Welcome to Orthodox Digital Cafe ("ODC," "we," "us"). ODC is an online community for Orthodox Christians and sincere seekers. By creating an account or using orthodoxdigitalcafe.com and related services (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms of Use and to our Community Guidelines, which are part of these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
1. Who may use ODC
- You must be at least 13 years old. By registering you confirm your date of birth truthfully. Accounts found to belong to users under 13 will be removed.
- If you are under 18, you confirm that a parent or guardian permits your use.
- You must provide accurate information and keep your account secure. You are responsible for activity on your account. One account per person.
2. The spirit of this platform
ODC is a religious community space. Participation is open to all who engage respectfully — Orthodox Christians, other Christians, seekers, and the curious. We are strict about protecting the character of this space: content or behavior that mocks, degrades, or attacks the Orthodox faith, its sacraments, clergy, or members — or any person or group — is not permitted. Honest questions and respectful disagreement are always welcome.
3. Your content
- You own what you post. By posting, you grant ODC a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute your content within the Service as needed to operate it (including showing it to the audience you selected).
- You are responsible for what you post. Do not post content you don't have the right to share.
- Audience controls (e.g., "Friends" / "Everyone") govern visibility within the Service; treat them as a courtesy, not encryption.
- We may remove content that violates these Terms or the Community Guidelines.
4. Prohibited conduct
You agree not to:
- Harass, threaten, demean, or deliberately provoke others; no hate speech or discrimination of any kind.
- Post sexual, violent, or graphic content; ODC is a family-appropriate space.
- Impersonate clergy. Presenting yourself as a priest, deacon, monastic, or other clergy without completing ODC's verification is grounds for immediate removal.
- Impersonate any person, misrepresent affiliation, or operate fake accounts.
- Spam, scam, solicit, or advertise without authorization; no fundraising without prior written approval from ODC.
- Attempt to access other accounts, probe or disrupt the Service, scrape data, or misuse reporting tools.
- Use the Service for anything unlawful.
5. Clergy verification & titles
Members may apply for clergy verification. Verified clergy receive a visible badge. Until verified, members may not use clerical titles in display names or present themselves as clergy. ODC decides verification in its sole discretion and may revoke it.
6. Spiritual and personal guidance
Content on ODC — including from verified clergy — is offered for community edification and does not replace the pastoral care of your own priest, nor professional medical, mental-health, legal, or financial advice. If you are in crisis or danger, contact local emergency services immediately. Features like "I Need Help Today" connect you with community support, not emergency or professional services.
7. Moderation & enforcement
We may, at our discretion: remove content; restrict features; suspend or terminate accounts; and report unlawful activity to authorities. We aim to be fair and proportionate (see the Guidelines' enforcement ladder) but reserve the right to act immediately for serious violations. You may report content or users through the built-in reporting tools.
8. Privacy
Our Privacy Policy describes what we collect and how we use it. Highlights: your date of birth is used for age verification and is never displayed; "Friends"-audience content is restricted by our systems to your accepted friends; we do not sell your personal data.
9. Paid features & marketplace (when available)
Some features may require payment (e.g., memberships). Marketplace listings are offered by third-party sellers; ODC is not the seller of their goods and is not a party to those transactions except where expressly stated. Additional terms will apply and will be presented before purchase.
10. Termination
You may delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (content license for operational needs, disclaimers, limitations of liability) survive.
11. Disclaimers & limitation of liability
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. To the maximum extent permitted by law, ODC and its operators are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or loss of data, arising from your use of the Service. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the greater of $100 or the amount you paid ODC in the twelve months before the claim.
12. Changes to the Service and these Terms
We may modify the Service and these Terms. For material changes we will give notice (e.g., in-app or by email); continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
13. Governing law & disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Arizona, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
14. Contact
Questions about these Terms: hello@orthodoxdigitalcafe.com
By clicking "I agree" at signup or age confirmation, you accept these Terms and the Community Guidelines.