Terms of Service

By accessing or using the Civic Filament website, API, or any associated services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, participants, and others who access or use the Service.

You must be 17 or older to use the Service. Age is self-declared: before an interview, the Service asks you to state your age, and it does not verify your identity. Depending on jurisdiction, parental or guardian consent may be required for users who are 17. By using the Service at age 17, you represent that you have obtained any required consent. Misrepresenting your age to get past the age question is a violation of these Terms. If we learn that we hold data from someone under 17, we will delete it.

Civic Filament ("Civic Filament") is an AI-mediated civic listening service. Features are labeled live, beta or in development on the Features page. WHAT THE SERVICE DOES TODAY: - AI-mediated interviews powered by a large language model - Structured extraction of each interview into a summary perspective (position, stance, values, needs, conditions) - Counted consensus synthesis: support is counted from participants, and nothing is published below the stated thresholds (at least 10 perspectives per issue; at least 5 supporters per statement or group) - Versioned Living Requirement Documents (LRDs) with provenance receipts, so participants can check that their perspective was included in a version - An evidence repository (images and written testimony) with submitter-reviewed redaction and moderator approval - Advocacy templates (testimony, petitions, briefings, records requests, regulatory comments) generated from published results - Data export, withdrawal and deletion from the "Your Data" page IN DEVELOPMENT (NOT AVAILABLE TODAY): - Accountability scoring (representation alignment, budget alignment, campaign finance, transparency) - Non-partisan voter guides and electoral alignment - Coalition building and power mapping - Multilingual interviews Features in development are not part of the Service until they are labeled live or beta. The Service is provided "as is" and may be modified, updated, or discontinued at any time.

When you participate in interviews or contribute perspectives through the Service: - You retain ownership of your raw conversational input - You grant Civic Filament a non-exclusive, worldwide license to process, anonymize, and synthesize your input as part of the consensus analysis - Interview transcripts are kept only in your browser (deleted there after 30 days); they pass through our servers only to generate the mediator's replies and the final extraction - Our servers store only the extracted summary (position, stance, values, needs, conditions), linked to a one-way hash of a random session identifier and, if you sign in, your account - Derived quality data stored with it: a heuristic Discourse Quality Index score and keyword-based Schwartz value tags - You may view, export, or permanently delete all data associated with your session at any time via the "Your Data" page - You agree not to submit content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, threatening, or otherwise objectionable - You agree not to impersonate others or misrepresent your identity, affiliation, or geographic location - You agree not to attempt to manipulate consensus outcomes through coordinated inauthentic behavior, multiple submissions, or bot-assisted participation

The Service includes an evidence repository where users may submit written testimony and image attachments to corroborate or challenge claims related to community issues. Attachments must be images (JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 4 MB each). PDFs and other document files are not accepted; to share a document, photograph or screenshot it. By submitting evidence, you agree to the following: a) RESPONSIBILITY: You are solely responsible for all content you submit. You represent and warrant that you have the legal right to submit such content and that it does not infringe any third party's rights. b) NO VERIFICATION: The Civic Filament, Moonlit Social Labs, and their affiliates DO NOT independently verify the accuracy, completeness, or authenticity of any evidence submitted. The presence of a submission in the evidence repository does not constitute endorsement, verification, or authentication. c) REDACTION: The platform provides automated PII detection tools that suggest redactions to your text before submission, and automatically removes identification, card and account numbers. The tools cannot inspect what an image visibly shows (including photographed or screenshotted documents). You are responsible for reviewing all suggestions and your attachments and ensuring adequate protection of personal information. Unredacted text is never sent to our servers; hidden image metadata (such as camera GPS location) is stripped on upload. d) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY: Approved submissions may be visible to other users and referenced in public-facing documents, reports, and advocacy materials. e) MODERATION: All submissions are subject to review and may be rejected, flagged, or removed at our sole discretion. f) NO LEGAL ADVICE: Nothing in the evidence repository constitutes legal advice. If you believe you have evidence of wrongdoing, consult an attorney. If you are a whistleblower, consult an attorney about applicable protections before making disclosures through this or any platform.

Accountability analyses (representation alignment scores, campaign finance correlations, governance transparency ratings, budget alignment assessments, predictive models, and electoral alignment matrices) are in development and are not generated by the Service today. The accountability section currently shows only ingested public records. If and when these features become available, the following applies: a) ADVISORY NATURE: All accountability outputs are advisory and informational only. They do not constitute legal findings, official government assessments, regulatory determinations, or endorsements of any kind. b) REPRESENTATION ALIGNMENT: Alignment scores measure statistical correlation between officials' recorded votes and community consensus data. A low alignment score is not an accusation of wrongdoing — officials may have legitimate reasons for voting against constituent preferences, including their own judgment, legal constraints, or information not available to the public. c) CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Campaign finance correlation analysis identifies statistical associations between donation patterns and voting patterns. CORRELATION DOES NOT IMPLY CAUSATION. A statistical correlation between donations and votes is not evidence of corruption, bribery, quid pro quo, or any other illegal activity. Users must not represent these findings as proof of wrongdoing. d) PREDICTIVE MODELS: The predictive misrepresentation model estimates the probability that an official will vote against community consensus based on historical patterns. Predictions are probabilistic estimates, not certainties. They should not be used as the sole basis for any electoral or governance decision. e) ELECTORAL ALIGNMENT: Non-partisan voter guides and electoral alignment matrices are generated from publicly available candidate positions and community consensus data. They do not constitute endorsements of any candidate by the Civic Filament, Moonlit Social Labs, or any affiliated entity. Candidate positions may have changed since data collection. Voters should consult multiple sources. f) TRANSPARENCY & GOVERNANCE SCORING: Governance grades and transparency scores are based on user-entered data about governance processes. Their accuracy depends entirely on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered. Scores do not constitute official audits or compliance assessments. g) CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY: Corporate commitment tracking compares stated commitments to reported progress. Progress data may be self-reported or entered by community members and has not been independently verified unless explicitly noted. h) NON-PARTISAN STATUS: The Civic Filament is non-partisan. The platform does not endorse any political party, candidate, ideology, or policy position. All accountability features are designed to measure alignment with community-expressed values, regardless of political affiliation.

The Service generates template-based advocacy materials from published results, including testimony scripts, petitions, public records request templates, op-ed templates, regulatory comments, social post text, and briefing sheets. You acknowledge and agree: a) TEMPLATES: These materials are generated templates. You are responsible for reviewing, customizing, and verifying all content before use. Generated legal documents (public records requests, regulatory comments) may need to be reviewed by an attorney for compliance with your jurisdiction's specific requirements. b) YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Once you download, copy, or use any generated material, you assume full responsibility for its content and use. Civic Filament is not liable for how you use, modify, or distribute these materials. c) ACCURACY: Materials are generated from synthesis data which reflects participant perspectives. Statistical claims in generated materials are derived from the synthesis dataset and subject to the margin of error and confidence gaps documented in the Living Requirement Document. d) LEGAL COMPLIANCE: You are responsible for ensuring that your use of generated advocacy materials complies with all applicable laws, including but not limited to: election law, lobbying disclosure requirements, campaign finance regulations, and defamation law.

The Service and its original content (excluding user-submitted perspectives), features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of Moonlit Social Labs and its licensors. Living Requirement Documents (LRDs), accountability reports, and advocacy materials generated by the Service contain aggregated, anonymized consensus data. Users who generate these outputs may use them for civic, educational, advocacy, research, and governmental purposes. Commercial redistribution of generated outputs requires written permission. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of the Service's code, design, or proprietary algorithms without express written permission.

Public API endpoints are rate-limited per IP address. API keys and service tiers are not issued today. You agree to: - Use the API only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms - Not exceed your allocated rate limits or attempt to circumvent usage restrictions - Not use the API to build a competing service - Properly attribute Civic Filament when displaying data derived from our API - Comply with all applicable data protection and privacy laws when processing data obtained through the API

You have the following rights regarding your data, most of them self-service on the "Your Data" page: a) RIGHT TO ACCESS: You may view the data the server holds for your session. b) RIGHT TO PORTABILITY: You may export that data in machine-readable JSON format at any time. c) RIGHT TO WITHDRAW: You may withdraw; your perspective is kept but excluded from future synthesis versions, and you can rejoin later. d) RIGHT TO DELETION: Deleting your data removes it from our database and excludes it from all future synthesis versions. Synthesis versions published before your deletion remain as published; they contain only aggregate statements, counts, and a one-way hash of your perspective. e) RIGHT TO RECTIFICATION: To correct inaccurate data, you may delete your existing data and participate again. f) LOCAL DATA: Your interview transcript is kept only in your browser (IndexedDB) and deleted there after 30 days. Deletion via the "Your Data" page also removes the local copy in that browser. For data rights requests that cannot be handled through the self-service tools, contact us through our Contact page.

You agree not to use the Service to: - Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law - Engage in any activity that is harmful, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading - Attempt to manipulate or game consensus outcomes through coordinated inauthentic behavior - Submit false, misleading, or artificially generated perspectives - Use automated tools (bots, scripts) to submit perspectives without authorization - Submit evidence that is fabricated, doctored, or misleadingly presented - Use accountability features to defame, harass, or threaten public officials or any individuals - Present correlation-based findings (e.g., campaign finance analysis) as proof of illegal activity - Use electoral alignment data to suppress voter participation - Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service - Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service - Harvest or collect user information without consent - Use the Service to spread hate speech, harassment, or discrimination - Misrepresent your age to get past the age question

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services not owned or controlled by Civic Filament. We assume no responsibility for third-party content, privacy policies, or practices. The Service does not display advertising. The Service uses third-party AI services (Anthropic Claude) for interview mediation and analysis. Your interview content is processed by these services subject to their terms and our data processing agreements.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. - Consensus outputs are advisory and should not be treated as definitive representations of community will - AI-generated mediator responses may occasionally contain errors, biases, or hallucinations - Synthesis results reflect participants' perspectives and may not be representative of the broader population - Accountability, campaign finance, predictive and electoral features are in development; if released, their outputs will be advisory and depend on the accuracy of source data - Generated advocacy materials are templates requiring human review before use - Legal document templates (public records requests, regulatory comments) are not legal advice and may not comply with all jurisdictional requirements CIVIC FILAMENT DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. THE SERVICE DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL, FINANCIAL, OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL CIVIC FILAMENT, MOONLIT SOCIAL LABS, THEIR AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM: - Your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) the Service - Any conduct or content of any third party on the Service - Any content obtained from the Service, including accountability analyses, predictions, or generated materials - Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content - Decisions made by government bodies, corporations, or any other entities based on or influenced by Service outputs - Claims arising from your use of generated advocacy materials, public records requests, testimony scripts, or other auto-generated content - Claims arising from evidence submitted by you or other users to the evidence repository - Any reliance on accountability scores, campaign finance correlations, or predictive models Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Civic Filament, Moonlit Social Labs, and their affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: - Your violation of these Terms - Your use of the Service, including use of generated advocacy materials - Evidence or content you submit to the Service - Your use or presentation of accountability data, campaign finance correlations, or electoral alignment information - Any claim that your use of generated materials infringes, misappropriates, or violates the rights of any third party

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion. By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when these Terms were most recently revised.

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be submitted to good-faith mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Portland, Oregon, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through our Contact page or at the information provided on our website. Moonlit Social Labs Civic Filament https://civicfilament.org/contact