Terms of service

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

Darkbroom (“Darkbroom”, “we”, “us”) is a safe space for children and their parents: story books, community, and resources shared by parents. It is operated by ZeelotWeb, based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. These Terms of Service are a binding agreement between you and ZeelotWeb and cover everything you do on Darkbroom.

By creating an account or using Darkbroom you agree to these terms and our Privacy Policy. If you don’t agree, don’t use the service.

2. Who can join

• Anyone can read and browse. To open an account on your own you must be at least 13. Children under 13 use Darkbroom through a profile their parent or guardian adds inside the parent’s account, and the parent is responsible for how it’s used.
• If you are under 18, you need your parent or guardian’s permission to use Darkbroom, and they accept these terms on your behalf.
• The date of birth you give when you join must be true. We will close any account that breaks these rules.

We report suspected child sexual abuse material and attempts to exploit children to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement.

3. Your account

• One person per account. Give accurate details and keep them up to date.
• Keep your sign-in safe. You are responsible for everything done through your account. We recommend turning on two-factor sign-in or a passkey.
• Your handle must not impersonate anyone or mislead people about who you are.
• Don’t sell, rent or transfer your account.

4. What you can post

You keep ownership of what you post. Darkbroom is used by children, so everything you post must be suitable for them. You may only post content that you created or have every right to share, and only if all of the following are true:

• Everyone who appears in it agreed to it being published on Darkbroom, and can withdraw that agreement for future posts.
• For every child who appears in it, a parent or guardian has agreed, and you can show us that agreement on request.
• It is suitable for children and families.
• It doesn’t break any law where you are or in the United States.

Never post, and never ask anyone for:

• Nudity or sexual content of any kind, or anything that sexualises a child.
• Graphic violence, gore, or material meant to frighten or harm children.
• Details that could let a stranger find a child: their full name together with their school, home address or regular whereabouts.
• Images taken or shared without permission, and deepfakes or edited images of a real person without their written consent.
• Any attempt to get a child to share personal information or photos, move a conversation off Darkbroom, or meet in person.
• Other people’s personal information, threats, harassment, hate speech, or content that promotes self-harm.
• Content copied from other creators or sites, spam, scams, malware, or links designed to take payments off the platform.

We may remove any content or account that breaks these rules, with or without notice, and report it to the authorities where the law requires.

5. The licence you give us

So we can run the service, you give ZeelotWeb a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, copy, resize, convert and display your content to the people you choose. This licence ends when your content is removed from the platform, except for copies we must keep by law (see our Privacy Policy).

We don’t sell your content, and we don’t use it for advertising outside Darkbroom without your permission.

6. Community and conduct

Be respectful. Don’t harass, threaten, stalk or spam anyone, and don’t try to get around a ban or our moderation. Never ask a child for personal information or photos, or to meet in person.

7. Reporting, takedowns and copyright

Tell us about anything that breaks these terms through the link at the bottom of this page. We review every report and may remove content and suspend or close accounts. We prioritise reports about the safety of children.

If you believe content on Darkbroom infringes your copyright or shows you without your consent, contact us through the link at the bottom of this page with: your contact details, a description of the work or of you, the link to the content, and a statement that the information is accurate and you are the rights holder or the person shown (or authorised to act for them). We act on valid notices promptly. If your content was removed by mistake, you can send a counter-notice the same way.

8. Ending your account

You can delete your account at any time in Settings. It is deactivated straight away and removed for good after 30 days; signing back in before then restores it.

We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, puts others at risk, or is required to be closed by law. Where it’s safe and lawful, we’ll tell you why.

9. The service as it is

We work hard to keep Darkbroom running and safe, but we provide it “as is” and “as available”. We don’t promise it will always be available, error-free, or that content from other members is accurate or lawful. Content on Darkbroom belongs to and is the responsibility of the member who posted it.

We may change, add or remove features. If we make a change that materially affects paid features you rely on, we’ll give you reasonable notice.

10. Limitation of liability and indemnity

To the fullest extent the law allows, ZeelotWeb is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, lost profits or lost data. Our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the greater of $100 or what you paid us in the 12 months before the claim.

You agree to defend and compensate ZeelotWeb for claims, losses and costs that come from content you post, your use of Darkbroom, or your breach of these terms or the law.

Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under consumer law that can’t be limited.

11. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be decided exclusively by the state and federal courts located in Franklin County, Ohio, and you and we agree to their jurisdiction. Before going to court, please contact us so we can try to sort it out informally.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as Darkbroom grows or the law changes. For significant changes we’ll let you know by email or a notice in the app before they take effect. Continuing to use Darkbroom after that means you accept the new terms.