Symthink Terms of Use

Last updated: January 29th, 2026

Welcome to Symthink (the “Service”), owned and operated by Symthink, Inc. These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of Symthink’s mobile app, web app (PWA), website, and related services.

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Acceptance of Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Terms and update the “Last updated” date above. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

2. Services Offered

Symthink is a gamified structured-thinking tool. Depending on your device and feature availability, the Service may let you:

• Create and maintain a tree-structured document (for example: questions, ideas, claims, and sources).
• Publish and share a public link to a “Vision” page others can navigate and interact with.
• Explore civic-level features (for example the Civic Ladder / spheres of influence) using GPS or an address you provide.
• Interact with shared/public content (for example: views, subscriptions, and collaboration features where available).
• Use AI-assisted features (e.g. rephrasing text).

We may add, remove, or change features at any time, including during beta periods, and we do not guarantee that any particular feature will always be available.

3. User-Generated Content

The Service allows you to create, upload, or enter content (collectively, “User Content”) into a tree-structured document with labeled branches like “Vision,” “Career,” “Stories,” and others.

Ownership

You retain any intellectual property rights you have in your User Content.

License to Symthink (required to operate the Service)

To operate the Service (for example: storing, syncing across devices, formatting for display, and enabling sharing features), you grant Symthink a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, modify (for example for formatting), display, and distribute your User Content, solely as needed to provide and improve the Service.

Sharing and public links

If you choose to publish or share a public link (for example a shared “Vision” page), you understand and agree that:

• You control sharing: Sharing is enabled or disabled through in-app settings (for example “Publish”, “Update”, and “Unpublish”). You can update or unpublish at any time.
• Public link + in-app visibility: When you publish, the Service creates a public version of your Vision that may be accessible via a public URL and may appear within the Service (for example on Civic Ladder / leaderboard views) for the civic area you select.
• Public access: Public links may be accessible by anyone with the link, and recipients may be able to copy, share, screenshot, or otherwise redistribute content outside of Symthink. We cannot control what others do with public content.
• Metrics and analytics: Interactions with published public content may generate metrics (for example views and votes) that are displayed in the Service. If you unpublish, the public copy of your Vision (including associated metrics/analytics) may be deleted.
• Anonymity limits: If the Service offers “anonymous” publishing, it is intended to reduce public attribution (for example showing “Resident of [your location]” instead of your name), but it does not guarantee true anonymity.
• Auto-update: If you enable auto-updates, the Service may refresh your published Vision automatically on a schedule (for example daily at 9am UTC).

User Content; No Endorsement; Section 230 (U.S.)

Users—not Symthink—are solely responsible for their User Content and for anything they publish, share, or make public through the Service. Symthink does not endorse, support, represent, or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, or reliability of any User Content.

Where applicable, Symthink is an “interactive computer service” provider under Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230) and is not treated as the publisher or speaker of information provided by another information content provider. We may (but have no obligation to) monitor, remove, or restrict access to User Content at any time for any reason, including to comply with law or our policies.

Your responsibilities

You represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to submit your User Content and that your User Content (and your use of the Service) will not violate any law or infringe any third-party rights.

You agree not to post any content that:

• Violates applicable laws or infringes on others’ rights.
• Contains offensive, misleading, or abusive content.

4. Age Restrictions

The Service is not intended for children under 13. You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Service. If you are under 18 (or the age of majority where you live), you may use the Service only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

5. Privacy and Data Collection

We collect and use information as described in our Privacy Policy. In summary, this may include:

• Authentication details: basic profile details from your chosen authentication provider (for example Google or Apple).
• User content: content you add to your Symthink document, stored to support syncing.
• Optional civic area inputs: GPS or address-derived civic area identifiers for Civic Ladder features (where you choose to use them).
• Limited analytics and security data: for example interaction events with shared/public content and technical data used for abuse prevention.

6. Accounts and Security

You may need an account to use some features of the Service. Symthink currently supports sign-in through third-party identity providers (for example Google or Apple). You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and for all activity that occurs under your account.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

The Service may integrate with or depend on third-party services (for example Supabase for authentication/database hosting, Mapbox for geocoding, and OpenAI for AI features). Your use of third-party services may be subject to their separate terms and policies, and Symthink is not responsible for third-party services.

8. Intellectual Property

All content posted by you on the Service remains your own intellectual property, subject to any licenses you grant to us or other users under these Terms. By default, each user maintains ownership of their content, and the Service reserves the right to remove or moderate content that does not align with these Terms.

The Service’s proprietary content, design, and branding are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Unauthorized use of the Service’s content may violate these laws.

9. Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute, we encourage resolution through the following steps:

1. Informal Resolution: The parties will first attempt to resolve disputes informally.
2. Mediation: If unresolved, either party may propose mediation.
3. Arbitration (if applicable): If unresolved, disputes may proceed to binding arbitration where permitted by law and where agreed by the parties.
4. Legal Proceedings: If arbitration is not required or does not resolve the issue, parties may pursue legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Nothing in these Terms limits any defenses or immunities Symthink may have under applicable law, including (where applicable) Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230).

10. User Conduct

You agree to use the Service in a lawful and respectful manner. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Posting misleading, defamatory, or offensive content.
• Using the Service for unauthorized commercial purposes.
• Circumventing any security features or engaging in activities that could harm or disrupt the Service.
• Attempting to access accounts, data, or systems you are not authorized to access.
• Using bots, scrapers, or automated methods to access the Service in a manner that burdens or disrupts it.

11. AI-Assisted Features

If the Service provides AI-assisted features, you understand that AI output may be inaccurate, incomplete, or inappropriate. AI features are provided for informational and drafting purposes only and are not professional advice. You are responsible for reviewing and verifying any output before relying on it or sharing it.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. While we strive to maintain a secure and functioning Service, we do not guarantee uninterrupted operation, availability on all platforms, or the accuracy of any content (including AI-generated content). To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Symthink will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the Service, including any damages arising from:

• User Content (including content you publish or share via public links),
• the conduct of other users or third parties,
• any unauthorized access to or use of our servers or content,
• or any errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies in content (including AI-generated content).

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Symthink’s total liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) $100 USD or (b) the amount you paid Symthink (if any) in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Symthink and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to (i) your User Content (including anything you publish or share), (ii) your use of the Service, or (iii) your violation of these Terms or applicable law.

14. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms periodically. Material changes will be posted on the Service or on our website, and your continued use of the Service following such changes constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about these Terms, please contact us at symthink@googlegroups.com.

Thank you for using Symthink! We’re glad to be with you on your journey.