Terms of Service

Effective Date: July 6, 2026

Please read these Terms of Service ("Terms") carefully before using https://friendlynews.app (the "Website") or the Friendly News mobile application (the "App", and together with the Website, the "Service") operated by Affliction Digital Pty Ltd trading as Friendly News ("we", "us", or "our").

By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use the Service.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a subscription. If you are under 18, you may use the Service only with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian.

2. Your Profile

You do not create a traditional account to use the App. When you first open it, an anonymous profile is created automatically to hold your subscription status and preferences. That profile is tied to your device and your app store account — you are responsible for the security of both.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Violate any applicable law or regulation in connection with the Service
• Copy, scrape, or republish content from the Service, or use it to train or build a competing product or dataset
• Circumvent, or attempt to circumvent, the subscription requirement or any security measure
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service

4. Subscriptions, Payments, and Cancellation

The Service offers subscription-based access. Subscriptions are purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play and are billed by the relevant store, in advance, on a recurring basis until cancelled.

• You can cancel at any time through your app store subscription settings (a link is provided in the App's settings)
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period
• Price changes will be communicated through the relevant app store before they take effect, and will only apply from your next billing period

Apple and Google are not parties to these Terms. Your purchase is also subject to the terms of the relevant app store.

5. Refunds

Because subscriptions are billed by the app stores, refund requests are processed through the store where you purchased — Apple and Google each provide a refund request process for subscriptions. If you need help with a refund, or the store process has not resolved your issue, contact us at hello@friendlynews.app and we will assist.

Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If the Service fails to meet a consumer guarantee, you are entitled to the remedies that law provides, and those rights cannot be excluded by these Terms.

6. Content and Intellectual Property

The Service and its content — including articles, design, features, and functionality — are owned by Affliction Digital Pty Ltd trading as Friendly News and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. We grant you a personal, non-transferable, non-commercial licence to access and read the content through the Service. You may not otherwise copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

Some content is owned by third parties: articles cite and link to reporting owned by the referenced publishers, and images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under their own licences, with the credit and licence shown alongside each image. Your reuse of any third-party material is governed by its owner's terms, not ours.

7. News Content — No Professional Advice

The Service provides general news and information only. Content is not financial, legal, medical, or other professional advice, and you should not rely on it as such. While we take care in preparing content, news reporting can contain errors or become out of date, and articles may link to third-party websites that we do not control or endorse.

8. Availability and Changes to the Service

We may add, change, or remove features of the Service from time to time, and we do not promise that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. If we discontinue the Service entirely, we will give subscribers reasonable notice.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the Service, including but not limited to its accuracy, reliability, fitness for a particular purpose, or continued availability.

Nothing in these Terms excludes any guarantee or right that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law, including the guarantees that services will be provided with due care and skill, be fit for purpose, and be supplied within a reasonable time.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude liability for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss — including loss of data, profits, or opportunity — arising out of or in connection with your use of the Service.

Where liability cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable law, our liability is limited, at our option, to:

• Re-supplying the relevant service; or
• The cost of having the service re-supplied; or
• A refund of the fees you paid for the Service in the twelve (12) months prior to the claim

11. Indemnity

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify us against claims, losses, damages, and costs (including reasonable legal costs) arising out of your breach of these Terms or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party, except to the extent the loss was caused by us.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service if you breach these Terms, or where reasonably necessary to comply with law or protect the Service or its users. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases. Termination does not affect any accrued rights, including your rights under the Australian Consumer Law and any refund you may be entitled to for an unused subscription period.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. You submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland for any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms. If you are a consumer, nothing in this section prevents you from relying on the Australian Consumer Law or bringing a claim in a forum available to you under it.

14. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the Effective Date, and changes apply prospectively from that date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Contact Us

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

Affliction Digital Pty Ltd trading as Friendly News

Email: hello@friendlynews.app

Website: https://friendlynews.app