Property

Kindred, including its design, code, prompts, and content, is owned by Kindred and protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any part of the app without our written permission.

Conversation prompts are curated from research literature and original writing. They are provided for use within the app only.

9. Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy for details on how we collect, use, and protect your data.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

Kindred is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not guarantee that:

• The service will be available at all times or without interruption
• You will be matched with a conversation partner at any given time
• Conversations will be positive, productive, or safe despite our moderation efforts
• Other users will comply with these Terms

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Kindred and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the service, including but not limited to:

• Emotional distress from conversations with other users
• Loss of data or account access
• Actions or statements made by other users
• Service interruptions or technical failures

Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of Kindred shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via in-app notification. Continued use of Kindred after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Governing Law

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

14. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, contact us at support@chatkindred.com.