Last updated: October 2026

Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Crosschatter and all services, features, and content we offer (collectively, the "Service"). By accessing or using Crosschatter in any way — including as an anonymous user — you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Crosschatter. "You" refers to any person who accesses or uses the Service, whether registered or anonymous.

1. Eligibility

By using Crosschatter, you represent and warrant that:

  • You are at least 18 years of age.
  • You have the legal capacity and authority to enter into this agreement.
  • Your use of the Service complies with all laws and regulations applicable in your jurisdiction.
  • You are not prohibited from using the Service under any applicable law or prior ban.

We reserve the right to verify age and eligibility at any time and to terminate accounts that do not meet these requirements.

2. User Accounts

Account Registration

If you create an account, you agree to:

  • Provide accurate, complete, and current information during registration.
  • Maintain and promptly update your account information to keep it accurate.
  • Keep your password confidential and not share it with any third party.
  • Be solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account.
  • Notify us immediately at support@crosschatter.com of any unauthorized use of your account.
  • Not create more than one account per person, or create an account on behalf of another person without their consent.

Two-Factor Authentication & Security

We offer two-factor authentication (TOTP-based 2FA) and magic link login as additional security measures. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your 2FA devices and backup codes. We are not liable for losses arising from your failure to secure your credentials.

Anonymous Usage

You may use Crosschatter without creating an account. Anonymous users are still bound by all provisions of these Terms and our Community Guidelines. Anonymity does not exempt you from liability for violations.

Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Upon deletion, your profile and associated personal data will be removed, subject to our data retention obligations described in the Privacy Policy.

3. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree NOT to use Crosschatter to:

  • Harass, threaten, intimidate, stalk, or abuse any other user.
  • Engage in or promote discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
  • Share, solicit, or distribute sexually explicit, pornographic, or obscene content.
  • Engage in or facilitate any illegal activity under any applicable law.
  • Share malware, viruses, phishing links, or any code intended to compromise systems or accounts.
  • Impersonate any person, entity, or organization, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
  • Send unsolicited commercial messages, spam, or chain messages.
  • Violate the privacy, intellectual property, or other legal rights of any third party.
  • Engage in scams, fraud, financial exploitation, or solicit money from other users.
  • Share personal information of other users without their explicit consent (doxxing).
  • Attempt to circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features, rate limiting, or content moderation systems.
  • Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to access or collect data from the Service.
  • Use the Service to recruit, groom, or exploit minors in any way.
  • Coordinate attacks or brigading campaigns against specific users or communities.
  • Exploit bugs, glitches, or vulnerabilities rather than reporting them to us.
  • Click on ads, or ask or encourage others to, in order to generate artificial impressions, clicks or revenue, or use any tool to do so.
  • Use the Service in any manner that could damage, disable, or impair our servers or networks.

4. Chat Features & Matching

Text, Voice, and Video Chat

Crosschatter offers text chat, voice calls, and video calls facilitated via WebRTC peer-to-peer connections. You acknowledge that:

  • You consent to audio and/or video transmission when initiating or accepting calls.
  • You assume all responsibility for your statements and appearance during calls.
  • Recording or capturing video or audio of any call without the explicit consent of all parties is strictly prohibited and may be illegal in your jurisdiction.
  • We do not record peer-to-peer calls, but call metadata (duration, timestamps) may be logged.
  • You may not stream, broadcast, or redistribute calls to external platforms without all participants' consent.

Public & Watch Mode Chats

Users may make their chat sessions publicly viewable ("Watch Mode"). By enabling public chat:

  • You consent to your messages being visible to any user on the platform.
  • Viewers may comment on your chat. You accept that viewer interactions are subject to the same conduct rules.
  • You may not enable public mode for conversations containing sensitive, private, or explicit content.
  • You remain responsible for all content shared in public sessions.

Matching & Filters

The matching system uses location data, interests, and optional demographic information to pair users. You acknowledge that:

  • Match quality is not guaranteed. Crosschatter is not responsible for the suitability, conduct, or safety of matched users.
  • Providing false filter information to manipulate matching is prohibited.
  • Location data you provide is used for matching. At country level only, it may also appear in the anonymous live activity figures and recent country pairings shown on our public pages, as described in our Privacy Policy.
  • Filters limit who you can be matched with; they do not guarantee that anyone matching them is online. If nobody matches, you may wait in the queue until someone does.
  • Some of our public pages can pre-set your filters (for example, a country) when you choose to start a chat from them. You can change or remove these filters at any time.
  • Live figures we display (such as the number of people online, countries online or recent connections) describe activity at that moment and are not a promise of availability.

Automatic Translation

Text chat messages may be translated automatically using a third-party service (MyMemory). Translations are machine-generated and may be inaccurate or miss tone and context; the original message is always available. You remain responsible for what you write, in any language, and you may not use translation to disguise content that breaks these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

Sharing a Connection

After a chat, you can share a link showing your country, your chat partner's country and the chat type. By sharing it, you agree that:

  • You will not add details to the link, or post it alongside anything, that could identify your chat partner, such as their username, appearance, messages or screenshots of the chat.
  • You will not use shared links, or any other feature, to locate, identify or contact a chat partner outside the Service without their consent.
  • Shared links contain no personal information, and we may change or disable the feature at any time.

Message Editing & Swap Commands

The Service includes a message editing feature (including sed-style swap commands: s/find/replace/). Editing is available for your own messages. You may not edit messages to retroactively misrepresent what was said in a conversation for deceptive purposes.

Referral Program

Registered users can invite friends and earn referral points. Referral points have no cash value and cannot be sold, transferred or exchanged for money. Referring yourself, creating fake or duplicate accounts, or using spam or automated tools to generate referrals is prohibited. We may withhold or remove points earned this way, and we may change or end the referral program at any time.

GIF & Media Embedding

GIF search is provided via a third-party API (Klipy). By using GIF search, you agree to that service's terms of use. You may not use embedded media features to share prohibited content.

5. Direct Messages

The Direct Message (DM) feature allows persistent private communication between registered users. By using DMs:

  • You acknowledge that DM content is stored on our servers and subject to our Privacy Policy.
  • You may not use DMs to harass, spam, or solicit other users.
  • If a user blocks or restricts you, you must not attempt to circumvent that restriction.
  • DMs may be reviewed by our moderation team if reported for policy violations.

6. Communities

Crosschatter offers a community feature allowing users to create and join groups. Community creators and administrators are subject to additional responsibilities:

  • Community owners and moderators are responsible for ensuring their communities comply with these Terms and Community Guidelines.
  • You may not create communities intended to facilitate harassment, illegal activity, hate speech, or any other prohibited conduct.
  • Community roles (owner, admin, moderator, member) carry responsibilities commensurate with their access level.
  • We reserve the right to remove or dissolve any community that violates our policies.
  • Community group chats and post walls are subject to the same content policies as all other chat features.
  • Private community settings do not exempt content from our content policies.

7. Social Features (Feed, Forums, Friends, Endorsements)

Social Feed & Forums

You may post, react to, repost, and comment on content in the public feed and forum sections. All content posted is subject to these Terms and our Community Guidelines. You may not use feed or forum features to spam, manipulate trending content, or coordinate inauthentic engagement.

Friends & Following

The friend and follow system is intended for genuine social connections. You may not use these features to systematically harvest followers, track users without their knowledge, or facilitate harassment.

Endorsements & Reputation

The endorsement system allows users to endorse others, generating a weighted reputation score. You agree that:

  • Coordinating endorsement exchanges to artificially inflate scores is prohibited.
  • Scores are calculated algorithmically and we make no warranty about their accuracy or usefulness.
  • We may adjust, reset, or remove reputation scores if manipulation is detected.

Message Citations

Users may add citations to messages to support claims with sources. You may not use the citation system to spam, add misleading sources, or harass users by repeatedly marking their messages as needing citations in bad faith.

8. Political & Debate Features

Crosschatter offers political preference matching and hotbed debate question features. You acknowledge that:

  • These features facilitate debate and discussion. Crosschatter does not endorse any political position.
  • Content shared in political discussions is subject to the same conduct rules as all other areas of the Service.
  • You may not use these features to radicalize, recruit for extremist organizations, or spread disinformation.
  • We reserve the right to remove hotbed questions that violate our policies.

9. User Profiles & Content

Your public profile may include a username, avatar, banner image, photo gallery, bio, social links, interests, and other information you choose to share. You agree that:

  • All profile content must comply with these Terms and Community Guidelines.
  • Profile photos and gallery images must not contain prohibited content (nudity, hate symbols, minors in inappropriate contexts, etc.).
  • You must own or have rights to any images or content you upload.
  • Impersonating other individuals via profile photos or names is prohibited.
  • Social links added to your profile must not direct to harmful or prohibited content.
  • Spotify and other music integrations are used solely for display purposes; you must comply with those services' terms.

10. Content Moderation

Crosschatter reserves the right to:

  • Monitor, review, and take action on any content or behavior that may violate these Terms.
  • Remove, hide, or modify any prohibited content without prior notice.
  • Warn, temporarily suspend, or permanently terminate accounts for violations.
  • Apply IP bans to users who evade account bans.
  • Report illegal activity (including CSAM, threats, and fraud) to applicable law enforcement authorities.
  • Take action on reports even if the reported user is anonymous.

Moderation is conducted through a combination of automated systems and human review. Moderation decisions are at our sole discretion. We do not guarantee that all prohibited content will be detected or removed.

11. Intellectual Property

Crosschatter and its content — including the platform design, code, branding, and trademarks — are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You agree to:

  • Not reproduce, distribute, sell, or sublicense Crosschatter's software, design, or content.
  • Not reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code.
  • Respect all trademarks, service marks, and logos.

Content you create (messages, posts, profile content, community posts) remains your property. By submitting content to Crosschatter, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to store, display, transmit, and process that content solely as necessary to provide the Service. This license terminates when you delete the content or your account, subject to reasonable backup and legal retention periods.

12. User-Generated Content

You are solely responsible for all content you create, upload, share, or transmit through the Service. By submitting content, you represent and warrant that:

  • You own or have sufficient rights to the content.
  • The content does not infringe on any third party's copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights.
  • The content complies with all applicable laws and these Terms.
  • You will not hold Crosschatter liable for any claims arising from content you submit.

13. Third-Party Services & Integrations

The Service integrates with or links to third-party services, including:

  • Klipy: GIF search and embedding in chat.
  • Spotify: Music integration for profile display.
  • MyMemory: Automatic translation of chat messages.
  • Google AdSense: Advertising shown on parts of the Service.
  • Email providers: For magic links, password resets, and notifications.
  • Hosting and infrastructure providers: For service delivery.

We are not responsible for the content, policies, or conduct of third-party services. Your use of any third-party services is governed solely by those services' terms and policies.

Advertising

The Service displays ads provided by Google AdSense and its advertisers. Ads are not shown to Premium or Pro members while they are signed in and their plan is active. Ads are chosen by Google, not by us, and showing an ad does not mean we endorse the advertiser or its products. Any dealings you have with an advertiser, including purchases, are solely between you and that advertiser. How ads use your data, and how to control ad personalization, is explained in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CHATCONNECT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

  • IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
  • Any warranty that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or harmful components.
  • Any warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any content on the Service.
  • Any warranty regarding the suitability, safety, or conduct of other users.
  • Any warranty regarding the security or privacy of data transmitted through the Service.

You use the Service entirely at your own risk. Crosschatter does not screen users beyond what is technically feasible and makes no guarantees about who you may encounter.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CHATCONNECT AND ITS OPERATORS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

  • Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages.
  • Loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses.
  • Damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Service.
  • Conduct or content of any user, whether online or offline, including harm resulting from interactions facilitated by the Service.
  • Content moderation decisions, including erroneous removal of content or accounts.
  • Unauthorized access to or alteration of your data or transmissions.
  • Damages arising from your reliance on information obtained through the Service.
  • Interruptions, delays, or failures in service performance.
  • Any damages arising from third-party services integrated with Crosschatter.
  • Any loss of data, messages, or content resulting from account deletion, moderation action, or technical failure.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM OR (B) $100 USD.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Crosschatter and its operators, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party rights; (d) any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Service; or (e) your interactions with other users.

17. Termination

Crosschatter may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, including if you:

  • Violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines.
  • Engage in prohibited or illegal behavior.
  • Pose a safety risk to other users.
  • Attempt to evade a prior suspension or ban.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service immediately ceases. Sections relating to liability, indemnification, intellectual property, and dispute resolution survive termination. You may delete your account at any time through account settings.

18. Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY — IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved informally by contacting us at legal@crosschatter.com. If informal resolution fails within 30 days, disputes shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration, not in court, except that either party may pursue claims in small claims court if eligible.

Class Action Waiver: You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. You waive your right to participate in any class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing legal@crosschatter.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your opt-out will not affect any other aspect of these Terms.

19. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by applicable law without regard to conflict of law principles. Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under mandatory consumer protection laws in your jurisdiction.

20. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes via email (if you have an account) or by posting a notice on the Service. Your continued use of Crosschatter after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to any changes, you must stop using the Service.

21. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remainder of these Terms shall remain in full force. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Community Guidelines, constitute the entire agreement between you and Crosschatter regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.

22. Contact

For questions about these Terms:

General: terms@crosschatter.com
Legal matters: legal@crosschatter.com
Safety concerns: safety@crosschatter.com