Terms of Service

ListeningDiary is a peer-support platform that connects people who want to talk ("Members") with trained volunteer listeners ("Listeners"). We are not a crisis service, a medical provider, or a licensed therapy service. Our Listeners are trained volunteers, not licensed mental health professionals. If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact your local emergency services (e.g. 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) or a dedicated crisis line such as Samaritans (116 123 in the UK).

By creating an account or using any part of the ListeningDiary platform (including the website, mobile app, chat features, community rooms, journal, and growth paths), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform. We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

You must be at least 13 years old to use ListeningDiary. If you are between 13 and 17, you confirm that you have your parent or guardian's permission to use the platform. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has created an account, we will delete it.

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. You must not share your account with others or create multiple accounts to circumvent any restrictions we apply. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. You may delete your account at any time by contacting us at support@listeningdiary.com. On deletion, your personal data will be removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

You agree not to use ListeningDiary to: • Share or solicit personal contact information (phone numbers, addresses, social media handles) with other users • Harass, bully, threaten, or abuse any other user or Listener • Share content that is sexually explicit, violent, or promotes self-harm • Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity • Use the platform for commercial solicitation or advertising • Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or disrupt the platform • Violate any applicable law or regulation We reserve the right to suspend or permanently ban accounts that violate these rules, without prior notice.

Listeners are volunteers who have completed our training programme and agreed to our Listener Code of Conduct. Listeners are not permitted to give medical advice, diagnose conditions, or act in any professional therapeutic capacity. Listeners may end a session at any time if they feel unsafe or if a Member is violating these terms. ListeningDiary does not guarantee the availability of any specific Listener and makes no warranty as to the quality or outcome of any listening session.

ListeningDiary is a peer-support service. Nothing on this platform constitutes medical, psychological, or psychiatric advice. Sessions with Listeners are not therapy. We strongly encourage you to seek qualified professional help for any serious mental health concerns. If at any point during a session a Listener believes you may be at risk of harming yourself or others, they are instructed to direct you to emergency services and may report their concern to our moderation team.

Your use of the platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights. By using ListeningDiary you consent to the data practices described in the Privacy Policy. Chat messages in one-to-one listening sessions are transmitted through an encrypted channel (TLS in transit) and are not stored on our servers beyond the duration of the session. Community room messages may be retained for moderation purposes.

Community rooms are group chat spaces moderated by volunteer moderators. Messages in community rooms are visible to all members of that room. Do not share personal identifying information in community rooms. We apply automated moderation (profanity filtering, contact-sharing detection) and manual moderation. We may remove messages or users who violate these terms without notice.

Your journal entries are private and visible only to you. We do not read, analyse, or share your journal entries with any third party except where required by law. Growth path progress is stored against your account and used only to personalise your experience.

ListeningDiary includes AI-powered features, including an AI Listener (text chat) and AI Voice (voice conversation). By using these features you acknowledge and agree to the following: Not a human The AI Listener and AI Voice are automated systems powered by artificial intelligence. They are not human volunteers, therapists, or counsellors. Responses are generated automatically and may not always be accurate, appropriate, or complete. Not a crisis resource AI features are not equipped to handle mental health emergencies. If you are in crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline. Do not rely on AI features for urgent mental health support. No sensitive personal data We strongly advise against sharing sensitive personal information (such as your full name, address, financial details, or information about third parties) with AI features. AI responses are processed via third-party AI service providers; see our Privacy Policy for details. EU AI Act Where required by applicable law (including the EU AI Act), we will provide additional disclosures about the AI systems we use. AI-generated responses will be clearly identified as such within the platform interface. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or remove AI features at any time.

ListeningDiary allows users to post messages in community rooms, submit journal entries, and communicate through support sessions. The following applies to all content you create on the platform: Your responsibility You are solely responsible for any content you post, transmit, or share on the platform. By posting content you confirm that you have the right to do so and that it does not violate any applicable law or the rights of any third party. Prohibited content You must not post content that is: unlawful, abusive, defamatory, obscene, threatening, or harassing; that infringes any intellectual property right; that contains personal data of others without their consent; or that is intended to deceive or defraud. Our rights We reserve the right — but are not obligated — to review, edit, or remove any content that we reasonably believe violates these standards, at any time and without notice. We may also suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate these rules. Platform liability We act as an intermediary host for user-generated content. We are not the author, editor, or publisher of user content and, to the extent permitted by law (including Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the UK Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002), we are not liable for content posted by users. To report content you believe violates our policies, contact support@listeningdiary.com. Content licence By posting content on ListeningDiary you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, display, and transmit that content solely for the purpose of operating the platform and providing the service to you. We do not claim ownership of your content.

Current pricing The ListeningDiary platform is currently offered free of charge. We do not currently charge subscription fees or process payments. Future paid features We may introduce paid features, premium tiers, or one-time purchases in the future. If we do, we will: • Provide clear and prominent disclosure of all charges before you are asked to pay • Obtain your explicit consent before any recurring billing begins • Process payments securely via our payment provider, Razorpay. Payment card data is processed directly by Razorpay and is never stored on our servers • Comply with applicable consumer protection laws, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (UK) and relevant app store payment policies (Apple App Store / Google Play) • Provide a straightforward cancellation mechanism with no hidden charges Refunds Where you have a statutory right to a refund (for example under UK consumer law), we will honour it. Our refund policy for any paid features will be published at the time those features are introduced. App store purchases If you purchase a subscription or in-app purchase through the Apple App Store or Google Play, the relevant app store's payment terms and refund policies apply. We have no control over app store billing processes.

We may send you marketing emails, platform updates, and tips about ListeningDiary features if you have opted in to receive them at registration or through your account settings. What we may send • Platform news and feature announcements • Tips for getting the most out of ListeningDiary • Listener community updates (for Listeners) • Occasional promotional offers Opt-out You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or by updating your preferences in your account settings. Opting out of marketing emails will not affect transactional emails (such as password reset or session notifications), which we send regardless of marketing preferences as they are necessary for the service. Legal basis For UK and EEA users, marketing emails are sent only on the basis of your consent (UK GDPR / EU GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

All content on ListeningDiary — including text, design, logos, training materials, and code — is owned by ListeningDiary or its licensors and is protected by copyright. You may not reproduce or redistribute any content without our written permission. You retain ownership of any content you submit (journal entries, chat messages). By submitting content you grant us a limited licence to store and transmit it solely for the purpose of providing the service.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ListeningDiary and its operators, employees, and volunteers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform, including but not limited to emotional distress, harm to health, or loss of data. Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of the platform shall not exceed the amount you have paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim (which for free-tier users is £0).

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If you have questions about these terms, please contact us at legal@listeningdiary.com.