Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: January 30, 2026

The Simple Version (For Kids!)

  • ✅ Be kind to everyone on WorryZap
  • ✅ Keep your password secret
  • ✅ Don't share personal info like addresses or phone numbers
  • ✅ This is for sharing feelings, not emergencies
  • ✅ If something serious happens, talk to a trusted adult
  • ✅ We'll keep you safe, but you need to help too!

1. Agreement to Terms

By using WorryZap, you agree to these Terms and Conditions ("Terms"). These Terms are a legal agreement between you (the user) and WorryZap.

If you are under 18:

  • You must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to use WorryZap
  • Your parent/guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf
  • By providing a parent email during signup, you confirm parental permission has been given

If you do NOT agree to these Terms, you must NOT use WorryZap.

2. Age Requirements

WorryZap is designed for children ages 8-13 years old.

  • You must be at least 8 years old to create an account
  • We recommend the service for users 13 and under
  • Users under 13 must provide a parent/guardian email address
  • Parents must give permission for children to use the service

Note: We do not verify ages but trust users to be truthful. Lying about your age violates these Terms.

3. Account Creation & Security

Creating Your Account

  • You must choose a username ("Code Name") that doesn't contain your real name
  • You must create a secure password
  • You must provide a valid parent/guardian email address
  • You must answer a security question honestly (for account recovery)
  • All information must be accurate and truthful

Your Responsibilities

  • Keep your password SECRET - don't share it with anyone (except parents if needed)
  • Don't share your account with others
  • Tell a parent immediately if you think someone accessed your account
  • You are responsible for all activity on your account
  • If you forget your password, use the recovery options - don't create multiple accounts

4. Acceptable Use & Conduct

✅ What You SHOULD Do:

  • Be kind, supportive, and respectful to everyone
  • Share your feelings honestly but safely
  • Use pre-written supportive messages to help friends
  • Report anything that makes you uncomfortable
  • Ask a trusted adult for help with serious worries

❌ What You MUST NOT Do:

  • No bullying, harassment, or being mean to other users
  • No sharing personal information such as:
    • Full names (yours or others')
    • Home addresses or school addresses
    • Phone numbers
    • Email addresses
    • Social media usernames
    • Photos or descriptions that could identify you
  • No inappropriate content:
    • Sexual content or references
    • Violence or graphic content
    • Hate speech, racism, or discrimination
    • Illegal activities
    • Drugs, alcohol, or substance references
  • No spam - posting the same thing over and over
  • No impersonation - pretending to be someone else
  • No hacking or abuse - trying to break the system or access others' accounts
  • No encouraging harmful behavior - don't encourage others to do dangerous things

5. Content Moderation & Safety

To keep WorryZap safe for everyone, we moderate all public content:

Automatic Word Filtering

All posts shared to the Worry Wall are automatically checked against a list of blocked or inappropriate words before appearing. This helps reduce bullying, offensive language, and spam.

What Happens to Rule-Breaking Content

  • Minor issues: Post may be rejected with a kind explanation
  • Repeated violations: Account may be temporarily suspended
  • Serious violations: Account may be permanently banned
  • Safety concerns: We may take additional steps to protect safety, which can include contacting a parent/guardian if appropriate
  • Illegal content: May be reported to authorities

Our Rights

We reserve the right to:

  • Review, edit, or remove any content at any time
  • Suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms
  • Report serious safety concerns to parents or authorities
  • Decide what is appropriate for WorryZap

6. No Professional Advice or Help

⚠️ CRITICAL DISCLAIMER

WorryZap is NOT a substitute for professional help. We are NOT:

  • Mental health professionals, therapists, psychologists, or counselors
  • Medical doctors or healthcare providers
  • A crisis intervention or emergency service
  • A suicide prevention hotline
  • A replacement for talking to trusted adults

WorryZap is a peer support platform for everyday worries and feelings. It is meant for friendship and support, NOT for emergencies or serious mental health issues.

If you are in crisis or danger:

  • Talk to a trusted adult IMMEDIATELY (parent, teacher, school counselor)
  • Call emergency services if in immediate danger
  • Contact a crisis helpline:
    • United Kingdom: Call 999 in an emergency
    • Childline (UK): 0800 1111
    • If you are outside the UK, contact your local emergency number or a trusted adult

7. Ownership & Content Rights

Your Content

You own the worries, reactions, and other content you create on WorryZap. However, by posting content publicly (to the Worry Wall), you grant us a limited license to:

  • Display your content to other WorryZap users
  • Store and moderate your content
  • Use anonymized content for improving safety features

We will NOT sell or use your content for advertising. If you delete content, we will remove it (except from backups, which are deleted within 30 days).

Our Content

The WorryZap platform, design, code, graphics, and pre-written messages are owned by us and protected by copyright law. You may not copy, modify, or distribute our content without permission.

8. Privacy

Your privacy is very important to us. Please read our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your information. By using WorryZap, you also agree to our Privacy Policy.

9. Disclaimers & Limitations

"AS IS" Service

WorryZap is provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranties. We do not guarantee that the service will always be available, error-free, or secure.

No Guarantee of Outcomes

We cannot guarantee that using WorryZap will make you feel better, solve problems, or have any specific result. Peer support is helpful but not professional care.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, WorryZap and its creators are NOT liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the service. This includes but is not limited to: emotional distress, worsened mental health, data loss, or any other damages.

Maximum Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claims related to WorryZap is limited as allowed under applicable UK law.

User Responsibility

You acknowledge that you use WorryZap at your own risk. You are responsible for seeking appropriate help for serious issues. We are not responsible for advice or support given by other users.

10. Indemnification

You (or your parent/guardian on your behalf) agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless WorryZap, its creators, and service providers from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any law or regulation
  • Content you post on WorryZap
  • Your use of the service

11. Account Termination

You Can Delete Your Account

You may request account deletion at any time by contacting worryzapp@gmail.com from the parent email on file. We will delete your account and personal data within 30 days.

We Can Suspend or Terminate Your Account

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if:

  • You violate these Terms
  • You repeatedly post inappropriate content
  • You engage in bullying or harassment
  • We believe your account poses a safety risk
  • We are required to do so by law
  • We decide to discontinue the service

Effect of Termination

Upon termination, you lose access to your account and content. We may delete your data according to our Privacy Policy. Sections of these Terms that should survive (like liability limitations) continue to apply.

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make changes:

  • We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
  • For significant changes, we will notify users via email to the parent address
  • We will post a notice on the platform
  • Continued use of WorryZap after changes means you accept the new Terms

If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using WorryZap and may delete your account.

13. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United Kingdom.

Any disputes arising from the use of WorryZap will be handled according to UK law.

14. Miscellaneous

Severability: If any part of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

Entire Agreement: These Terms and our Privacy Policy make up the entire agreement between you and WorryZap.

No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right doesn't mean we've waived that right.

Assignment: You cannot transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer our rights to another company.

Survival: Sections that should logically survive termination (like liability limitations, ownership) will continue to apply.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please have a parent or guardian contact us:

Email: worryzapp@gmail.com

By using WorryZap, you acknowledge that you (or your parent/guardian) have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree, please do not use WorryZap.