YouGuard

Terms of Use

Last updated: January 27, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

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

2. Description of Service

YouGuard is a family safety and accountability service that provides:

  • YouTube Monitoring: Parents can monitor their children's YouTube activity (subscriptions, liked videos)
  • SMS/MMS Monitoring: Parents can monitor their children's text messages via our Android companion app
  • Adult Accountability: Adults can establish accountability partnerships with spouses, friends, or accountability partners
  • AI-Powered Analysis: Content is analyzed using artificial intelligence to help identify potentially concerning material

3. Account Registration

To use YouGuard, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction)
  • Provide accurate and complete registration information
  • Maintain the security of your account credentials
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

4. Age-Based Service Tiers

YouGuard provides different service levels based on the age of the person being monitored, in compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and Google's YouTube API policies.

4.1 Children Under 13 (COPPA Compliant)

For children under 13, YouGuard operates in read-only supervision mode:

  • We use YouTube's read-only API scope only
  • No write actions (like, unlike, subscribe, unsubscribe) are performed on the child's account
  • Parents can view activity insights but must make any changes directly on YouTube
  • Verifiable parental consent is required before any data access (via credit card verification or Google Family Link)
  • The child cannot connect their YouTube account until parental consent is verified

4.2 Teens (Ages 13-17)

For teens ages 13-17, YouGuard provides full functionality with appropriate consent:

  • Parents may use full supervision features including content guidance actions
  • The teen must be informed that their YouTube activity is being supervised
  • The parent/guardian must consent on behalf of the teen
  • Full YouTube API access allows for proactive content curation

4.3 Adults (18+)

For adult accountability partnerships:

  • All parties must voluntarily consent to the monitoring arrangement
  • Both parties must be at least 18 years old
  • Both parties understand what data will be shared
  • Full functionality is available for mutual accountability

5. Parental Consent Verification

For children under 13, we require verifiable parental consent as mandated by COPPA. Consent may be verified through:

  • Credit Card Verification: A $0.50 pre-authorization (not captured) confirms parent identity. This charge is immediately released and not collected.
  • Google Family Link: If the child's account is supervised through Google Family Link, consent is verified through Google's existing parental controls.

By completing consent verification, you confirm that you are the parent or legal guardian with authority to consent to the collection and use of the child's YouTube data.

6. YouTube API Services

YouGuard uses YouTube API Services. By using our Service, you also agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service.

We access the following YouTube data with your permission:

  • Channel subscriptions
  • Liked videos
  • Basic channel information

You can revoke YouGuard's access to your YouTube data at any time through your Google Account settings.

7. AI Content Analysis

YouGuard uses artificial intelligence to analyze content across different monitoring features. We use different AI infrastructure depending on the data source to ensure compliance with applicable terms of service:

7.1 YouTube Data Analysis (Google-Only Processing)

All YouTube data (subscriptions, liked videos, channel information, video transcripts) is analyzed exclusively through Google Vertex AI Model Garden (Gemini). This architecture ensures full compliance with Google's API Services Terms of Service, the Google API Services User Data Policy, and the Limited Use requirements.

Data Flow Architecture

YouTube data follows this processing path and never leaves Google's infrastructure for AI analysis:

  1. YouTube API → YouGuard Server (data retrieval)
  2. YouGuard Server → Google Vertex AI (analysis request)
  3. Google Vertex AI → YouGuard Server (analysis results)
  4. YouGuard Server → User Dashboard (display results)

What YouTube Data Is Analyzed

  • Video transcripts (for content safety analysis)
  • Channel names and descriptions
  • Video titles and descriptions
  • Family context you provide (child's age, interests, parenting goals)

Data Protection Guarantees

  • First-Party Processing: Vertex AI is a Google service, not a third-party with independent Terms of Service
  • No Third-Party AI: YouTube data is NEVER sent to Anthropic, OpenAI, or any non-Google AI provider
  • Google's Data Commitment: Per Vertex AI data governance documentation, customer data is not used to train Google's foundation models
  • Secure Authentication: We use Google Workload Identity Federation with short-lived OIDC tokens (no stored credentials)

7.2 SMS/MMS Data Analysis

SMS and MMS message content (not derived from Google services) may be analyzed using various AI providers, including Google Vertex AI, Anthropic Claude, or OpenAI, depending on availability and configuration.

  • SMS/MMS data is not subject to YouTube API Terms of Service
  • Message analysis helps identify potentially concerning content patterns
  • All AI providers are selected for their privacy practices and data handling policies

7.3 AI Limitations

You acknowledge that:

  • AI analysis is not perfect and may occasionally misclassify content
  • AI ratings are suggestions and should not replace parental judgment
  • We are not responsible for decisions made based on AI analysis
  • AI-generated assessments are for informational purposes only

8. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to use YouGuard to:

  • Monitor anyone without proper consent or legal authority
  • Harass, stalk, or intimidate any person
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
  • Interfere with the proper functioning of the Service
  • Use the Service for any commercial purpose without our consent

9. Privacy

Your use of YouGuard is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your data.

10. Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms. You may also delete your account at any time, which will remove all associated data from our systems.

11. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT:

  • The Service will be uninterrupted or error-free
  • AI analysis will be accurate or complete
  • The Service will meet your specific requirements
  • Data synchronization with YouTube will always be successful

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOUGUARD SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

14. 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.

15. Communications

By creating a YouGuard account, you agree to receive electronic communications from us, including but not limited to:

  • Transactional messages: Account confirmations, security alerts, password resets, and payment notifications
  • Service communications: Feature updates, maintenance notices, and changes to our service
  • Product announcements: Information about new features, product releases, and improvements to YouGuard
  • Administrative notices: Updates to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and other legal or compliance matters

You acknowledge that these electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. Transactional and administrative messages are integral to your use of the Service and will be sent as long as your account remains active.

You may opt out of product announcements and non-essential communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any such email or adjusting your preferences in your account settings. Opting out of non-essential communications will not affect your receipt of transactional or administrative messages.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at: support@youguard.app