Legal

Relay Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 1 March 2026

1. Who we are and how to contact us

Relay is operated by Relay Social Ltd, a company incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office: Pine End Warren Lane, Oxshott, Leatherhead, England, KT22 0ST. Company number: 16715098. Email: team@relay-social.com. Website: www.relay-social.com.

2. Our contract with you

By creating an account or using Relay, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service. We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised Terms with a new "Last updated" date and, where changes are material, provide reasonable advance notice through the app or by email. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use Relay. By creating an account, you confirm that you meet this requirement. We may use reasonable, privacy-protective age-assurance measures.

4. Your account and security

You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must keep account information accurate and current. We may suspend or terminate accounts where we reasonably believe these Terms have been breached or account integrity is at risk.

5. Acceptable use

We protect free speech but ban illegal activity and clear abuse. Content that is lawful but offensive may stay up. Use Block and Report Abuse to manage your feed and flag problems.

You must not:

• post illegal content in the UK (e.g. CSAM, terrorism, unlawful incitement, criminal hate) or direct, credible threats;
• harass, dox, or impersonate others;
• solicit crimes, exploit minors, or share non-consensual intimate images or synthetic/"deepfake" sexual images of real people;
• hack, disrupt, scrape, or reverse-engineer the service (unless the law allows it);
• infringe others' rights.

We may refuse or reclaim usernames, including for impersonation or trade mark reasons. Zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation. See the CSAM Safety Policy.

6. Safety, moderation, and reporting

Use Block and Report Abuse to control what you see and to alert us. We review reports quickly, prioritising child safety and serious harms. Actions may include content removal, feature limits, suspension, or bans. We may act where we reasonably assess a risk of serious harm, even if content is not clearly illegal.

We don't routinely read user content. We may access specific items only to investigate reports, comply with the law, or protect security. We are not obliged to monitor all content and we do not undertake any general monitoring of user activity. Access is limited and logged. Appeals are available for most decisions, except where child-safety or legal duties prevent it. If you believe content infringes your rights, email the contact in section 1 with: (a) a link to the content; (b) a description of the work; (c) why you believe it infringes; and (d) your contact details. We may remove content and restrict or suspend repeat infringers.

7. Your content and licence to us

You own your photos, messages, and replies. You give us a worldwide, royalty-free licence to host and display them to run the service (including backups, delivery, and moderation). You also grant us the right to sub-license this licence to our service providers solely so they can help us run the service.

If you delete content, this licence continues only to: (a) honour re-shares until others delete them; (b) allow short-term caching/backups; (c) meet legal, safety, and dispute needs; and (d) keep non-revealing safety artefacts (e.g. hashes). We won't use deleted content for new features or marketing without your consent.

You must have rights to everything you upload.

8. Our intellectual property

Relay Social Ltd owns the service and all related intellectual property, including trademarks, logos, and design elements. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, non-sublicensable licence to use the app and website for personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with these Terms. You must not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, reverse engineer, or attempt to extract the source code of the service except to the extent such restrictions are prohibited by law.

9. Service availability and changes

Relay is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue features or the service at any time (for example, for security, legal, or operational reasons). We will try to provide advance notice where practicable.

10. Liability

Nothing here excludes liability we can't legally exclude (e.g. death/personal injury by negligence, fraud) or your consumer rights.

Otherwise, to the extent allowed by law, we're not liable for unforeseeable loss, business losses, loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other indirect/special losses. We'll use reasonable skill and care; if we don't, we're responsible for foreseeable loss caused by that failure.

11. Termination

You may delete your account at any time in Settings. We may suspend or terminate your account immediately where we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, created risk or possible legal exposure for us or others, or where required by law. Upon termination, your right to use the service ends, but sections that are intended to survive (including licences granted for the limited purposes above, safety reporting, and limitations of liability) will continue as necessary.

12. Complaints and disputes

Questions or complaints? See section 1 for contact details. Law of England and Wales applies. Courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer rights you have where you live.

13. Other important terms

If any provision is found invalid, the remainder remains in effect. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms in connection with a reorganisation, merger, or sale of assets; we will notify you if this happens. You may not transfer your rights without our written consent. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the service. Third-party links may appear; we are not responsible for them. Your use of the app may be subject to Apple App Store/Google Play terms; if those conflict with these Terms, the store terms may apply to the extent required by the store. You must not use the service in violation of applicable export-control or sanctions laws.

Contact: see our Terms and Conditions, section 1 (Who we are and how to contact us).

Relay Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 March 2026

Relay Social Ltd controls your personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are registered with the ICO. This notice explains what we collect, how we use it, and your rights. We don't use data for advertising and we don't sell data.

Contact: see our Terms and Conditions, section 1 (Who we are and how to contact us). Our privacy leads are Scott Swanepoel and Rex Attwood. You can contact the ICO at ico.org.uk.

1. What we collect

Account data

• Email address, username, password (stored using industry-standard hashing).

Content and connections

• Uploaded photos and captions.
• Uploaded messages (text posts and replies), and replies to photos.
• Friend lists and interactions you initiate or accept.
• Daily Poll responses: we display aggregated percentages; your individual response is visible to other users if you participated.

Device and usage data

• Device model, operating system, app version, IP address and derived approximate location (city/region level), language, time zone.
• In-app events, crash logs, and performance metrics.
• Device identifiers required for essential security and service delivery (e.g., notification tokens).

Optional personality and interests

• If you choose to complete the optional personality test or add an interests list, we store those inputs so you can view them alongside other users' results.

We do not collect: your phone's contact list, your browsing history, or unrelated device metadata.

2. Why we use your data (and legal bases)

• Run and secure the service (contract/legitimate interests), including core features such as photo uploads, feeds, Daily Polls, friendships, and the Event Planner.
• Keep users safe and meet legal duties, including child-safety and lawful requests (legal obligation/legitimate interests; vital interests in emergencies).
• Optional features you choose, like the personality test and interests (consent/contract). Not used for ads or sales.
• Analytics and crash reports to improve performance (consent for non-essential analytics; necessary telemetry on legitimate interests).
• Service communications (legitimate interests; consent where required).
• Marketing: we only send marketing with your opt-in, and you can withdraw consent at any time.

3. Children and age limits

Relay is intended for users aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If we learn that we hold data about a younger child, we will delete it and may close the account. We design our experiences with the best interests of children in mind and will apply the ICO's Children's Code if our service is likely to be accessed by under-18s, including privacy-protective defaults and age-appropriate information.

4. Sharing your data

We do not sell personal data or share it for targeted or interest-based advertising. We also prohibit our service providers from using your data for their own advertising or marketing purposes.

We share limited data with service providers (processors) under written contracts requiring confidentiality, security, and processing only on our instructions. Categories include:

• Cloud hosting and storage.
• Content delivery and image processing.
• Security, fraud prevention, and moderation.
• Analytics, diagnostics, and notification delivery (e.g., Google Firebase/Google Cloud).
• Professional advisers and insurers.

We may share data with law-enforcement or competent authorities where required or permitted by law, particularly regarding child-safety or serious harms. If we are involved in a reorganisation or sale, data may be transferred to the successor in accordance with this policy.

5. International transfers

Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we use UK-approved safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, and conduct transfer risk assessments. You can request a copy of the relevant safeguards (with commercially sensitive details redacted).

6. Data security

We use encryption, secure storage, access controls, logging, and regular testing. We don't routinely read your content. Limited, logged access may occur only to investigate reports, meet legal duties, or prevent fraud/abuse/security incidents. If we become aware of a personal data breach likely to risk your rights, we will assess and, where required, notify the ICO and affected users.

7. Your rights

You can access, correct, delete, or move your data, and object or restrict processing. You can withdraw consent at any time. To exercise rights, use the contact details in Terms section 1. You can also complain to the ICO.

8. Retention

• Account data: kept while your account is active; deleted within 30 days after closure (subject to legal holds/backups).
• Content: kept until you delete it or close your account (with short-term backups).
• Safety/moderation records: kept as required by law and for legal claims.
• Analytics/diagnostics: kept per tool settings and only while consent is valid.

9. Your choices and controls

• Privacy settings: manage profile visibility, friend connections, and sharing options in Settings.
• Analytics and personalised features: toggle in Settings at any time.
• Notifications: opt in/out in Settings and at device level.
• Account deletion: available in Settings. We will delete or anonymise your personal data unless we must keep it for legal or safety reasons.

10. Cookies and SDKs

Our app and website use essential cookies/SDKs for security and service delivery. We do not use advertising cookies/SDKs. Non-essential analytics/measurement run only with your consent. You can change your preferences at any time in Settings.

11. Changes to this policy

We will post updates here and, for material changes, provide reasonable advance notice through the app or by email.

Contact: see our Terms and Conditions, section 1 (Who we are and how to contact us).

Relay Community Guidelines

Last updated: 1 March 2026

Relay lets you share photos and short messages. These rules apply to all content and behaviour. We allow the widest range of lawful speech. If something breaks the rules below, report it in-app or contact us (see Terms section 1).

1. Be authentic and respectful

Share your own photos. Don't impersonate others, mislead people, or manipulate engagement. Treat others with respect—no bullying, shaming, or targeted harassment.

2. Keep it safe for everyone

• Child safety is paramount. Absolutely no sexualised or exploitative content featuring minors (under 18), including edited or generated images. Grooming or solicitation is banned and reported.
• No threats of violence, encouragement of dangerous or criminal activity, or instructions to self-harm. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

3. No illegal or highly regulated content

Don't post content that is illegal where you are or where your audience is. This includes CSAM, extremist content, and content that facilitates crime. Don't share others' personal data without permission.

4. Adult content and nudity

We don't allow sexually explicit content. Non-sexual nudity may be removed if it is likely to be viewed by or to risk harm to younger users, or where context is unclear.

5. Intellectual property and authenticity

Only post photos you have the right to share. Don't upload other people's content without permission. Don't use deceptive edits to mislead others.

6. Spam and platform abuse

No spam, scams, or mass solicitation. Don't use automation, scraping, or exploits. Don't interfere with the app's normal operation.

7. Safety tools, reporting, and appeals

• Block: you can block another user to stop seeing their content and to prevent them from interacting with you.
• Report: use the in-app Report Abuse tool or contact us using the details in our Terms and Conditions, section 1. We prioritise serious harms and child safety. We may remove content, restrict features, or suspend accounts.
• Appeals: if your content or account is restricted, you may appeal in-app. We may limit appeals in child-safety cases where notifying an offender could increase risk.

8. Enforcement and transparency

We enforce these Guidelines consistently and explain our reasons where possible. Repeated or severe violations can lead to permanent bans. We may use automated tools to detect likely violations, but final decisions involve human review for context, except in clear child-safety cases.

9. Updates

We update these Guidelines as our features and legal obligations evolve. We will post the updated date at the top.

Contact: see our Terms and Conditions, section 1 (Who we are and how to contact us).

Relay CSAM Safety Policy

Last updated: 1 March 2026

Relay has zero tolerance for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and child exploitation. We design our photo-only service to reduce abuse opportunities and we cooperate fully with UK child-protection bodies and law enforcement.

1. Prohibited content and behaviour

We prohibit:

• Any sexualised or exploitative images of minors (under 18), including edited, AI-generated, cartoon, or drawn depictions.
• Grooming, sexualisation, or exploitation attempts, including "age-play" or "barely legal" framing.
• Solicitation or sharing of child imagery, sextortion, trafficking, or instructions for obtaining CSAM.
• Links to CSAM or to services trading CSAM.

Where content features a person who appears to be a minor, we will treat it as involving a minor even if an asserted age conflicts with the appearance.

2. Photos only; restricted formats

We accept only single photo uploads. Videos, GIFs, audio, and live content are blocked to limit abuse pathways and to support rapid review.

3. Detection and enforcement

We use a combination of user reports, human review, and automated measures (including hash-matching and safety signals) to detect CSAM and grooming behaviours. On detection we will:

• remove the content immediately;
• permanently ban involved accounts and relevant devices where proportionate;
• preserve minimal necessary evidence (e.g., timestamps, account ID, IP/device information, content hashes) securely for reporting and law-enforcement;
• report to UK child-safety authorities and/or law enforcement, including the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the National Crime Agency's CEOP Command, as appropriate.

We do not notify offenders where doing so could compromise safety or an investigation.

4. Reporting to Relay and to authorities

• In-app: Settings → Report Abuse.
• Email: see Terms section 1 (use subject "Child Safety – Urgent").
• Emergency: if a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

We escalate and prioritise child-safety reports for same-day action wherever practicable.

5. Working with UK and international bodies

We cooperate with:

• Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) for CSAM assessment and takedown notices;
• CEOP (NCA) for grooming and child-risk cases;
• INHOPE network for cross-border coordination where relevant.

6. Data handling and privacy

We retain only the minimal evidence necessary to meet our legal obligations and to support law-enforcement and legal claims. Evidence is stored securely with restricted access and deleted when no longer legally required. Our Privacy Policy explains additional safeguards.

7. Governance and accountability

Child-safety escalations are handled by trained senior staff following written procedures, with mandatory record-keeping, quality checks, and periodic review. We test our processes, train reviewers on trauma-informed practice, and maintain a complaints/appeals process where appropriate.

Contact: see our Terms and Conditions, section 1 (Who we are and how to contact us).