TasteBuds

TasteBuds — Terms of Service

1. Welcome

Last updated: October 1, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a contract between you and TasteBuds ("we," "us," or "our"). They cover your use of tastebuds-app.com, our related sites, and any TasteBuds app (together, the "Service").

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms, including the Community Guidelines in Section 13, and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. Some pages, such as shared movie, TV, and hook links, can be viewed without an account. These Terms apply to you when you view them too.

Important: Section 11 requires most disputes to be resolved through individual arbitration instead of in court, and waives class actions and jury trials. You can opt out within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms (Section 11.5).

2. Eligibility and accounts

2.1 Age. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the Service. By creating an account, you confirm that you are 18 or older. If we learn or reasonably believe a user is under 18, we will close the account and delete its data. If you think someone on TasteBuds is under 18, report them in the app or email contact@tastebuds-app.com.

2.2 Your account. You sign up with an email address, a password, and a handle. Give accurate information and keep your password secure. You are responsible for everything that happens under your account. Tell us right away at contact@tastebuds-app.com if you think someone else has accessed it.

2.3 Your handle. Your handle is visible to other users and, on shared links, to anyone with the link. We may change or reclaim a handle that impersonates someone, infringes someone's rights, or breaks our Community Guidelines.

2.4 Banned accounts. If we suspend or ban your account, you may not create or use another account to get around that decision.

3. The Service

TasteBuds helps you find movies, TV shows, and books you'll love, and people who love them too. The Service is in beta. Features will change, and we may add, change, or remove any feature at any time.

  • Recommendations. We recommend titles based on your favorites, your ratings and other actions (love, like, didn't like, skip, save), your quiz answers, and your other activity on TasteBuds.
  • Community Picks. Some recommendations come from what people with similar taste loved. Your loves help shape these picks for others, but they are never shown with your name or handle.
  • Clubrooms and hooks. Users post hooks: a title plus a short take about a movie, show, or book. Hooks appear in Clubrooms for all users to see, with the creator's handle.
  • Chat groups. When you join a hook, our matching system places you in a chat group of up to 15 people. It uses your taste and your past interactions on TasteBuds to choose the group. You cannot pick your group. We may create, combine, freeze, or close groups, and may move you to a different group.
  • Watch Parties. Users can schedule a watch party around a showing or a set time, and others can RSVP and chat.
  • Group Watch. You can invite another user to a shared lane of picks for both of you. Each person can see recommendations based on your combined taste.
  • Profiles. Your profile shows your handle, bio, favorites, persona, and up to five chat messages you choose to pin. Any logged-in user can view your profile.
  • Personas. Once you have enough activity, we automatically assign you one of several playful personas based on your ratings and Clubroom activity. A persona is for fun. It is not an assessment of you, your personality, or your character.
  • Sharing. You can share movie and TV pages and hooks through links. Anyone with the link can see what it shows, including people without an account.
  • Trending clips. Some lanes show video clips embedded from YouTube.

The Service is currently free. If we start charging for any feature, we will tell you before you are charged.

4. Your content

4.1 What counts. "Your Content" is anything you post or submit: messages, hooks, reactions, RSVPs, your bio, favorites and notes, pinned messages, and feedback.

4.2 Ownership and license. You keep whatever ownership rights you have in Your Content. You grant TasteBuds a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to host, store, copy, display, adapt, analyze, publish, and distribute Your Content. We use this license to operate, provide, improve, and promote the Service and to develop new features. That includes personalizing recommendations, matching you with groups and people, sending notifications, and personalizing ads. This license is perpetual and irrevocable for content that stays on the Service after your account is deleted, as described in Section 9.

4.3 How we use your messages. Our systems analyze the content of your messages and your interactions, such as who you talk with and what you react to. We use this to understand what you like and dislike and who you enjoy talking with. We apply it across the Service, including recommendations, matching, notifications, and ads. See our Privacy Policy for details.

4.4 Messages are not end-to-end encrypted. TasteBuds can access your messages. Our staff may read them for moderation, safety, and legal reasons.

4.5 Who can see what.

  • Chat messages are visible to the members of that chat group.
  • Hooks are visible to all users in Clubrooms with your handle, and to anyone who has a shared link to them.
  • Pinned messages appear on your profile, which any logged-in user can view. Pins show the current text of the original message, so editing the original also changes the pin.
  • Your profile, persona, bio, and favorites are visible to any logged-in user.

4.6 Your responsibility. You are responsible for Your Content. You confirm that you have the rights to post it and that it follows these Terms and our Community Guidelines. Do not post other people's private information.

4.7 Feedback. If you send us ideas or feedback, we may use them without any obligation to you.

5. Community rules, moderation, and safety

5.1 Community Guidelines. You must follow the Community Guidelines in Section 13. You also may not:

  • give false information, including about your age;
  • use the Service for anything unlawful;
  • access other accounts or our systems without permission, or interfere with the Service;
  • scrape or access the Service with bots or other automated means without our written permission;
  • impersonate anyone or misrepresent your affiliation with anyone.

5.2 Reporting and blocking. You can report a message that breaks these Terms or our Community Guidelines, and you can block other users.

5.3 Moderation. We may, at our discretion and with or without notice:

  • review, hide, or remove any content;
  • remove you from a chat group or freeze a group;
  • limit features, or suspend or ban accounts.

Reports can trigger some actions automatically, such as freezing a group. We are not required to monitor the Service, and we do not review every message. We are not responsible for content posted by other users.

5.4 Other users. TasteBuds does not verify users' identities or run background checks. You are responsible for your interactions with other users. Be careful about sharing personal information, and take precautions if you choose to meet anyone in person.

6. Advertising

6.1 Ads on TasteBuds. The Service may show ads. Ads can take many forms, including sponsored movies, shows, or books, and ads for other products and services.

6.2 Personalized ads. We personalize ads using your activity on TasteBuds, including the content of your messages, as described in our Privacy Policy. Personalized ads are part of how we keep the Service free, so using the Service means you agree to them.

6.3 Advertisers and links. We are not responsible for advertisers' products, services, or websites. Some links may earn TasteBuds a commission.

7. Third-party content and services

7.1 Content sources. Movie, TV, and book information, including titles, descriptions, posters, and covers, comes from third parties and belongs to its owners. We don't guarantee that it is accurate or complete.

  • TMDB: This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
  • Books: Book information comes from third-party data providers.

7.2 YouTube. Video clips on TasteBuds are embedded from YouTube. By watching them, you agree to the YouTube Terms of Service. Google's handling of your data is covered by the Google Privacy Policy.

7.3 Other sites. The Service may link to sites and services we don't control. We are not responsible for their content or practices.

8. Copyright and DMCA

8.1 Our property. The Service, including its software, design, logos, personas, and recommendation systems, belongs to TasteBuds or its licensors. We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, revocable license to use the Service as these Terms allow.

8.2 Copyright complaints. We respect copyright and respond to notices under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe content on TasteBuds infringes your copyright, send our designated agent a notice that includes:

  1. your physical or electronic signature;
  2. the copyrighted work you claim is infringed;
  3. the content you claim is infringing, with enough detail for us to find it, such as a link;
  4. your name, address, phone number, and email;
  5. a statement that you believe in good faith the use is not authorized by the owner, its agent, or the law;
  6. a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner.

Designated agent: TasteBuds Copyright Agent, contact@tastebuds-app.com.

8.3 Counter-notices. If we remove your content after a notice and you believe that was a mistake, you can send the agent a counter-notice as the DMCA allows.

8.4 Repeat infringers. We will terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe copyrights, in appropriate circumstances.

9. Termination and account deletion

9.1 Deleting your account. You can stop using TasteBuds at any time. To delete your account, email contact@tastebuds-app.com from the email address on your account. We will complete the deletion within 45 days.

9.2 What deletion does. We delete or de-identify your personal information. Messages you posted in group chats may remain visible to that group without your name. Copies may remain in our backups, as described in our Privacy Policy.

9.3 Our right to end access. We may suspend or terminate your account or access at any time, with or without notice. We may do so if we believe you broke these Terms or our Community Guidelines, to protect other users or TasteBuds, or if we stop offering the Service.

9.4 What survives. Sections 4.2, 4.7, and 8 through 12 continue to apply after your account ends.

10. Disclaimers, liability, and indemnity

10.1 Disclaimers. THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. THIS INCLUDES WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We don't promise that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. We don't promise that you will enjoy any recommendation, match, or group, or that other users will behave well.

10.2 Limitation of liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS, TASTEBUDS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. THIS INCLUDES LOST PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR FROM OTHER USERS' CONDUCT. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM. Some places do not allow these limits, so some of them may not apply to you.

10.3 Indemnity. You agree to defend and indemnify TasteBuds, and hold it harmless, against claims, losses, and costs, including reasonable legal fees, arising from Your Content, your use of the Service, or your breach of these Terms.

11. Dispute resolution

11.1 Talk to us first. Before filing a claim, send a written description of the dispute to contact@tastebuds-app.com. We will try to resolve it informally within 60 days.

11.2 Arbitration. If we can't resolve the dispute informally, you and TasteBuds agree to resolve it through final, binding individual arbitration, not in court. Arbitration will be run by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section. Hearings may take place by video or phone, or in the county where you live.

11.3 Exceptions. Either of us may bring an individual claim in small claims court. Either of us may also go to court over intellectual property misuse.

11.4 No class actions or jury trials. You and TasteBuds may bring claims only individually, not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, consolidated, or representative action. You and TasteBuds waive any right to a jury trial. If this class-action waiver is found unenforceable for a claim, that claim will be decided in court, not in arbitration.

11.5 Opting out. You can opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms. To opt out, email contact@tastebuds-app.com from your account's email address with your handle and the words "arbitration opt-out." Opting out does not affect the rest of these Terms.

11.6 Governing law and courts. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute not subject to arbitration will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you and TasteBuds consent to their jurisdiction.

12. Changes and general terms

12.1 Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms. For material changes, such as new uses of your data, new fees, or changes to Section 11, we will notify you by email or in the app at least 30 days before they take effect. Other changes take effect when posted. If you keep using the Service after a change takes effect, you accept the updated Terms. If you don't agree, stop using the Service and you may delete your account.

12.2 General.

  • Entire agreement. These Terms, including the Community Guidelines in Section 13, and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and TasteBuds about the Service.
  • Severability. If any part of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
  • No waiver. If we don't enforce a right, we haven't given it up.
  • Assignment. You may not transfer these Terms. We may transfer them, including to a successor company or as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
  • Force majeure. We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control.
  • No third-party beneficiaries. These Terms do not give rights to anyone else.
  • Notices. We may send you notices by email or in the app. Legal notices to us go to contact@tastebuds-app.com.

12.3 Contact. Questions about these Terms? Email contact@tastebuds-app.com.

13. Community Guidelines

TasteBuds is for talking with people who love what you love. These guidelines keep it a place where people want to keep talking. They apply everywhere on TasteBuds: hooks, chat groups, watch parties, and profiles.

13.1 The rules.

  1. Be kind. No harassment, bullying, threats, or hate directed at anyone, including for their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality. Disagree about the movie, not the person. We have zero tolerance for bullying and harassment. TasteBuds alone decides what counts as bullying or harassment, and we may remove content and ban accounts for it, including on a first offense and without warning.
  2. Adults only. You must be 18 or older. If someone seems to be under 18, report them.
  3. No sexual content. Don't post sexually explicit content. We have zero tolerance for any content that sexualizes minors. We remove it, ban the account, and report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
  4. No spam or scams. No repeated unwanted messages, misleading links, scams, or unsolicited promotion of your own products or accounts.
  5. Respect privacy. Don't share anyone's personal information, such as their address, phone number, or real name, or screenshots of private chats, without their permission.
  6. Be yourself. Don't impersonate another person, brand, or organization.
  7. Respect creators. Don't share pirated links or post full clips, episodes, books, or other copyrighted work you don't have rights to.
  8. Nothing dangerous or illegal. Don't promote violence, self-harm, or illegal activity.

13.2 A courtesy: spoilers. Not everyone watches at the same pace. Hook and watch party titles include the season and episode number. Treat that as the spoiler line, and give a heads-up before discussing anything past it. This is a community norm, not a rule we enforce.

13.3 Reporting and what happens next. Use the report option on any message that breaks these guidelines, and block anyone you don't want to hear from. You can also email contact@tastebuds-app.com. We may remove content, remove someone from a group, freeze a group, or suspend or ban accounts at our discretion. To ask about a decision, email contact@tastebuds-app.com.