Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 28, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the JusticeWatch ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

The JusticeWatch is a public interest web application that aggregates, visualizes, and provides alerts on civil rights incidents involving law enforcement and immigration authorities in the United States. The Service includes:

  • Interactive maps and data visualizations
  • Real-time incident alerts via email, SMS, and push notifications
  • Public API for researchers and journalists
  • Citizen incident reporting functionality
  • Analytics and trend analysis

3. Data Accuracy Disclaimer

IMPORTANT: The data presented on this Service is aggregated from multiple public sources including Mapping Police Violence, Washington Post, ACLED, Fatal Encounters, and verified news sources. While we strive for accuracy:

  • Data may contain errors or omissions
  • Incident details may be incomplete or unverified
  • The Service should not be used as the sole source of information for legal proceedings
  • Users should verify information through primary sources before relying on it

Each incident includes verification status and source links for fact-checking purposes.

4. User Accounts

To access certain features, you may need to create an account. You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
  • All activities that occur under your account
  • Providing accurate and current information
  • Notifying us of any unauthorized use of your account

5. User Submissions

By submitting incident reports or other content to the Service, you:

  • Affirm that your submission is truthful and accurate to the best of your knowledge
  • Grant us the right to use, modify, and display the submission
  • Acknowledge that submissions are subject to review and verification
  • Understand that false submissions may result in account termination

6. Prohibited Uses

You agree NOT to use the Service to:

  • Submit false, misleading, or defamatory information
  • Harass, intimidate, or threaten any individual
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
  • Scrape or harvest data in a manner that overloads our systems
  • Circumvent rate limits or security measures

7. API Usage

The public API is provided for research, journalism, and public interest purposes. API users must:

  • Respect rate limits (documented in API documentation)
  • Provide attribution when publishing analysis based on our data
  • Not use the API for commercial purposes without permission
  • Not redistribute bulk data without authorization

8. Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content (excluding user submissions and aggregated public data) are the property of the JusticeWatch project. The source code is available under the MIT License. Aggregated incident data is derived from public sources and is made available for public interest purposes.

9. Limitation of Liability

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR ANY DATA OBTAINED FROM IT.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the JusticeWatch project and its contributors from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.

11. Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to the Service at any time, without prior notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users or the Service.

12. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of significant changes by posting the updated Terms on this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us through our GitHub repository or the contact information provided on the application.