Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using ChamberLight ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to all of these Terms, you may not access or use the Platform. Your continued use of ChamberLight after any changes to these Terms constitutes acceptance of those changes.

2. Account Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to create an account on ChamberLight. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement. If you are under 18, you represent that you have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to use the Platform. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that we reasonably believe are held by users who do not meet the minimum age requirement.

3. User Responsibilities

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

• Provide accurate and complete information when creating your account.
• Keep your login credentials secure and not share them with others.
• Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• Use the Platform in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.
• Interact with other users in a respectful and civil manner consistent with our Community Guidelines.

4. Content Ownership & License

You retain ownership of all content you submit to ChamberLight, including article submissions, comments, and votes. By submitting content to the Platform, you grant ChamberLight a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, reproduce, and make available your submissions in connection with operating and improving the Platform. This license continues for as long as your content remains on the Platform and terminates when you delete the content or your account, except where your content has been shared by other users or is reasonably necessary for the operation of the Platform.

5. Platform Rights

ChamberLight and its original content (excluding user-submitted content), features, and functionality are owned by ChamberLight and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. We reserve the right to:

• Modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Platform at any time without notice.
• Remove or refuse to publish any content that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines.
• Restrict or terminate access to the Platform for any user who violates these Terms.

6. Prohibited Conduct

When using ChamberLight, you agree not to:

• Submit knowingly false, misleading, or fabricated information.
• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users or public figures.
• Create multiple accounts (sockpuppets) to manipulate voting, submissions, or discussions.
• Coordinate with others to artificially inflate or suppress content.
• Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to interact with the Platform without authorization.
• Attempt to circumvent moderation actions or evade bans.
• Post spam, advertisements, or content unrelated to civic transparency.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform's systems or other users' accounts.

7. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall first be attempted to be resolved through informal negotiation. If informal resolution is not successful within 30 days, either party may pursue binding arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration organization under its then-current rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in English. Each party shall bear its own costs unless the arbitrator determines otherwise. You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ChamberLight and its operators, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, revenue, or reputation, arising out of or related to your use of the Platform. ChamberLight is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information displayed on the Platform.

9. Modification of Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users via email or a prominent notice on the Platform at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of ChamberLight after the effective date of the revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Platform and may request deletion of your account.

10. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at legal@chamberlight.com.