Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Your agreement is with Virtual Connect Group, LLC a/k/a CivicSummary, 8581 Santa Monica Blvd, #558 West Hollywood, CA 90069. You must be at least 13 years old to use the service and have the legal capacity, or required parental or guardian involvement, to enter into an applicable agreement. If you enter into these Terms on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization. Agreement requires legally sufficient notice and assent; merely publishing or linking these Terms does not establish your assent.

2. Our Mission and Service

CivicSummary enhances transparency and civic engagement by making local government information more accessible and understandable. We provide:

• AI-powered summaries of public meetings and documents
• Organized access to agendas, minutes, and voting records
• Tools for civic participation and public comment submission
• Email notifications and updates about local government activities
• Search and archival tools for historical government records
• Educational resources to help users better understand local government processes

3. Account Registration

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Promptly update your information if it changes
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use at support@civicsummary.ai
• Use only one account per person unless expressly authorized by us
• Not create accounts using automated means or under false pretenses

We reserve the right to refuse registration or cancel accounts at our discretion, including accounts that we determine have been created fraudulently or in violation of these Terms.

4. Subscriptions and Billing

5. User Content and Public Comments

6. Intellectual Property

All CivicSummary content, including but not limited to AI-generated summaries, interface designs, logos, software, features, and documentation, is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws and is owned by or licensed to CivicSummary.

Government source documents reproduced on our platform are public records and remain the property of their respective government entities. Our curation, organization, formatting, and summarization of such documents constitute original work owned by CivicSummary.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of CivicSummary's original content without our express written permission, except for:

• Personal, non-commercial use
• Legitimate civic advocacy or journalism purposes, with appropriate attribution
• Uses permitted under applicable fair use or fair dealing doctrines

Any permitted use must include clear attribution to CivicSummary and must not imply endorsement by CivicSummary or any government agency.

7. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree not to use CivicSummary to:

• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems, servers, databases, or networks
• Interfere with, disrupt, or degrade the performance or security of the service
• Use automated systems, bots, scrapers, or software to extract data without prior written permission
• Impersonate any person, entity, government official, or organization
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or harm other users or third parties
• Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with any security features or access restrictions
• Introduce viruses, malware, or other harmful code into the platform
• Use the service to conduct or facilitate political disinformation campaigns
• Artificially flood public comment systems or engage in coordinated inauthentic behavior
• Resell or commercially exploit any portion of the service without our written authorization
• Collect or harvest personal information of other users without consent

Violations of this policy may result in immediate account termination and, where applicable, referral to law enforcement authorities.

8. Privacy and Data Use

Your use of CivicSummary is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at civicsummary.ai/privacy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Key points include:

• We collect information you provide during registration and use of the platform
• We use your data to provide, improve, and personalize our services
• We do not sell your personal information to third parties
• We may share information with government bodies when you submit public comments on our platform
• You have rights regarding your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy
• We comply with applicable privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) where applicable

The Privacy Policy describes our data practices. It does not substitute for consent where applicable law requires us to obtain it.

9. API Access and Developer Terms

If your subscription includes API access, the following additional terms apply:

• API access is granted for lawful purposes only and is subject to rate limits described in our developer documentation
• You may not use the API to resell, redistribute, or build competing products without express written consent
• We reserve the right to revoke API access at any time if we determine misuse has occurred
• API availability is not guaranteed and may be subject to downtime or deprecation with reasonable notice
• You are responsible for securing your API credentials; unauthorized use through your credentials is your responsibility

10. Disclaimers

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, CivicSummary and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or relating to the service. This includes lost profits, revenue, goodwill, or data to the extent those losses are indirect or consequential, even if we were advised that such losses were possible.

Subject to the exceptions below, our total aggregate liability to you arising from or relating to the service or these Terms will not exceed the greater of (a) the fees you paid to CivicSummary during the twelve months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim or (b) US $100. This limit applies regardless of the legal theory asserted, to the extent permitted by law.

Nothing in these Terms, including Sections 10–12, excludes or limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, or any liability that applicable law does not permit to be excluded or limited. Nothing waives nonwaivable consumer or privacy rights, statutory damages or other mandatory remedies, or a right to seek public injunctive relief. Where a limitation is prohibited, it applies only to the extent lawful.

12. Third-party Claims

To the extent permitted by law, you will indemnify CivicSummary for reasonable losses and expenses arising from a third-party claim to the extent caused by your unlawful conduct, infringement of another person's rights, or material breach of these Terms. This obligation does not apply to claims arising from CivicSummary's own wrongdoing or to your good-faith assertion of rights against CivicSummary. We will promptly notify you of a covered claim and reasonably cooperate in its defense. Neither party may settle a covered claim in a manner that imposes an admission, nonmonetary obligation, or unreimbursed payment on the other without that party's written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld.

13. Termination

14. Modifications to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. For material changes, we will provide at least 14 days' advance notice via email to your registered address and/or a prominent notice on the platform. Non-material changes may take effect immediately upon posting.

Revised Terms apply only through an enforceable agreement. Continued use constitutes acceptance only where legally sufficient notice and assent exist; where renewed consent is required, we will obtain it before relying on a revised provision. A revision will not expand arbitration to a dispute that accrued before its effective date without a separate enforceable agreement. If you do not agree to revised Terms, you may stop using the service and cancel your subscription without waiving accrued rights.

The June 12, 2026 Terms remain available online. Other prior versions are available upon request by contacting legal@civicsummary.ai.

15. Governing Law and Disputes

15.1 Applicable law and agreement

California law governs these Terms, subject to mandatory protections provided by applicable law. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of an applicable arbitration agreement. The arbitration provisions below apply only where you and CivicSummary have entered into an enforceable agreement to them. Merely viewing a link to these Terms does not by itself establish agreement.

15.2 Informal resolution

Either party may send a written dispute notice describing the concern and requested resolution. We will attempt in good faith to resolve a dispute within 30 days after receiving notice. This process does not prevent either party from seeking urgent relief or timely filing to preserve a claim or satisfy a legal deadline. Send notices to Virtual Connect Group, LLC a/k/a CivicSummary, 8581 Santa Monica Blvd, #558 West Hollywood, CA 90069, or legal@civicsummary.ai.

15.3 Individual arbitration

For this section, covered disputes are disputes between you and Virtual Connect Group, LLC a/k/a CivicSummary arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the service, subject to the exceptions and timing limits below. Except for those matters, you and CivicSummary agree to resolve covered disputes through binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its applicable Consumer Arbitration Rules. The current rules and fee schedule are available at AAA consumer rules and fee schedule. A court of competent jurisdiction will decide whether an arbitration agreement was formed and whether it is enforceable. The arbitrator will decide the merits of disputes properly submitted to arbitration and may award relief available under applicable law, subject to lawful contractual limitations.

Consumer filing fees, business fees, arbitrator compensation, and available fee waivers will follow the applicable AAA consumer rules and fee schedule. CivicSummary will pay the fees allocated to the business. A consumer will not be required to bear costs prohibited by applicable law. Hearings may be conducted remotely by agreement or as permitted by the rules; any in-person hearing must be at a location reasonably convenient to the consumer under the applicable rules. There is no mandatory San Francisco venue.

15.4 Court proceedings and preserved rights

Either party may pursue an eligible individual claim in small claims court. Either party may contact government agencies or exercise rights that cannot lawfully be subject to mandatory arbitration. Nothing waives public injunctive relief. Requests for public injunctive relief are reserved to a court of competent jurisdiction; severable arbitrable claims may proceed separately in arbitration. Either party may seek temporary relief necessary to prevent imminent harm while preserving arbitration of arbitrable claims.

To the extent permitted by law, you and CivicSummary agree to pursue covered disputes individually, in court or arbitration, and waive participation as a class representative or class member. No class or representative arbitration is authorized. These restrictions do not apply to public injunctive relief or other rights, claims, or remedies that applicable law does not permit to be waived. If the individual-proceeding limitation is unenforceable for a particular claim or remedy, that claim or remedy may proceed in court rather than class arbitration; other severable, enforceable provisions remain effective.

If AAA declines administration, the parties may agree on another neutral administrator that provides equivalent consumer protections. If they cannot agree, either party may bring the dispute in a competent court. No replacement administrator may be imposed unilaterally.

15.5 Changes

Material changes will receive the advance notice promised in Section 14. A revision will not expand arbitration to a dispute that accrued before the revision became effective without a separate enforceable agreement. Where renewed consent is required, CivicSummary will obtain it before relying on the revised provision. Prior agreed terms remain available for the period in which they applied.

16. Accessibility

CivicSummary is committed to making our platform accessible to users of all abilities. We strive to comply with applicable accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. If you experience accessibility barriers while using our platform, please contact us at accessibility@civicsummary.ai and we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your needs.

17. General Provisions

• Entire Agreement: Where enforceably agreed, these Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies incorporated by reference, constitute the agreement between you and Virtual Connect Group, LLC a/k/a CivicSummary regarding the service. This provision is subject to the effective-date, assent and accrued-dispute protections in Sections 14 and 15; it does not retroactively supersede prior agreements for periods or disputes to which they continue to apply
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect
• No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision in the future
• Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without our prior written consent. We may freely assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Force Majeure: CivicSummary shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, government actions, internet outages, or third-party service failures
• Notices: Official notices to CivicSummary should be sent to legal@civicsummary.ai or by mail to Virtual Connect Group, LLC a/k/a CivicSummary, 8581 Santa Monica Blvd, #558 West Hollywood, CA 90069
• Headings: Section headings are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of these Terms
• Language: These Terms are written in English. Any translations provided are for convenience only; in the event of conflict, the English version controls

18. Contact Us

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