Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“User,” “you,” or “your”) and Instant Initiative (“we,” “our,” or “us”) governing your access to and use of the Instant Initiative website and platform located at instantinitiative.com(collectively, the “Platform”).

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Platform in any way, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately stop using the Platform and, if applicable, delete your account.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If a modification is material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you via the email address associated with your account.

You may use the Platform only if:

• You are at least 13 years of age;
• You are at least 18 years of age, or have obtained verifiable parental or guardian consent if you are between 13 and 17;
• You have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract;
• You are not barred from using the Platform under applicable law; and
• You have not previously been suspended or permanently banned from the Platform.

The Platform is intended for use in the United States. We make no representation that the Platform is appropriate or available in other jurisdictions.

3.1 Account Registration

Certain features of the Platform require you to create an account. When registering, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. You are responsible for keeping your account information up to date.

3.2 Account Security

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to:

• Use a strong, unique password and not share it with any third party;
• Notify us immediately at support@instantinitiative.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account;
• Log out of your account after each session on shared devices.

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain account security, including but not limited to unauthorized access resulting from your own negligence or disclosure of credentials.

3.3 Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account at our sole discretion, with or without notice, including — but not limited to — for violations of these Terms. Grounds for termination include but are not limited to misconduct described in Section 9 of these Terms.

Upon termination of your account for any reason, you will immediately lose access to all data, content, progress, badges, XP, campaigns, and other information associated with your account. We are not obligated to retain or return any such data following termination.

3.4 One Account Per Person

You may not create more than one account for yourself. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent a suspension or ban, or to manipulate civic metrics (e.g., supporter counts, XP rankings), is strictly prohibited and grounds for permanent ban of all associated accounts.

4.1 Your Content

The Platform allows you to create, publish, and share content including initiative drafts, campaign descriptions, updates, comments, and profile information (collectively, “User Content”). You retain ownership of your User Content.

4.2 License to Instant Initiative

By submitting or publishing User Content on the Platform, you grant Instant Initiative a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and modify your User Content solely to operate, provide, and improve the Platform. This license continues even if you delete your account with respect to content that other users have interacted with or that is part of the civic record.

4.3 Public Content

Any initiative, campaign, or other content you publish as “public” may be viewed, shared, and indexed by search engines by any person on the internet. You understand and accept that public content is beyond your control once published. You should not publish sensitive personal information in public content.

4.4 Content Shared With Collaborators

If you add collaborators to your initiative or campaign, those collaborators will have access to the content, data, drafts, and progress associated with that initiative or campaign to the extent permitted by the role you assign them. You are responsible for ensuring you only grant collaborator access to persons you trust. Instant Initiative is not responsible for the actions of collaborators you have authorized, or for any disclosure of information that results from granting collaborator access.

By adding a collaborator, you consent to that person viewing, editing, or interacting with your shared content according to their assigned permissions. We are not liable for any disputes between account holders regarding collaborative content.

4.5 Content Standards

You agree that all User Content you submit will comply with Section 9 (Prohibited Conduct) of these Terms and will not:

• Violate any applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation;
• Infringe on the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party;
• Contain false, misleading, or fraudulent information;
• Constitute unauthorized advertising or spam; or
• Impersonate any person or entity.

We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to review, remove, or modify any User Content that we determine, in our sole discretion, violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable.

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and agree to the following information-sharing practices that are inherent to the civic nature of the service:

• Public profiles: Your username and display name are visible to all users and visitors. Your public profile page may include your initiatives, campaigns you support, and civic progress information you choose to display.
• Supporter visibility: When you support a campaign or initiative, your username may be visible to other users as a supporter unless an anonymous support option is available and selected.
• Campaign collaboration: Information within a collaborative campaign is shared among all authorized collaborators. You consent to this sharing when you join or add others to a campaign.
• Civic activity: Actions such as starting an initiative, reaching a milestone, or earning a badge may be visible in aggregate or on your public profile.

You acknowledge that once information is shared publicly or with collaborators, we cannot guarantee its subsequent confidentiality. Your email address is never shared with other users.

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Instant Initiative expressly disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement;
• Any warranty that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of viruses or other harmful components;
• Any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, reliability, currency, or usefulness of any content on the Platform, including state initiative guidance, legal information, or civic process descriptions; and
• Any warranty that the Platform will meet your specific requirements or expectations.

The Platform does not provide legal advice. Information about state initiative processes is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney. Laws and procedures change; always verify requirements with official state sources.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS, CORRUPTION, OR UNAVAILABILITY OF YOUR DATA OR CONTENT, REGARDLESS OF CAUSE.

Specifically, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Data loss: Instant Initiative makes no guarantee that your User Content, account data, initiative drafts, campaign information, XP, badges, or any other data stored on the Platform will be preserved indefinitely or without interruption. Data may be lost due to technical failures, server errors, database corruption, cyberattacks, human error, or other causes beyond our control. You are encouraged to maintain your own copies of important content.
• Service interruptions: The Platform may be unavailable from time to time due to scheduled maintenance, unscheduled outages, infrastructure failures, third-party service disruptions (including our hosting provider Vercel and database provider Supabase), or other technical issues. We do not guarantee any minimum uptime or service level.
• Performance degradation: The Platform may experience slow response times, latency, or degraded performance due to high traffic, technical issues, or factors outside our control. We are not liable for any consequences of performance issues, including missed deadlines related to initiative processes.
• Third-party dependencies: Our Platform relies on third-party services including but not limited to Supabase (database and authentication) and Vercel (hosting). Failures, outages, or changes in those services may affect the Platform. We are not responsible for disruptions caused by these providers.
• No backup guarantee: We do not represent that we maintain backups of your data or that such backups will be available for restoration in the event of data loss.

YOU USE THE PLATFORM AT YOUR OWN RISK. INITIATIVE FILING DEADLINES, LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, AND CIVIC PROCESSES HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES. DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS PLATFORM FOR TIME-SENSITIVE CIVIC ACTIONS. MAINTAIN YOUR OWN RECORDS AND BACKUP COPIES OF ALL CRITICAL DOCUMENTS.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, INSTANT INITIATIVE AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Loss of data, profits, goodwill, or civic opportunity;
• Costs of procuring substitute services;
• Damages arising from unauthorized access to or alteration of your content or account;
• Damages arising from any initiative failing to qualify for the ballot, missing a filing deadline, or any other civic outcome;
• Damages arising from reliance on information provided through the Platform;
• Damages arising from service interruptions, performance issues, or data loss as described in Section 7; or
• Any other damages arising out of or related to your use of or inability to use the Platform.

These limitations apply whether the alleged liability is based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other basis, and even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

In jurisdictions that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law. In no event shall our total aggregate liability to you exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00).

You agree that you will not, under any circumstances, use the Platform to engage in the following conduct:

9.1 Malicious & Harmful Behavior

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform, another user's account, or any server, database, or network connected to the Platform;
• Introducing malicious code, viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, or any other harmful software into the Platform or its infrastructure;
• Conducting denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against the Platform or its users;
• Exploiting, probing, or scanning for security vulnerabilities in the Platform without explicit written authorization from Instant Initiative; or
• Taking any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Platform's infrastructure.

9.2 Obstructive & Disruptive Behavior

• Interfering with or disrupting the integrity or performance of the Platform or the data it contains;
• Scraping, crawling, or otherwise systematically extracting data from the Platform without express written permission;
• Using automated bots, scripts, or other non-human means to interact with the Platform in ways that circumvent intended use (e.g., artificially inflating supporter counts, XP, or campaign metrics);
• Flooding the Platform with requests, submissions, or content in a way that disrupts the experience of other users; or
• Attempting to reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Platform.

9.3 Subversive & Fraudulent Behavior

• Creating false, misleading, or fraudulent initiatives or campaigns designed to deceive other users, collect signatures under false pretenses, or otherwise undermine the civic integrity of the Platform;
• Impersonating any person, public official, government entity, organization, or other Instant Initiative user;
• Submitting forged or falsified petition signatures, voter data, or government documents through or in connection with the Platform;
• Coordinating with others to manipulate civic metrics, rankings, supporter counts, or any other Platform data in a way that does not reflect genuine civic activity; or
• Using the Platform to facilitate voter suppression, election interference, or any activity that undermines democratic processes.

9.4 Abusive & Harassing Behavior

• Harassing, threatening, intimidating, stalking, or abusing any user, contributor, or Instant Initiative staff member;
• Posting content that is defamatory, obscene, hateful, or incites violence or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or any other protected characteristic;
• Doxxing or publishing private personal information about any individual without their explicit consent; or
• Using the Platform to solicit, groom, or exploit minors in any way.

9.5 Illegal Activity

• Violating any applicable federal, state, or local law, including laws governing campaign finance, petition circulation, election interference, fraud, and intellectual property;
• Using the Platform to facilitate money laundering, bribery, or any other financial crime; or
• Using the Platform in any manner that would expose Instant Initiative to legal liability.

9.6 Enforcement & Consequences

Violation of any provision of this Section 9 — or any other provision of these Terms — may result in, at our sole discretion and without prior notice:

• Immediate suspension of your account pending investigation;
• Permanent ban from the Platform, including all current and future accounts you attempt to create;
• Permanent forfeiture of all data associated with your account, including initiatives, campaigns, XP, badges, civic progress, supporter data, and any other content — with no right of recovery or export;
• Removal of all public content you have published, including initiatives and campaigns, without notice to you or your supporters; and
• Reporting to law enforcement where we reasonably believe a violation of law has occurred or is occurring, including cooperation with any resulting investigation or legal proceeding.

Enforcement decisions made under this Section are final and are not subject to appeal. We are not obligated to explain our enforcement decisions or to provide you an opportunity to cure a violation before action is taken.

The fact that we do not act upon a violation immediately does not constitute a waiver of our right to act upon it at any later time, or a waiver of our right to act upon any future violation.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Instant Initiative and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your use of or inability to use the Platform;
• Your User Content;
• Your violation of these Terms;
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation;
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights; or
• Any civic action, initiative, campaign, or activity you conduct in connection with or facilitated by the Platform.

We reserve the right to assume exclusive control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, at your expense. You agree to cooperate fully with our defense of any such claim.

All content, features, functionality, design, branding, and materials on the Platform — excluding User Content — including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, icons, and software, are owned by or licensed to Instant Initiative and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform for its intended civic purposes. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, or exploit any Platform content except as expressly permitted by these Terms or with our prior written consent.

If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your intellectual property rights, contact us at legal@instantinitiative.com with a detailed description of the alleged infringement.

The Platform integrates or links to third-party services and websites, including state government portals, authentication providers, and civic resources. These third-party services have their own terms and privacy policies, which you are responsible for reviewing.

Instant Initiative is not responsible for the content, accuracy, availability, or practices of any third-party service or website. Links to external sites do not constitute endorsement by Instant Initiative.

Your use of third-party services connected to the Platform (e.g., Supabase for authentication) is also governed by those services' terms. We are not liable for any failure, outage, or change in those third-party services.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of [State], United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall first be submitted to good-faith informal negotiation between the parties. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, it shall be resolved by binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in English, in [City, State]. You waive any right to a jury trial or to participate in a class-action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm pending resolution of a dispute.

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies incorporated by reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and Instant Initiative with respect to the Platform and supersede all prior agreements.
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
• No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
• Assignment: You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations freely, including in connection with a merger or acquisition.
• Force Majeure: We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, internet outages, acts of government, or third-party service failures.
• Headings: Section headings are for convenience only and have no legal effect.

For questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms, please visit our Contact page to get in touch with our team.