Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Circl ("the App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the App. These Terms apply to all users of Circl, including users who access the App on iOS or Android.

Circl is operated by ShapedSocial LTD ("we", "us", or "our"), a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17454958. We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Eligibility

To use Circl you must be at least 13 years of age. By using the App you confirm that you meet this requirement. If you are under the age of 18, you confirm that you have obtained permission from a parent or guardian to use the App.

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will terminate their account and delete their data.

3. Your Account

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

You must provide accurate and current information when creating your account. You may not impersonate another person or create a misleading username.

You may only hold one active Circl account at a time. Creating duplicate accounts to circumvent a suspension or restriction is not permitted.

You are responsible for notifying us immediately at support@circlapp.org if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in prohibited conduct, or that have been inactive for an extended period.

4. Use of the App

Circl is a real-time location-sharing service designed for use within small, trusted groups of people. You agree to use the App only for its intended purpose and in accordance with these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations.

You may not use the App to: track, monitor, or share the location of any person without their knowledge and explicit consent; harass, stalk, intimidate, threaten, or otherwise harm any person; transmit or distribute unlawful, defamatory, obscene, or harmful content; attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the App, its infrastructure, or another user's account; use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or scripts to interact with the App in ways not expressly permitted; interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the App or its underlying services; or use the App for any commercial purpose or on behalf of any third party without our prior written consent.

5. Location Sharing

The core feature of Circl is voluntary, consensual location sharing between members of a private space. By enabling location sharing in the App, you consent to sharing your real-time GPS location, speed, heading, and device battery level with the other members of your space.

You can pause or stop location sharing at any time from within the App. When sharing is paused, your last known location is no longer updated.

You understand that members of your space will be able to see your location whenever sharing is active. You are responsible for managing your own sharing preferences.

You must not use the location data of other users for any purpose other than staying connected within Circl. Exporting, recording, or sharing another user's location data outside the App is strictly prohibited.

We may flag or investigate location data that appears anomalous for the purpose of detecting misuse of the service.

6. Spaces and Spaces

Circl organises location sharing into private groups called spaces (also referred to as spaces). Each space has an owner and may include additional members.

The owner of a space is responsible for managing membership and ensuring that all members have consented to participation.

Invite links are single-use and expire. You must not distribute invite links publicly or to individuals who have not agreed to join your space.

You may leave a space at any time from within the App. Your location data will no longer be shared with that space upon leaving.

Space owners may remove members at any time. We are not responsible for disputes arising from membership decisions within a space.

7. User Content

The App allows you to submit content including profile photos, display names, usernames, saved place names, moments (photos and videos), and mood statuses ("User Content"). You retain ownership of User Content you create.

By submitting User Content you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, process, and display that content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the App to you and your space members.

You are solely responsible for the User Content you submit. You must not submit content that infringes the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party; is unlawful, defamatory, threatening, hateful, obscene, or sexually explicit; contains malware, viruses, or any harmful code; or misrepresents your identity or affiliation with any person or organisation.

8. Third-Party Integrations

Circl offers optional integrations with third-party services. Your use of these integrations is subject to the respective third-party terms and privacy policies.

Apple Music: if you connect Apple Music, we access your currently playing track via MusicKit. Subject to Apple's Media Services Terms and Conditions.

Google Firebase: we use Firebase for authentication, database, push notifications, and file storage. Subject to Google's Terms of Service.

We are not responsible for the practices or content of any third-party services you connect to Circl. You may disconnect any integration at any time from Settings, Connections.

9. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property rights in the App, including but not limited to the software, design, graphics, branding, and documentation, are owned by or licensed to us. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in the App or its underlying technology other than the limited licence to use the App as described herein.

You must not copy, modify, distribute, sell, reverse-engineer, decompile, or create derivative works of any part of the App without our prior written consent.

10. Privacy

Your use of Circl is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the App you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in the Privacy Policy. A copy of our Privacy Policy is available in the App under Settings, Privacy Policy.

11. Beta Programme

Circl is currently in beta. Features are under active development and the App may be updated, modified, or discontinued at any time without notice. Beta users acknowledge that: the App may contain bugs, errors, or incomplete features; features available during the beta period are not guaranteed to remain in the final release; we may collect additional diagnostic data during the beta period to help us identify and fix issues, as described in our Beta Programme Data Disclosure; and beta access may be revoked at any time at our discretion.

12. Disclaimers

THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any location data, user content, or other information displayed in the App.

Location accuracy depends on your device hardware, operating system permissions, and network conditions. We are not liable for any consequences arising from inaccurate or delayed location data.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or in connection with your use of or inability to use the App.

Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the App shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the amount you paid us, if any, in the 12 months preceding the claim; or (b) GBP 50.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Circl and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of the App; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any rights of another person.

15. Termination

You may stop using the App at any time. You may delete your account from Settings, Delete Account. Upon deletion, your data will be permanently removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

We may suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms, engaged in fraudulent or harmful conduct, or for any other reason at our discretion.

Upon termination, all licences granted to you under these Terms will immediately cease. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination will do so, including sections on intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and governing law.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the App, our practices, or applicable law. We will notify you of material changes via the App or by email before they take effect. Your continued use of the App after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except where mandatory consumer protection laws in your country of residence provide otherwise.

18. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service or wish to report a violation, please contact us at support@circlapp.org.

By using Circl you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

Contact

ShapedSocial LTD, registered in England and Wales under company number 17454958, 66 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NA.

Email support@circlapp.org.

For anything about your personal data, including a request to access, correct or delete it, contact our Data Protection Officer at DPO@shapedsocial.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, or on 0303 123 1113. We would rather you came to us first, but you do not have to.