Terms of Use

Platform: Hourglass (hourglasschat.com)
Effective Date: June 18, 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Hourglass (“Platform”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) at hourglasschat.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (“Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Platform. These Terms apply to all visitors, anonymous users, registered users, and paid subscribers.

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or in-Platform notice. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Eligibility and Age Requirements

2.1 General Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Platform. If you are under 18 years of age, you may only use the general, non-adult areas of the Platform.

2.2 Adult Content — 18+ Requirement

Access to adult-designated areas of the Platform (“Adult Sections”) is strictly restricted to users who are 18 years of age or older, or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is higher.

By accessing any Adult Section, you represent and warrant that:

You are at least 18 years of age, or the applicable age of majority in your jurisdiction;
You are not accessing adult content from any location where it is prohibited by local law;
You understand that the Adult Sections contain sexually explicit material intended for adults only;
You are accessing this content voluntarily and not on behalf of any minor;
You have not provided false information about your age or identity to gain access.

Any user found to have misrepresented their age to access Adult Sections will have their account permanently suspended and may be reported to appropriate authorities.

3. Account Types and Access

3.1 Anonymous Users

You may browse certain public areas of the Platform without creating an account. Anonymous access is limited to publicly available content only. We may collect certain technical data from anonymous sessions as described in our Privacy Policy. Anonymous users do not have access to Adult Sections.

3.2 Registered Users

Creating a registered account is free and grants access to additional Platform features including the ability to post content, engage in community discussions, send private messages, and access standard community areas. To register, you must provide accurate information and maintain the confidentiality of your login credentials.

You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at legal@hourglasschat.com if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account.

3.3 Paid Subscribers

Paid subscription accounts (“Premium Membership”) grant access to additional features including, where applicable, Adult Sections and premium content. Subscriptions are subject to the payment terms in Section 9 of these Terms.

Premium Memberships are non-transferable and may only be used by the account holder.

4. User-Generated Content

4.1 Content You Post

Hourglass allows users to post, upload, submit, and share text, images, videos, and private messages (“User Content”). You retain ownership of your User Content, but by submitting it to the Platform, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and perform your User Content in connection with operating and providing the Platform.

4.2 Content Standards — General Areas

All User Content posted in general (non-adult) areas of the Platform must comply with the following rules. You may not post content that:

Is illegal, defamatory, harassing, abusive, threatening, or fraudulent;
Infringes any third-party intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights;
Contains viruses, malware, or other harmful code;
Constitutes spam, unsolicited advertising, or chain letters;
Impersonates any person or entity or misrepresents your affiliation;
Contains sexually explicit or adult material of any kind in non-gated areas;
Depicts, promotes, or glorifies violence, self-harm, or dangerous activities;
Violates any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation.

4.3 Content Standards — Adult Sections

Adult Sections permit sexually explicit content subject to the following absolute restrictions. The following content is prohibited under all circumstances on this Platform:

Any content depicting, suggesting, or implying sexual activity involving minors (persons under 18 years of age) in any form, including but not limited to drawn, animated, written, or digitally generated content;
Non-consensual sexual acts or content that depicts, promotes, or glorifies sexual violence;
Content that sexualizes real, identifiable individuals without their documented consent;
Content involving bestiality;
Content designed to facilitate, solicit, or arrange illegal sexual activity;
Content that violates 18 U.S.C. § 2257 record-keeping requirements applicable to sexually explicit depictions.

Violation of these prohibitions will result in immediate account termination, removal of all content, and may result in reporting to law enforcement authorities including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

4.4 Content Moderation

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to review, monitor, remove, or edit any User Content at our sole discretion and at any time, without notice. Removal of content does not constitute a waiver of any claim we may have against you.

4.5 DMCA / Copyright Infringement

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe your copyrighted work has been posted on the Platform without authorization, please send a DMCA takedown notice to legal@hourglasschat.com with the following information:

A description of the copyrighted work and the infringing content;
The URL or location of the infringing content;
Your contact information;
A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is unauthorized;
A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf;
Your physical or electronic signature.

We will process valid DMCA notices and remove infringing content. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

5. Private Messaging

Hourglass provides private messaging functionality between registered users. By using private messaging, you agree that:

You will not use private messages to send spam, unsolicited commercial messages, or phishing attempts;
You will not use private messages to harass, threaten, or stalk other users;
You will not solicit minors or attempt to arrange illegal activity via private messages;
You will not send adult content via private messages to users who have not consented to receive it.

While we do not routinely monitor private messages, we reserve the right to access and review message content when necessary to investigate reports of abuse, violations of these Terms, or as required by law.

6. Prohibited Conduct

In addition to the content standards above, you agree not to:

Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform, other accounts, or related systems;
Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or scripts to access or collect data from the Platform without our prior written consent;
Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any age verification, access control, or security measures;
Create multiple accounts to evade a ban or suspension;
Engage in any activity that disrupts or interferes with the Platform's operation or other users' experience;
Use the Platform to distribute malware or conduct phishing attacks;
Sell, trade, or transfer your account to any other person;
Falsely report other users or content in bad faith.

7. Third-Party Advertising

The Platform displays third-party advertisements. Advertisements shown in general areas of the Platform are mainstream in nature. Advertisements shown within Adult Sections may contain adult-oriented content and are restricted to those sections.

We are not responsible for the content, products, or services offered by third-party advertisers. Any interaction with advertisers, including clicking advertisements or visiting advertiser websites, is at your own risk. Hourglass does not endorse any advertiser or their offerings.

If you believe an advertisement is inappropriate or violates these Terms, please report it to legal@hourglasschat.com.

8. Platform Intellectual Property

The Platform and all of its content, features, and functionality — including but not limited to the Hourglass name, logo, design, text, graphics, and software — are owned by or licensed to us and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform for personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with these Terms. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Platform, or reverse engineer any software, without our prior written consent.

9. Payments and Subscriptions

9.1 Billing

Paid subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, as selected at signup). By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method on the applicable billing cycle.

9.2 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. We do not provide prorated refunds for partial subscription periods except where required by applicable law.

9.3 Refunds

All sales are final except where required by law. If you believe you were charged in error, contact us at legal@hourglasschat.com within 30 days of the charge.

9.4 Price Changes

We reserve the right to modify subscription pricing at any time. We will provide at least 30 days' notice of price changes to active subscribers. Continued use of a paid subscription after the price change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

10. Privacy

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in the Privacy Policy.

For users in the European Union or United Kingdom, additional rights apply under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR respectively. For users in California, additional rights apply under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please refer to our Privacy Policy for details on how to exercise these rights.

11. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE DO NOT ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY CONTENT POSTED BY USERS.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HOURGLASS AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES — INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, DATA LOSS, OR REPUTATIONAL HARM — ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING UNDER THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100.00).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages; in such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Hourglass, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

Your use of the Platform or any User Content you submit;
Your violation of these Terms or any applicable law;
Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights;
Any misrepresentation you make, including regarding your age.

14. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

Violation of these Terms;
Conduct we determine, in our sole discretion, to be harmful to other users, the Platform, or third parties;
Extended account inactivity;
Request by law enforcement or government authorities.

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at legal@hourglasschat.com. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately. Sections 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 15 survive termination.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

15.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Notwithstanding this, nothing in these Terms limits your rights under any mandatory consumer protection laws applicable in your country of residence.

15.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute, you agree to contact us at legal@hourglasschat.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

15.3 Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall take place in North Carolina, or at a mutually agreed location. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding.

15.4 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND HOURGLASS AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. Unless both you and Hourglass agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims.

15.5 Exceptions

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction in North Carolina to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights or confidential information.

16. International Users

The Platform is operated from the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with local laws. The Platform may not be appropriate or available in all jurisdictions, and we make no representation that content available on the Platform is appropriate or lawful in all countries.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with applicable data protection laws, please review our Privacy Policy for information on how we handle your personal data and your applicable rights.

17. Third-Party Links and Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources. These links are provided for your convenience only. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the terms and privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

18. Miscellaneous

18.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other agreements expressly incorporated by reference herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Hourglass regarding your use of the Platform.

18.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining Terms shall remain in full force and effect.

18.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.

18.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may freely assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

18.5 No Third-Party Beneficiaries

These Terms do not confer any rights or remedies upon any third party.

19. Contact Information

Hourglass
Email: legal@hourglasschat.com
Website: hourglasschat.com

For copyright/DMCA notices, abuse reports, or legal inquiries, please include the relevant subject line in your email so we can route your request appropriately.