Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of terms

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") form a legally binding agreement between you ("you" or "user") and FriendsMap ("we", "our", or "us"), the operator of the FriendsMap application and website at friendsmap.me. These Terms govern all use of the FriendsMap service, including the mobile application, website, and any related features, content, or services (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Data Protection Policy, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

2. Description of the service

FriendsMap provides a platform for real-time location sharing, convoy driving coordination, event planning, augmented reality (AR) tagging, and related social features among users who have connected with each other in the app. Additional features include an SOS emergency function and age-verified accounts for minors.

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any feature or aspect of the Service at any time, with reasonable notice where practicable. We are not liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.

3. Eligibility and account registration

To use FriendsMap, you must:

• Be at least 13 years old. Users between 13 and 15 years old (inclusive) must have a verified parent or guardian who has completed identity verification before the account is activated.
• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information up to date.
• Have the legal capacity to form a binding agreement in your jurisdiction, or have a parent/guardian's consent where required.
• Not have had a previous FriendsMap account terminated for violations of these Terms.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. Notify us immediately at contact@friendsmap.me if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.

4. Acceptable use

You agree to use FriendsMap only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not:

• Use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent, or malicious purpose, or in violation of any applicable federal, provincial, or local law or regulation.
• Harass, stalk, abuse, intimidate, threaten, or harm any other user or person, including using location features to monitor someone without their knowledge or consent.
• Use the Service to share another person's location without their explicit, ongoing consent.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely claim affiliation with any person or organization.
• Create fake or duplicate accounts, or register with false identity information.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service, other users' accounts, or FriendsMap's infrastructure.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive source code from the app, except as expressly permitted by applicable law.
• Scrape, harvest, or collect data from the Service using automated means without our prior written consent.
• Upload, transmit, or share content that is defamatory, obscene, offensive, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of any person.
• Use the Service in any way that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Service or interfere with any other user's experience.
• Circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security or access-control features of the Service.
• Use the Service for commercial purposes or to compete with FriendsMap without our written permission.

Violation of these acceptable use rules may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account without refund, and may be reported to law enforcement where appropriate.

5. Location sharing and safety

Location sharing is a core feature of FriendsMap and is entirely under your control. You decide who can see your location, when, and for how long. However:

• You are solely responsible for the choices you make about who you share your location with.
• You must obtain the genuine, informed consent of any other person before using FriendsMap to track their location.
• FriendsMap is not a substitute for professional emergency or safety services. In any genuine emergency, contact local emergency services (e.g. 911).
• Location and map data (provided in part by HERE Technologies) may occasionally be inaccurate, delayed, or unavailable. Do not rely solely on FriendsMap data for critical navigation or safety decisions.

6. SOS and emergency feature

The SOS feature is provided as a supplementary safety tool. It allows you to trigger an in-app alarm, call 911, call a trusted contact, or send your location via SMS. By using this feature:

• You acknowledge that FriendsMap does not guarantee the delivery or receipt of SOS alerts, particularly in areas with no mobile data coverage.
• You must not activate the SOS feature falsely or as a prank. Misuse may result in account termination and may have legal consequences.
• For users 15 and under, the trusted contact is the verified parent or guardian. Parents take responsibility for ensuring their contact details remain current.

7. Subscriptions and payments

FriendsMap may offer optional paid subscription plans ("Premium") in addition to a free tier. If you purchase a subscription:

• All subscription fees are stated in Canadian Dollars (CAD) unless otherwise specified at the point of purchase.
• Subscriptions purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play are subject to the billing terms and policies of the respective platform. FriendsMap does not have access to your payment card details in these cases.
• Subscriptions auto-renew at the end of each billing period (monthly or annually) unless you cancel before the renewal date through the app store or your account settings.
• We will provide reasonable advance notice (at least 3 days before renewal for monthly plans, and at least 30 days for annual plans) of any price increases. Continued use after the price change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.
• Donations are voluntary and non-refundable. See our Refund Policy for full details on subscription refunds.

8. Intellectual property

The FriendsMap application, website, logo, branding, software, design, and all content (excluding user-generated content) are owned by FriendsMap or its licensors and are protected by Canadian and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Service for your own personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with these Terms. You do not acquire any ownership rights in the Service or its content.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, or commercially exploit any part of the Service without our prior written consent. See our Copyright page for more information.

9. User-generated content

You retain ownership of any content you create or share within FriendsMap (such as display names, profile photos, AR tags, and event descriptions). By submitting content to the Service, you grant FriendsMap a limited, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, store, and display that content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Service.

You are solely responsible for any content you share and must ensure it does not violate any third-party rights or applicable laws. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms, without prior notice.

10. Privacy

Your use of FriendsMap is governed by our Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in those documents. We do not sell your personal data under any circumstances.

11. Disclaimers and warranties

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

We do not warrant that: (a) the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from viruses or harmful components; (b) any results obtained from use of the Service will be accurate or reliable; or (c) location, map, or routing data will be current, accurate, or complete. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above may not apply to you in full.

12. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, FRIENDMAP AND ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages.
• Any loss of profits, revenue, data, business, goodwill, or savings.
• Any personal injury, property damage, or harm arising from your reliance on the Service for safety or navigation decisions.
• Any unauthorized access to or alteration of your data.

IN ALL CASES, OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE CLAIM; OR (B) CAD $100.

Some jurisdictions (including certain Canadian provinces) do not allow limitations of liability for personal injury or for certain other types of damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless FriendsMap and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of or inability to use the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or (d) your infringement of any third-party rights.

14. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service at any time, with or without cause or notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms or if your use creates legal or security risk. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ends immediately.

You may terminate your account at any time by deleting it in the app settings. Account deletion requests are processed within 30 days as described in our Privacy Policy.

Sections 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 survive any termination or expiration of these Terms.

15. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails within 30 days, disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief from a court to protect intellectual property rights or prevent imminent harm.

16. Force majeure

FriendsMap shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, terrorism, pandemic, fire, flood, governmental action, internet or infrastructure outages, or acts of third-party service providers.

17. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will post the revised Terms on this page with a new effective date and notify you via the app or push notification. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Service and delete your account.

18. Severability and waiver

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

19. Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Data Protection Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and FriendsMap with respect to the Service and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

20. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact:

FriendsMap
Email: contact@friendsmap.me
Website: friendsmap.me