Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using the CitizenLens mobile application ("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.

2. Service Description

CitizenLens is a civic accountability platform that enables users to:

• Report civic infrastructure issues (potholes, garbage, streetlights, etc.) with photographic evidence and location data
• Track the status and resolution of complaints
• Share complaints on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, and email
• Support, comment on, and re-share complaints filed by other users
• Amplify unresolved complaints publicly (X, WhatsApp, email) to increase visibility with relevant authorities
• Contribute to community-verified signboard and road-condition data via on-device OCR scans
• Submit traffic-violation reports with on-device license-plate OCR
• Draft accident reports and Right-to-Information (RTI) applications linked to complaints, for the user to submit on the relevant public portal

3. User Responsibilities

3.1 Accurate Information

You agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information in all complaints, contributions, and reports
• Only report genuine issues that you have personally observed
• Not fabricate, exaggerate, or misrepresent civic issues, signboard locations, road conditions, or traffic violations
• Provide a valid email or phone number for account verification

3.2 Prohibited Content

You must NOT submit:

• False or misleading reports
• Content that harasses, threatens, or defames any individual or organization
• Obscene, vulgar, or sexually explicit material
• Content that incites violence, hatred, or discrimination
• Personal information of others (license plates of private vehicles outside a genuine traffic-violation context, faces of bystanders, home addresses, etc.) without consent or a legitimate civic-reporting purpose
• Spam, promotional content, or advertisements
• Content that violates any applicable law or regulation

3.3 Content Ownership

• You retain ownership of photos and content you submit
• By submitting content, you grant CitizenLens a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content within the App so other citizens can see, support, and amplify your complaints
• This license continues even if you delete your account, for content that has been posted publicly or viewed by other users — and for any messages you have already sent through your own apps (Twitter, WhatsApp, email) using the App's drafting tools

3.4 Community Conduct

• You agree not to harass, stalk, dox, or impersonate other users
• You agree not to manipulate community-verification features (signboard vouches, road-condition confirmations, supports) through coordinated inauthentic behavior or multiple accounts

4. Content Accuracy, Verification, and Moderation

• CitizenLens does not independently verify the accuracy of user-submitted complaints, signboard contributions, road conditions, or traffic violations
• We reserve the right to moderate, flag, or remove content that violates these Terms
• Other users may report content. After 5 distinct user reports, content is automatically hidden pending review.
• Authors of removed content may appeal the action via the App, and we will respond with a decision notification.
• Repeated submission of false reports may result in account suspension or termination
• You may block other users to remove their content from your feed, comments, map, and notifications

5. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• CitizenLens is provided "AS IS" without warranties of any kind
• We do not guarantee that complaints will be resolved by authorities
• We are not liable for any actions or inactions by government authorities
• We are not responsible for the accuracy of user-submitted content, including OCR-extracted text from signboards or license plates
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages
• Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed INR 1,000 (one thousand rupees)

6. Account Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

• Violate these Terms of Service
• Submit repeated false or malicious reports
• Engage in harassment or abuse of other users
• Attempt to manipulate or abuse the platform's verification or escalation features
• Use automated systems to submit complaints

You may delete your account at any time through Settings → Privacy → Delete Account, which requires biometric or password re-authentication. Upon deletion, your personal data will be handled as described in our Privacy Policy.

7. Intellectual Property

• The CitizenLens name, logo, design, and software are owned by CitizenLens and protected by intellectual property laws
• You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of any part of the App
• User-submitted content remains the property of the respective users, subject to the license granted in Section 3.3

8. Privacy

Your use of the App is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

9. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through an in-app notification and an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with updated Terms, you should stop using the App and delete your account.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

• These Terms are governed by the laws of India
• Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of competent jurisdiction in India
• Any dispute shall first be attempted to be resolved through mediation before pursuing legal action

11. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms:

Website: citizenlens-in.vercel.app
Email: citizenlens.support@gmail.com