FriendCircle Terms of Service

Effective Date: March 20, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using FriendCircle (the "App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). The App is published by 株式会社雪堂 (Setsudo K.K.) ("we," "us," or "our"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the App.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use FriendCircle. By using the App, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement. If you are under 18, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.

3. Your Account

To use FriendCircle, you must verify your phone number via SMS. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate information during the verification process. You may not create multiple accounts, impersonate another person, or transfer your account to another party without our consent.

4. User Content

You retain ownership of all content you create and post through the App, including photos, text, and comments ("User Content"). By posting User Content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display and distribute your User Content solely within the App for the purpose of operating the service. This license terminates when you delete your User Content or your account.

You are solely responsible for your User Content. You agree not to post content that: is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or discriminatory; infringes on the intellectual property rights of others; contains sexually explicit material involving minors; constitutes spam, phishing, or malware; or violates any applicable law or regulation.

We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms or our content policies, and to suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly or egregiously violate these standards.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to: use the App for any unlawful purpose; harass, bully, or intimidate other users; attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts or our systems; use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to access the App; interfere with or disrupt the App's infrastructure; or collect personal information of other users without their consent.

6. Content Moderation

FriendCircle maintains a zero tolerance policy for objectionable content and abusive behavior. We employ the following safeguards to maintain a safe environment:

Content Filtering: Automated content filtering is applied to all posts and comments to detect and prevent objectionable material before it is published.

Reporting: Users can report objectionable content or abusive behavior directly within the App. Reports are categorized by type (inappropriate, spam, harassment, hate speech, or other) and include supporting details.

Blocking: Users can block other users at any time. Blocking immediately removes the blocked user's content from the blocking user's feed, terminates any existing friend connection, and files an automatic report with the developer.

Developer Response: We commit to reviewing and acting on all content reports within 24 hours of receipt. Action may include removal of the reported content and suspension or termination of the account responsible for the violation, as appropriate to the severity of the offense.

By using the App, you agree that we may remove any content and suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms or is the subject of valid user reports, at our sole discretion.

7. Intellectual Property

The App, including its design, code, features, and branding (excluding User Content), is protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the App, nor may you reverse engineer or attempt to extract the source code, except as permitted by applicable law.

8. Privacy

Your use of the App is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. By using the App, you consent to the practices described in the Privacy Policy.

9. Push Notifications

FriendCircle may send you push notifications about activity relevant to your account, such as new comments, friend requests, or updates. You can manage notification preferences through your device settings at any time.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time, with or without cause or notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms or engaged in conduct that is harmful to other users or the App. You may stop using the App at any time. Upon termination, your right to use the App ceases immediately.

11. Disclaimers

THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL SETSUDO K.K. OR ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE APP. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE APP SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR $100 USD, WHICHEVER IS LESS.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Setsudo K.K. and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising from your use of the App, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or the App shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Tokyo, Japan.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by other appropriate means prior to the changes taking effect. Your continued use of the App after the revised Terms become effective constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

16. No Advertising or Monetization

FriendCircle is a free application. We do not display advertisements, sell user data, or engage in any form of monetization that compromises user privacy or experience. The App contains no in-app purchases at this time.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Email: support@friendcircle.xyz

Publisher: 株式会社雪堂 (Setsudo K.K.)

3-11-9 Omorikita, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-0016, Japan