These terms govern your use of Telepath XMPP (the telepath.im messaging service and its related domains). By registering or using an account, you agree to them. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.
For how we handle your data, see the XMPP Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.
The short version
The service is free, invite-only, and run by a non-profit. Speak freely — we don't police opinions.
Only two real limits: nothing illegal (child sexual abuse material means an immediate, permanent ban) and don't attack or disrupt the service.
Your messages and files are yours; you're responsible for what you send.
It's provided "as is" with no guarantees — keep your own backups, since archives and uploads auto-delete over time.
You can leave and delete your account whenever you like.
This summary is for convenience only; the sections below are what actually govern.
Telepath XMPP is operated by FSKY, a non-profit tech collective established in Sweden. We provide the service free of charge and run it on donations and our own reserves. There are no ads, no investors, and no data brokers.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use the service. By using it, you confirm that you meet this requirement and that you are able to form a binding agreement under the law that applies to you.
The service is currently invite-only. You may register only with a valid invitation from an existing member or from us.
3. The service
We provide a federated XMPP (Jabber) messaging service: accounts, one-to-one and group messaging, file sharing, voice and video calling, and related features. XMPP is a federated, open network — you can communicate with people on other servers, and they with you, under their own providers' rules.
We provide the service on a best-effort basis. We may add, change, or remove features, and we may set or adjust technical limits (such as file-size limits and message or file retention periods) to keep the service running well. Current limits are described in the Privacy Policy.
4. Acceptable use
Telepath exists so that people can speak freely. We do not monitor your conversations, and we do not moderate opinions, beliefs, or lawful speech — even speech that is unpopular or that we personally disagree with. There are only two limits on how you may use the service.
Don't use it for illegal purposes
You may not use the service to do things that are illegal, or to help others do so. In particular, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is absolutely forbidden: it results in an immediate and permanent ban and will be reported to the authorities where the law requires it. This is the one area where we will act without hesitation.
Don't attack or disrupt the service
The service is shared by everyone on it, so you may not put it at risk or degrade it for others. That means no:
spam or bulk unsolicited messaging, or running an account purely to flood or advertise;
distributing malware, or trying to gain unauthorised access to the service, its infrastructure, or other people's accounts;
attacking, overloading, or probing the service or its servers;
circumventing the technical limits and protections we put in place (such as rate limits or file-size limits).
That's it. Outside of these limits, what you say and share is your business. End-to-end encryption means we usually cannot see message content anyway — but encryption does not make the two rules above optional, and it does not shield conduct we do become aware of.
5. Your content
You keep all rights to the messages and files you send. We do not claim ownership of your content, and we do not use it for any purpose other than operating the service.
You are responsible for what you send and share, and for having the right to share it. Remember that anything you send to another person, a group, a federated server, or a bridged room leaves your sole control and may be seen, stored, or forwarded by others. A file you upload can be downloaded by anyone who has its link.
6. Invitations
If you invite someone, you are vouching for them. We record which account created each invitation (see the Privacy Policy). Inviting people who go on to abuse the service may affect your own account. Do not sell invitations or hand them out indiscriminately.
7. Moderation and enforcement
We would rather not police people, and we do not monitor your conversations. But to protect the service and its users we may, where necessary and proportionate, remove content we host (such as uploaded files or messages in moderated rooms), and act on reports and abuse we become aware of. Group chats may have their own moderators with their own rules.
You may stop using the service and delete your account at any time, directly from your XMPP client or by asking us. When you delete your account, your data is removed as described in the Privacy Policy; a short-lived tombstone prevents someone else from re-registering your address.
We may suspend or terminate an account that breaks these terms, that puts the service or its users at risk, or where we are required to by law. Where it is reasonable to do so, we will tell you why.
9. Availability and no warranty
The service is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that messages or files will always be delivered or retained. Please keep your own copies of anything important — server-side archives and uploads are deleted automatically over time.
10. Limitation of liability
The service is offered free of charge by a non-profit. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss arising from your use of, or inability to use, the service, nor for the conduct or content of other users or of federated or bridged networks. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot be limited under Swedish law.
11. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of Sweden, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, and subject to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you have in your country of residence. Disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the competent Swedish courts.
12. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. When we make a material change we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, announce it through our usual channels. Continuing to use the service after a change means you accept the updated terms.