Terms of Service for HereAbout

Who we are

HereAbout is an audio walking-tour app operated as a personal side project by Johanna Ott, based in the Netherlands.

Contact: support@hereabout.live

Agreement

By creating an account or using the HereAbout app, you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

These Terms form a contract between you and Johanna Ott (referred to as "we" or "us").

What HereAbout is

HereAbout is a GPS-guided audio walking tour app. After signing up, you choose a city or tour, then explore on foot. As you approach each stop along the route, the corresponding audio narration plays automatically. You can also explore within a limited time window matched to your preferences, listen to background media while walking, and access stop-specific media when you arrive at a stop.

Beta status

HereAbout is currently in beta. This means:

• The service is provided "as is". Features may change, be interrupted, or be removed.
• You may encounter bugs, missing features, or unexpected behavior.
• Tour content may be added, edited, or removed without notice.
• We may pause or end the beta at any time.

We appreciate feedback during this period. You can submit it through the app or by emailing support@hereabout.live.

Your account

To use HereAbout, you need to create an account. When you do:

• You must provide accurate information.
• You are responsible for keeping your password secure.
• One account per person. Don't share your login.
• You must be at least 16 years old to create an account, in line with the legal age of consent for data processing under GDPR in the Netherlands.

You can delete your account at any time through Profile → Delete Account. This removes all data tied to your account, as described in the Privacy Policy.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that misuse the service. For example, submitting abusive content, spam, fake reviews, attempting to break the app, or violating these Terms. Where possible we will warn you first, but in serious cases we may act immediately.

Safety while walking

Please pay attention to your surroundings while using HereAbout. Your safety is your responsibility.

The app guides you on foot through real-world environments. These environments include, but are not limited to, streets, traffic, intersections, construction areas, uneven surfaces, stairs, narrow alleys, busy public spaces, areas with limited lighting, areas near water, and areas that may be unsafe at certain times of day.

You acknowledge and agree that:

• You are solely responsible for your own safety, route choices, and conduct while using the app.
• You will watch where you are going and not stare at your phone while moving.
• You will obey all traffic signals, road signs, pedestrian rules, and local laws.
• You will use headphones at a volume that allows you to hear traffic, sirens, voices, and your surroundings.
• You will not follow GPS guidance into traffic, against traffic, into restricted or private areas, off marked paths, or anywhere that appears unsafe.
• You will use your own judgment about whether a route is safe, accessible, and appropriate for your physical condition, the time of day, the weather, and other circumstances.
• You will not use the app while operating a vehicle, bicycle, scooter, or any other means of transport that requires your full attention.
• You are responsible for assessing your own physical fitness for walking the chosen tour, including its length, terrain, and pace.
• You will take appropriate precautions for your personal security, especially in unfamiliar areas, after dark, or when walking alone.

We are not responsible for any injury, death, illness, theft, loss, harassment, accident, property damage, missed appointments, missed transport, or other harm of any kind that results from walking, navigating, or any other activity while using the app, regardless of whether the harm relates to GPS guidance, route content, audio narration, app behavior, or any other factor.

If you are walking with children, elderly companions, or anyone who needs supervision, you are responsible for their safety as well.

Tour content

We work to make tour content accurate, interesting, and enjoyable. However, we make no guarantee of accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of any tour content.

You acknowledge that:

• Information may be outdated. Shops close, streets get rerouted, opening hours change, businesses move, public spaces are renovated, and historical sites may be temporarily inaccessible.
• Audio narration reflects the perspective of the narrator and may contain errors, opinions, simplifications, or interpretations that do not reflect every possible view.
• GPS accuracy depends on your device, satellite availability, weather, urban density, indoor environments, battery state, and other factors outside our control. GPS may show your location incorrectly, place you off-route, or fail entirely.
• Routes and stops are suggestions, not guarantees of safety, accessibility, legality of access, opening hours, or appropriateness for any particular person.
• Some tour areas may include public, semi-public, or private spaces. You are responsible for respecting access rules, entrance fees, opening hours, and any restrictions in place at each location.
• Audio narration may reference sites, businesses, or features that have closed, moved, or changed since the tour was recorded.

You should always use your own judgment alongside the app, including but not limited to: confirming opening hours before relying on a visit, checking weather and local conditions, verifying that a route is safe and accessible for you, and respecting all local rules and customs.

We are not responsible for losses, missed experiences, ticket costs, transport costs, or any other harm resulting from outdated, inaccurate, or unavailable tour content.

Intellectual property

What we own: The HereAbout app, including its design, code, branding, name, logo, and all tour content we provide (audio narration, photos, illustrations, maps, written descriptions, and any other media) is owned by Johanna Ott or licensed to us. You may not copy, redistribute, sell, modify, publicly perform, or create derivative works from this content without written permission.

What you can do: You may use HereAbout for personal, non-commercial walking tours. You may take screenshots and personal photos during a tour for your own use.

What you cannot do:

• Record, re-broadcast, or republish our audio content.
• Use our content to create competing tours, AI training datasets, or commercial products.
• Reverse-engineer the app or attempt to extract content from it.
• Remove or alter copyright or attribution notices.

What you own: Anything you submit through the app (feedback, ratings, written messages, notes) remains yours. By submitting it, you give us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use it for the purpose of operating and improving the app. For example, ratings and feedback may be displayed within the app for other users to see, and we may use feedback to improve features. We will not sell your submissions or use them outside the app's purpose.

You are responsible for what you submit. Don't submit anything illegal, abusive, infringing, or that you don't have the right to share. We may remove submissions that violate these Terms.

Payments

During beta, all tours and features are free. No payment is required and no payment data is collected.

If we introduce paid tours or features in the future, this will happen exclusively through Apple In-App Purchase (on iOS), and these Terms, along with the Privacy Policy, will be updated to reflect that change. You will be informed before any payment-related feature goes live.

Service availability

We try to keep HereAbout available and working, but we don't guarantee uninterrupted service. The app may be unavailable due to maintenance, technical issues, third-party outages (Apple, Google Maps, Supabase, your own internet connection), or other reasons.

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the service at any time during beta.

Disclaimers

HereAbout is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we expressly disclaim all warranties, including:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
• Warranties that the app will be accurate, reliable, complete, uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.
• Warranties that GPS guidance, route information, opening hours, audio content, or any other information will be correct or up to date.
• Warranties about the safety, accessibility, legality, or suitability of any route, stop, or location featured in a tour.
• Warranties that the app will be compatible with your device, operating system, network, or any third-party service.

You use HereAbout at your own risk.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Johanna Ott (the operator of HereAbout) is not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind, including but not limited to:

• Personal injury, illness, or death.
• Property damage, theft, or loss.
• Financial loss, including missed flights, missed appointments, ticket costs, or transport costs.
• Emotional distress.
• Loss of data, loss of profits, loss of goodwill, or business interruption.
• Harm caused by GPS inaccuracy, content errors, app malfunctions, third-party service outages (including but not limited to Apple, Google Maps, Supabase, or your internet provider), or any other failure of the app to perform as expected.

This applies regardless of the legal theory under which the claim is brought (contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise) and regardless of whether we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total cumulative liability to you for any and all claims related to the app is limited to the greater of: (a) the total amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose, or (b) ten euros (€10). During beta, all use is free, so this means our liability is limited to €10.

Important: Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by gross negligence or intentional misconduct on our part.
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
• Any liability that cannot be limited or excluded under Dutch law, EU consumer protection law, or other applicable law.

If a court finds any clause of this section unenforceable, the rest of these Terms remain in effect, and the unenforceable clause will be interpreted to give effect to its purpose to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Johanna Ott and HereAbout from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use or misuse of the app.
• Your violation of these Terms.
• Your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.
• Content you submit through the app.
• Your conduct while walking, navigating, or otherwise using the app in the real world.

This indemnification obligation survives the termination of your account and these Terms. It does not apply to harm caused by our gross negligence or intentional misconduct, or to liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

Changes to these Terms

If we change these Terms, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top. If the changes are significant, we will notify you within the app before they take effect. Continuing to use the app after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Netherlands. Disputes will be handled by the competent courts in the Netherlands, unless mandatory consumer law gives you the right to bring proceedings in your country of residence.

If you have a complaint, please contact us first at support@hereabout.live . We'd much rather resolve it directly. EU consumers can also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform: ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

Contact

Johanna Ott
Netherlands
support@hereabout.live