Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") are a legally binding agreement between you and Scuttle Limited ("Scuttle", "we", "us" or "our"). They apply when you download, register for, access, or use the Scuttle mobile application, the website at scuttleapp.com, and any related services we make available (together, the "Services").

By using the Services, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Community Guidelines, each as updated from time to time. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.

The Community Guidelines form part of these Terms. If you breach these Terms or the Community Guidelines, we may remove content and may restrict, suspend, ban, or delete your Account.

These Terms are intended for users in the United Kingdom and the United States. If you access the Services from any other location, you do so on your own initiative and you are responsible for complying with any applicable local laws.

1. Changes to the Services and these Terms

1.1 Changes to the Services

We may add, remove, change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Services at any time, including features, functionality, availability, and supported devices. We do not guarantee that any particular feature will always be available.

1.2 Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The most current version will be made available through the Services and/or on our website. If you continue to use the Services after updated Terms take effect, you accept the updated Terms. Where changes are material, we may provide additional notice (for example, in-app or by email).

1.3 Notices

We may send notices to you through the Services, by email to the address linked to your account, or by posting notices via the Services or our website. You are responsible for keeping your contact details up to date.

2. Key definitions

In these Terms:

• Account means your Scuttle account.
• App Store Provider means Apple (Apple App Store) or Google (Google Play), as applicable.
• Business User means a user who is not a Consumer.
• Community Guidelines means Scuttle's community rules, as updated from time to time, available at scuttleapp.com/guidelines.
• Consumer means a user acting for purposes wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft, or profession.
• Messages means private messaging features within the Services.
• Premium means Scuttle's paid subscription tier (if offered).
• Profile Content means User Content displayed on your profile.
• Scuttle Content means the app, software, designs, branding, and content we provide through the Services (excluding User Content).
• Scuttle Parties means Scuttle and its past, present, and future directors, officers, employees, contractors, agents, affiliates, and service providers.
• Session means a user-created feature within the Services which may allow you to post content associated with a location (including temporary or time-limited content, where available).
• Services has the meaning given at the start of these Terms.
• Subscription means a recurring Premium purchase billed through an App Store Provider.
• User Content means any content you submit, post, upload, send, publish, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Services, including profile information and media, Messages, and Session content.

3. Eligibility, under-18s, and age assurance (UK users only)

3.1 18+ only

The Services are strictly for users aged 18 and over. By using the Services, you confirm that you are at least 18 and that you will provide accurate information when creating and using your account.

3.2 No collection from under-18s

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that an under-18 has used the Services or provided personal information, we will take appropriate action, which may include deleting the Account and associated information.

3.3 Age assurance for UK users

For users in the United Kingdom, we may require an age assurance check to confirm that you are 18+. We do not use third-party providers for age assurance.

3.4 How age assurance information is handled

Any information used to complete an age assurance check is processed only to complete the check and is deleted immediately afterwards. It is not stored at all. We record only the outcome of the check (for example, pass/fail and a timestamp) for compliance purposes.

3.5 Failure or refusal

If you do not complete a required age assurance check, or if we cannot confirm that you are 18+, we may refuse access to some or all of the Services, or we may suspend or delete your Account.

4. Your Account and security

4.1 Account security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login details and for all activity carried out through your Account. You must notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access to your Account.

4.2 Security incidents and unauthorised access

We take security seriously and use measures intended to protect the Services and User Content. However, no app, website, or system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that the Services will be free from malware, unauthorised access, hacking, data breaches, or other security incidents.

If we reasonably believe there has been a security incident affecting the Services or your Account, we may take steps we consider necessary to protect users and the Services, including resetting credentials, requiring additional verification, restricting features, suspending access, or temporarily disabling parts of the Services while we investigate or remediate.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for unauthorised access to your Account where this results from your actions or omissions (for example, sharing login details, weak credentials, a compromised email account, or failure to secure your device), and our liability for security incidents is limited as set out in sections 16 and 17.

4.3 Account integrity

You must not:

• share your Account with anyone else or allow anyone else to access it;
• buy, sell, rent, licence, or transfer Accounts; or
• create an Account for someone else or use someone else's identity.

You must provide accurate and up-to-date information and keep your Account and profile information current. We may limit how many Accounts a person may create and may take steps to prevent abuse.

4.4 Usernames

We may reclaim, change, or require you to change a username where we reasonably believe it is misleading, infringes rights, impersonates another person, or breaches these Terms or the Community Guidelines.

4.5 Deleting your Account

You may delete your Account using the in-app controls (where available) or by contacting support@scuttleapp.com.

Important: Deleting your Account does not cancel a Subscription purchased through an App Store Provider. You must cancel a Subscription through your App Store Provider (see section 11).

5. Acceptable use

5.1 General requirement

You must use the Services lawfully, responsibly, and in accordance with these Terms and the Community Guidelines.

5.2 Prohibited conduct

You must not, and must not attempt to:

• access or use any account, system, server, administrative tool, or data without authorisation;
• bypass or circumvent security, authentication, paywalls, or rate limits;
• probe, scan, or test vulnerabilities without our prior written permission;
• use malware, phishing, credential stuffing, or similar harmful techniques;
• scrape, harvest, crawl, or systematically extract data or content from the Services (including profiles, Messages, or Sessions);
• use bots, automation, scripted messaging, spam, or mass messaging;
• reverse engineer, decompile, tamper with, or interfere with the Services, or use modified, unofficial, or compromised versions of the app;
• disrupt or interfere with the Services' performance or availability, including through denial-of-service attacks;
• manipulate or falsify location signals or otherwise attempt to mislead other users about your location;
• misuse the Services to harass, stalk, threaten, or endanger any person;
• use the Services for unauthorised commercial purposes (including advertising, solicitation, or recruitment) without our prior written permission; or
• encourage, assist, or enable any person to do any of the above.

5.3 Our response

We may investigate suspected misuse and may remove content, restrict features, suspend or ban Accounts, and take any other action we consider appropriate. Where legally required or reasonably necessary, we may report matters to relevant authorities.

6. Community Guidelines and content standards

6.1 Binding rules

The Community Guidelines apply to all use of the Services. A breach of the Community Guidelines is a breach of these Terms.

6.2 Prohibited content

You must not post, share, send, or otherwise make available content that:

• is illegal;
• involves minors in any way;
• includes non-consensual intimate imagery, sexual exploitation, or coercion;
• promotes hate, harassment, violence, or discrimination;
• meaningfully risks another person's safety, including doxxing or outing;
• involves scams, fraud, impersonation, threats, extortion, or blackmail; or
• otherwise breaches the Community Guidelines.

6.3 Reporting

If you believe content or an Account breaches these Terms, the Community Guidelines, or the law, you should report it using in-app reporting tools (where available) or by contacting support@scuttleapp.com.

6.4 Moderation

We may use a combination of automated tools and human review to detect, assess, and take action in relation to content and behaviour that breaches these Terms or the Community Guidelines.

7. User Content: your responsibility and the licences you grant

7.1 You remain responsible for your content

You own your User Content. You are solely responsible for your User Content and for ensuring you have all rights, permissions, and consents needed to submit or share it.

7.2 No infringement

You must not post User Content that infringes another person's rights, including privacy rights, intellectual property rights, and publicity rights.

7.3 Licence to Scuttle

By submitting User Content, you grant Scuttle a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable licence to host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, format, create derivative works from, display, and distribute that User Content to the extent necessary to operate, provide, secure, support, and improve the Services, including through service providers acting on our instructions.

This includes the right to process User Content to:

• enforce these Terms and the Community Guidelines;
• prevent harm and detect abuse, spam, fraud, and security threats; and
• comply with legal obligations.

Any processing of personal information is described in our Privacy Policy.

7.4 Licence to other users

You grant other users a licence to view your Profile Content and any User Content you choose to share with them through the Services, subject to your settings and the nature of the feature.

7.5 Moral rights

To the extent permitted by law, you agree not to assert any moral rights you may have in your User Content where it is necessary for Scuttle to use your User Content as permitted by these Terms.

7.6 Content may be copied by others

You understand that other users may copy, save, re-share, forward, or capture content you post or send (for example, by taking screenshots or screen recordings). We do not control what other users do with content outside the Services.

7.7 We are not a storage service

We do not guarantee that User Content will always be available, preserved, or retrievable. We may remove or restrict access to User Content at any time in accordance with these Terms.

8. Sessions

8.1 User-led features

Sessions and Session content are User Content. We do not host, organise, or verify any events, meet-ups, or activities that users may discuss or arrange through Sessions.

8.2 Your risk

Any participation in an activity arranged through the Services is at your own risk.

8.3 Enforcement

We may remove Session content or restrict Session features where we reasonably believe there has been a breach of these Terms, the Community Guidelines, or applicable law.

9. Location features

9.1 Location use

If you enable location permissions on your device, the Services may collect and use location information to provide location-based features, including showing you people who are nearby and supporting map functionality where available.

9.2 Temporary storage only

We store your location only temporarily while the relevant feature is active and we do not retain your location for longer than is necessary to provide that feature.

9.3 No misuse

You must not use location features to track, stalk, or harass anyone, or to infer or disclose another person's location without their consent.

9.4 Abuse and spoofing

We may restrict features, reduce precision, or suspend Accounts where we reasonably believe location information is being falsified or used to endanger others.

10. Privacy and data storage

10.1 Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal information.

10.2 International storage

By using the Services, you understand that personal information is stored in the United States, as described in the Privacy Policy, and may be processed there even if you are located in the United Kingdom.

11. Premium subscriptions, billing, and cancellation

11.1 App Store billing

If Premium is offered, Subscriptions are billed and managed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Subscriptions may renew automatically unless you cancel through your App Store Provider in accordance with their terms.

11.2 Cancellations and refunds

Cancellations and refunds are handled by your App Store Provider, not by Scuttle.

11.3 Deleting the app is not cancellation

Deleting the app or deleting your Account does not cancel your Subscription. You must cancel through your App Store Provider to stop future billing.

11.4 Changes to Premium

Premium features and pricing may change. Where required, your App Store Provider will notify you of changes and those changes will apply from the next renewal or as otherwise stated.

11.5 Fraud and abuse

We may restrict or terminate access where we reasonably believe there has been payment fraud, chargeback abuse, or repeated refund abuse, to the extent permitted by law.

12. Third-party services and App Store terms

12.1 Third-party services

The Services may integrate with, rely upon, or link to third-party services. We do not control third-party services and we are not responsible for them. Your use of any third-party service is governed by that provider's terms and policies.

12.2 App Store Providers

If you download the app from an App Store Provider, you acknowledge that these Terms are between you and Scuttle, not the App Store Provider. To the extent permitted by law:

• the App Store Provider has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the Services;
• the App Store Provider is not responsible for claims relating to the Services; and
• the App Store Provider is a third-party beneficiary of these Terms and may enforce them against you.

13. Enforcement, suspension, and termination

13.1 Our enforcement rights

We may review, remove, or restrict access to User Content and Accounts to enforce these Terms and the Community Guidelines, to keep users safe, to protect the integrity and security of the Services, or to comply with law.

13.2 Actions we may take

We may take action including removing content, restricting features, issuing warnings, temporarily suspending your Account, or banning or deleting your Account.

13.3 No notice where appropriate

We may act without notice where appropriate, including where we believe there is an immediate safety or security risk, suspected compromise of Accounts, or ongoing abuse.

13.4 No evasion

You must not attempt to evade a restriction or ban, including by creating new Accounts.

13.5 Appeals

If we remove content or restrict, suspend, or delete your Account, you may contact support@scuttleapp.com to request a review. We may request information necessary to verify your identity and investigate. We do not guarantee any particular outcome.

14. Safety and offline interactions

14.1 No verification

We do not conduct background checks and we do not verify users. You are responsible for your interactions with others, including any offline meetings.

14.2 Use caution

You should exercise caution, avoid sharing sensitive information (including financial details), and trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe or believe someone is at risk of harm, contact local emergency services.

15. Intellectual property and trade marks

15.1 Our content

Scuttle owns (or licenses) the Scuttle Content, including the app, software, designs, branding, and associated intellectual property rights. "Scuttle" and related marks are trade marks of Scuttle Limited.

15.2 Your licence to use the Services

We grant you a limited, revocable, personal, non-transferable, non-sublicensable licence to use the Services in accordance with these Terms. No other rights are granted.

15.3 Restrictions

You must not use our trade marks, branding, or "look and feel" without our prior written permission, or in any way that suggests endorsement, partnership, or affiliation.

15.4 Feedback

If you provide feedback or suggestions, you agree that we may use them without restriction or compensation.

16. Disclaimers

16.1 Statutory rights

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law. Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a Consumer.

16.2 "As is" / "as available"

The Services are provided "as is" and "as available". We do not guarantee uninterrupted access, that the Services will be error-free, secure, or free from viruses or other harmful components, or any particular outcomes, interactions, or results.

16.3 No implied terms (where permitted)

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties and conditions, whether express or implied.

17. Limitation of liability

17.1 Excluded losses

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive losses or damages, or for loss of profits, loss of data, loss of goodwill, or business interruption.

17.2 Liability cap

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or in connection with the Services or these Terms is limited to the greater of:

• the fees you paid to us (if any) in the previous three (3) months; or
• GBP 25 (or the equivalent in local currency).

17.3 Mandatory protections

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits 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.

This limitation applies only to the extent permitted by applicable law and does not affect mandatory Consumer protections.

17.4 Security incidents

Without limiting section 17.1, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss, damage, or harm arising from or in connection with:

• any unauthorised access to, alteration of, deletion of, or disclosure of User Content, Account data, or personal information; or
• any interruption, suspension, or degradation of the Services,

where this results from a cyberattack, hacking, malware, or other security incident not caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill, and subject always to sections 16.1 and 17.3.

18. Indemnity

18.1 Indemnity obligation

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Scuttle and the Scuttle Parties from and against any third-party claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees and costs) arising from or related to:

• your breach of these Terms or the Community Guidelines;
• your misuse of the Services;
• your infringement of another person's rights; or
• your unlawful acts or omissions.

18.2 Consumer fairness

If you are a Consumer, this section 18 applies only to the extent permitted by law and does not require you to indemnify Scuttle or any Scuttle Party for losses caused by our breach of these Terms, our failure to use reasonable care and skill, or any matter for which you cannot be made legally responsible.

18.3 Notice, defence, and cooperation

We will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any claim covered by this indemnity. We may, at our option, assume control of the defence and settlement of the claim. You agree to cooperate reasonably with the defence.

18.4 Settlement control

You must not settle any claim that imposes any obligation or liability on Scuttle or any Scuttle Party without our prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

19. Dispute resolution and governing law

19.1 Time limit to bring claims

To the maximum extent permitted by law, any claim arising out of or relating to the Services or these Terms must be brought within one (1) year of the event giving rise to the claim. If it is not brought within that time, it will be barred.

19.2 Injunctive relief

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief where appropriate.

19.3 United Kingdom

(a) If you are a Consumer resident in the UK, these Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. You may bring proceedings in the courts of England and Wales, or in the courts of the part of the UK where you live. We may bring proceedings against you in the courts of the part of the UK where you live.

(b) If you are a Business User in the UK, these Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales and disputes will be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), seated in London, and conducted in English.

19.4 United States

If you are resident in the United States, these Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of the arbitration agreement below.

US arbitration agreement. Except for claims that may be brought in small claims court and requests for urgent injunctive relief, you and Scuttle agree that disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services will be resolved by binding arbitration before a single arbitrator administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its applicable rules. Arbitration may be conducted remotely.

US class action waiver. Where permitted by law, disputes must be brought on an individual basis only. You and Scuttle agree not to bring or participate in any class, collective, representative, or private attorney general action in arbitration or in court. If a court determines that this waiver is unenforceable for a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will be severed and may proceed in court.

Small claims. Either party may bring an individual claim in a court that handles small claims, if it qualifies.

Where arbitration or a class action waiver is unenforceable, disputes will be resolved in the courts of competent jurisdiction, and mandatory Consumer protections are preserved.

20. General terms

20.1 Assignment

We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms. You may not assign your rights or obligations without our prior written consent.

20.2 Third-party rights

The Scuttle Parties are intended third-party beneficiaries of sections 16 (Disclaimers), 17 (Limitation of liability), and 18 (Indemnity) and may enforce those sections.

Except as stated above, a person who is not a party to these Terms has no right to enforce any term of these Terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

20.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

20.4 No waiver

If we do not enforce a provision immediately, we do not waive our right to enforce it later.

20.5 Survival

Provisions which by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnity, and dispute resolution) will survive.

21. Contact and legal notices

For support or general enquiries, contact support@scuttleapp.com.

For legal notices (including intellectual property notices), contact legal@scuttleapp.com or write to:

Scuttle Limited
66 Paul Street
London, England
EC2A 4NA