Helping Military Teens Connect

PRIVACY POLICY

MilTeenChat is a fast and fun way to share experiences with your friends and the world around you. You can send a photo or message to friends, touch base using Chat, get help or support through articles specifically designed for military teens’ experiences and share tips, challenges, favorites and information about your experience.

When you use these services you’ll share some information with us. We get that that can affect your privacy. So we want to be upfront about the information we collect, how we use it, whom we share it with, and the choices we give you to control, access, and update your information.

That’s why we’ve written this Privacy Policy. And it’s why we’ve tried to write it in a way that’s free of the legalese that often clouds these documents.

Information We Collect

There are three basic categories of information we collect:

Information you choose to give us.
Information we get when you use our services.

Here’s a little more detail on each of these categories.

Information You Choose to Give Us

When you interact with our services, we collect the information that you choose to share with us. For example, most of our services require you to set up a basic MilTeenChat account, so we need to collect a few important details about you, such as: a unique username you’d like to go by, a password, an email address and your date of birth. We do not make your profile available to others unless you click on “Featured Profile.”

Information We Get When You Use Our Services

When you use the MilTeenChat app, we collect information about which articles you liked, your number of deployments, your tips for other teens and much of the Profile information you enter.

Device Information. We collect device-specific information, such as the hardware model, operating system version, advertising identifier, unique application identifiers, unique device identifiers, browser type, language, wireless network, and mobile network information (including the mobile phone number).

Camera and Photos. Many of our services require us to collect images and other information from your device’s camera and photos. For example, you won’t be able to send Snaps or upload photos from your camera roll unless we can access your camera or photos.

How We Use Information

What do we do with the information we collect? The short answer is: Provide you with an amazing set of products and services that we relentlessly improve. Here are some of the ways we do that:

develop, operate, improve, deliver, maintain, and protect our products and services.
send you communications, including by email. For example, we may use email to respond to support inquiries or to share information about our services that we think may interest you.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and Pt Pal will monitor and analyze trends and usage. The information will not be used for commercial purposes.
personalize the services by, among other things, suggesting friends or profile information, or customizing the content.
contextualize your experience by, allowing users at your base to connect with you.
enhance the safety and security of MilTeenChat.
verify your identity and prevent fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.
enforce our Terms of Service and other usage policies.

We may also store some information locally on your device. For example, we may store information as local cache so that you can open the app and view content faster.

How We Share Information

We may share information about you in the following ways:

With other MilTeenChatters if you consent. We may share the following information with other MilTeenChatters:
- information about you, such as your username, name, and profile picture.
- content you post or send will be shared with other MilTeenChatters you are friends with;

Content Capture

MilTeenChat lets you capture what it’s like to live in the moment. You should understand that users who see the content you provide can always save it using any number of techniques: screenshots, in-app functionality, or any other image-capture technology. It’s also possible, as with any digital information, that someone might be able to access messages forensically or find them in a device’s temporary storage. Keep in mind that, while our systems are designed to carry out our deletion practices automatically, we cannot promise that deletion will occur within a specific timeframe. And we may need to suspend those deletion practices if we receive valid legal process asking us to preserve content or if we receive reports of abuse or other Terms of Service violations. Finally, we may also retain certain information in backup for a limited period of time or as required by law.

Control over Your Information

We want you to be in control of your information, so we provide you with the following tools.

Account Deletion. While we hope you’ll remain a lifelong MilTeenChatter, if for some reason you ever want to delete your account, just ask to delete your account, you will have up to 30 days to restore your account before we delete your information from our servers. During this period, your account will not be visible to other MilTeenChatters.
Communicating with other MilTeenChatters. It’s also important to us that you stay in control over whom you communicate with. That’s why we’ve built a number of tools in Settings that let you indicate, whether you’d like to remove another MilTeenChatter.

Children

Our services are not intended for anyone over 17. And that’s why we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone over 17.

Revisions to the Privacy Policy

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. But when we do, we’ll let you know one way or another. Sometimes, we’ll let you know by revising the date at the top of the Privacy Policy that’s available on our website and mobile application. Other times, we may provide you with additional notice (such as adding a statement to our websites’ homepages or providing you with an in-app notification).

TERMS OF SERVICE

Serving Military Teens

Welcome!

We’re thrilled you’ve decided to use MilTeenChat.

We’ve drafted these Terms of Service (which we call the “Terms”) so you’ll know the rules that govern our relationship with you. Although we have tried our best to strip the legalese from the Terms, there are places where these Terms may still read like a traditional contract. There’s a good reason for that: These Terms do indeed form a legally binding contract between you and MilTeenChat. So please read them carefully.

By using the Services, you agree to the Terms. Of course, if you don’t agree with them, then don’t use the Services.

ARBITRATION NOTICE: THESE TERMS CONTAIN AN ARBITRATION CLAUSE A LITTLE LATER ON. EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF DISPUTES MENTIONED IN THAT ARBITRATION CLAUSE, YOU AND MILTEENCHAT AGREE THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN US WILL BE RESOLVED BY MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION, AND YOU AND MILTEENCHAT WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

Who Can Use the Services

Only children with parents or guardians in the Military between the ages of 13-17 are allowed to create an account or use the Services.

By using the Services, you and your parents/guardian state that:

You can form a binding contract with MilTeenChat.
You are not a person who is barred from receiving the Services under the laws of the United States or any other applicable jurisdiction—meaning that you do not appear on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals or face any other similar prohibition.
You will comply with these Terms and all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, rules, and regulations.

Safety

We try hard to keep our Services a safe place for all users. But we can’t guarantee it. That’s where you come in. By using the Services, you agree that:

You will not use the Services for any purpose that is illegal or prohibited in these Terms.
You will not use any robot, spider, crawler, scraper, or other automated means or interface to access the Services or extract other user’s information.
You will not use or develop any third-party applications that interact with the Services or other users’ content or information.
You will not use the Services in a way that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Services, or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Services.
You will not use or attempt to use another user’s account, username, or password without their permission.
You will not solicit login credentials from another user.
You will not post content that contains pornography, graphic violence, threats, hate speech, or incitements to violence.
You will not upload viruses or other malicious code or otherwise compromise the security of the Services.
You will not attempt to circumvent any content-filtering techniques we employ, or attempt to access areas or features of the Services that you are not authorized to access.
You will not probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of our Services or any system or network.
You will not encourage or promote any activity that violates these Terms.

We also care about your safety while using our Services. So do not use our Services in a way that would distract you from obeying traffic or safety laws. For example, never use MilTeenChat and drive. And never put yourself or others in harm’s way.

Your Account

You are responsible for any activity that occurs in your MilTeenChat account. So it’s important that you keep your account secure. One way to do that is to select a strong password that you don’t use for any other account.

By using the Services, you agree that, in addition to exercising common sense:

You will not create more than one account for yourself.
You will not create another account if we have already disabled your account, unless you have our written permission to do so.
You will not buy, sell, rent, or lease access to your MilTeenChat account.
You will not share your password.

If you think that someone has gained access to your account, please immediately reach out to MilTeenChat Support: info@ptpal.com

Data Charges and Mobile Phones

You are responsible for any mobile charges that you may incur for using our Services, including text-messaging and data charges. If you’re unsure what those charges may be, you should ask your service provider before using the Services.

Disclaimers

We try to keep the Services up and running and free of annoyances. But we make no promises that we will succeed.

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN ADDITION, WHILE MILTEENCHAT ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE A GOOD USER EXPERIENCE, WE DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICES WILL ALWAYS BE SECURE, ERROR-FREE, OR TIMELY; (B) THE SERVICES WILL ALWAYS FUNCTION WITHOUT DELAYS, DISRUPTIONS, OR IMPERFECTIONS; OR (C) THAT ANY CONTENT, USER CONTENT, OR INFORMATION YOU OBTAIN ON OR THROUGH THE SERVICES WILL BE TIMELY OR ACCURATE.

MILTEENCHAT TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY AND ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ANY CONTENT THAT YOU OR ANOTHER USER CREATES, UPLOADS, POSTS, SENDS, RECEIVES, OR STORES ON OR THROUGH OUR SERVICES. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOU MAY BE EXPOSED TO CONTENT THAT MIGHT BE OFFENSIVE, ILLEGAL, MISLEADING, OR OTHERWISE INAPPROPRIATE, NONE OF WHICH MILTEENCHAT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

Arbitration, Class-Action Waiver, and Jury Waiver

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE YOU AND MILTEENCHAT TO AGREE TO RESOLVE ALL DISPUTES BETWEEN US THROUGH BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION.

Applicability of Arbitration Agreement. You and MilTeenChat agree that all claims and disputes (whether contract, tort, or otherwise), including all statutory claims and disputes, arising out of or relating to these Terms or the use of the Services that cannot be resolved in small claims court will be resolved by binding arbitration on an individual basis, except that you and MilTeenChat are not required to arbitrate any dispute in which either party seeks equitable relief for the alleged unlawful use of copyrights, trademarks, trade names, logos, trade secrets, or patents. To be clear: The phrase “all claims and disputes” also includes claims and disputes that arose between us before the effective date of these Terms.
Arbitration Rules. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this dispute-resolution provision. Arbitration will be initiated through the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and will be governed by the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules, available here as of the date of these Terms, or by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879. If the AAA is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. The rules of the arbitral forum will govern all aspects of this arbitration, except to the extent those rules conflict with these Terms. The arbitration will be conducted by a single neutral arbitrator. Any claims or disputes where the total amount sought is less than $10,000 USD may be resolved through binding non-appearance-based arbitration, at the option of the party seeking relief. For claims or disputes where the total amount sought is $10,000 USD or more, the right to a hearing will be determined by the arbitral forum’s rules. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Additional Rules for Non-appearance Arbitration. If non-appearance arbitration is elected, the arbitration will be conducted by telephone, online, written submissions, or any combination of the three; the specific manner will be chosen by the party initiating the arbitration. The arbitration will not involve any personal appearance by the parties or witnesses unless the parties mutually agree otherwise.
Authority of the Arbitrator. The arbitrator will decide the jurisdiction of the arbitrator and the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and MilTeenChat. The dispute will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim or dispute. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under law, the arbitral forum’s rules, and the Terms. The arbitrator will issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and MilTeenChat
Waiver of Jury Trial. YOU AND MILTEENCHAT WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO GO TO COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR A JURY. You and MilTeenChat are instead electing to have claims and disputes resolved by arbitration. Arbitration procedures are typically more limited, more efficient, and less costly than rules applicable in court and are subject to very limited review by a court. In any litigation between you and MilTeenChat over whether to vacate or enforce an arbitration award, YOU AND MILTEENCHAT WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL, and elect instead to have the dispute be resolved by a judge.
Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. ALL CLAIMS AND DISPUTES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT MUST BE ARBITRATED OR LITIGATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A CLASS BASIS. CLAIMS OF MORE THAN ONE CUSTOMER OR USER CANNOT BE ARBITRATED OR LITIGATED JOINTLY OR CONSOLIDATED WITH THOSE OF ANY OTHER CUSTOMER OR USER. If, however, this waiver of class or consolidated actions is deemed invalid or unenforceable, neither you nor we are entitled to arbitration; instead all claims and disputes will be resolved in a court as set forth in under ‘Exclusive Venue.’
Right to Waive. Any rights and limitations set forth in this arbitration agreement may be waived by the party against whom the claim is asserted. Such waiver will not waive or affect any other portion of this arbitration agreement.
Small Claims Court. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either you or MilTeenChat may bring an individual action in small claims court.
Arbitration Agreement Survival. This arbitration agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with MilTeenChat

Exclusive Venue

To the extent that these Terms allow you or MilTeenChat to initiate litigation in a court, both you and MilTeenChat agree that all claims and disputes (whether contract, tort, or otherwise), including statutory claims and disputes, arising out of or relating to the Terms or the use of the Services will be litigated exclusively in the United States District Court for the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. If, however, that court would lack original jurisdiction over the litigation, then all such claims and disputes will be litigated exclusively in the Central District of California. You and MilTeenChat consent to the personal jurisdiction of both courts.

Choice of Law

Except to the extent they are preempted by U.S. federal law, the laws of California, other than its conflict-of-laws principles, govern these Terms and any claims and disputes (whether contract, tort, or otherwise) arising out of or relating to these Terms or their subject matter.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, then that provision will be severed from these Terms and not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

Additional Terms for Specific Services

Given the breadth of our Services, we sometimes need to craft additional terms and conditions for specific Services. Those additional terms and conditions, which will be available with the relevant Services, then become part of your agreement with us if you use those Services. If any part of those additional terms and conditions conflicts with these Terms, the additional terms and conditions will prevail.

Final Terms

These Terms (together with any additional terms applicable to specific Services you use) make up the entire agreement between you and MilTeenChat, and supersede any prior agreements.
These Terms do not create or confer any third-party beneficiary rights.
If we do not enforce a provision in these Terms, it will not be considered a waiver.
We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you.
You may not transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without our consent.