Terms of Use

Version 0.3.0 · Last updated 27 October 2026

1. Who we are

Budgie (called Nook until October 2026) is made by Teofil Ionescu-Mihai (“we”, “us”). If you have a question, a complaint or a legal notice, contact us through github.com/teofilcelzmecher. That’s also our point of contact under the EU Digital Services Act.

2. A new app

Budgie is new and still being built. By creating an account you agree to these terms and to the Privacy Policy. For now:

• features can change, move or disappear, and there may be bugs;
• we may stop running Budgie. If we do, we’ll tell you in the app well before, so you can export your data;
• if we ever need invite codes again for a while, each code creates one account and is for the person it was given to;
• Budgie’s server is a single computer, so it can be offline now and then.

3. Who can use Budgie

You must be at least 13 years old. If the law where you live sets a higher age for agreeing to online services on your own (in the EU this is between 13 and 16, depending on the country), you need permission from a parent or guardian to use Budgie. If you’re a parent and think your child is using Budgie without permission, contact us.

4. Your account

• One account per person. Choose a username that isn’t offensive and doesn’t pretend to be someone else.
• Keep your password and recovery code secret. You’re responsible for what happens on your account. If you think someone else has got in, change your password in Settings → Account and tell us.
• Your profile (username, picture, colour, shape and bio) can be seen by everyone on Budgie.
• You can delete your account any time in Settings → Account. See the Privacy Policy for what that removes.

4a. Friends and messages

You can send friend requests, and friends can message each other privately. The same rules apply in messages as everywhere else (section 6). Messages are checked by the same automatic rules before they’re sent. Don’t keep messaging someone who has removed you or declined your request.

5. Your content

You keep ownership of everything you post: posts, comments, images, polls and nests you create. You give us permission to store, show and format it inside Budgie, only as far as we need to run Budgie. That permission ends when you delete the content, except where we must keep something by law.

You’re responsible for what you post. Only post things you have the right to share, and don’t upload anyone else’s photo of a person without their permission.

6. What’s not allowed

Don’t post or do anything that:

• is illegal where you live, or helps someone else break the law;
• harasses, bullies, threatens or encourages anyone to hurt themselves or others;
• attacks people for their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or age;
• is sexual or sexually suggestive. Anything sexual involving a minor is reported to the authorities;
• shows graphic violence or cruelty;
• shares someone’s private information, such as their address, phone number, email, ID or passwords, without their permission;
• is spam, a scam, phishing or malware, or tricks people into clicking something;
• pretends to be another person or organisation;
• copies someone else’s work without permission (copyright or trademark infringement);
• tries to break, overload or get around Budgie’s security;
• clicks ads on purpose to make money for anyone, or asks others to.

Each nest can also have its own rules, shown on its page. Follow them when you post there.

7. How moderation works

Budgie checks what you write before it’s posted, using fixed rules: first on your own device, then again on Budgie’s server. It doesn’t use artificial intelligence. The rules look for:

• slurs, threats and phrases that tell people to hurt themselves (these are blocked);
• strong language (allowed, but hidden behind a tap for people who have the language filter on, which is the default);
• things that look like personal information, such as phone numbers, email addresses or card numbers (you’re warned and asked to confirm in posts and comments; in a bio or a nest’s description they aren’t allowed);
• signs of spam: lots of links, shouting in capitals, long runs of repeated characters, posting the same thing twice, or posting very fast (blocked or slowed down).

Each word list is checked as written and with common disguises like swapped letters, symbols or spacing. Automatic rules can get things wrong. If a rule blocks something it shouldn’t, tell us and we’ll fix the rule. When something is blocked, Budgie tells you which rule it broke.

You can report any post, comment or person from its ⋯ menu or profile. Reports go to Budgie’s moderators, who are people, not software. If a moderator removes something of yours, you’re told what was removed and why, and you can ask us to look at it again (section 1). Serious or repeated breaks of these terms can get an account banned. A banned account can’t sign in, and its owner is told why.

8. Reporting illegal content

If you think something on Budgie is illegal, or uses your work, photo or trademark without permission, tell us using the contact details in section 1. Please include:

• where it is (a link or a screenshot);
• why you think it’s illegal, or which of your rights it breaks;
• your name and email address (you can leave these out if you’re reporting child sexual abuse material);
• a statement that your report is accurate and made in good faith.

We’ll look at it promptly. We’ll tell you what we decided, and we’ll tell the person who posted it why. If something suggests that someone’s life or safety is at risk, we may tell the police or other authorities.

8a. Ads

Budgie is free, and pays for itself with ads between posts in feeds. They come from Google AdSense: we don’t choose individual ads, and an ad isn’t a recommendation from us. If you see an ad that’s offensive, misleading or illegal, tell us (section 1) and we’ll ask Google to block it. How ads use your data is explained in the Privacy Policy.

9. Ending things

You can stop using Budgie whenever you like, and delete your account in Settings → Account → Delete account. If you seriously or repeatedly break these terms, we can ban your account. We’ll tell you why, and you can ask us to reconsider.

10. No guarantees

Budgie is free and new, so it’s provided “as is”. We do our best to keep it working and back it up every night, but we can’t promise it will always be available, bug-free or never lose data. If something matters to you, keep your own copy (Settings → Account → Export my data).

As far as the law allows, we aren’t responsible for indirect losses or for what other people post. Nothing in these terms limits liability that can’t legally be limited, such as for harm we cause on purpose or through gross negligence, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. Nothing here takes away rights you have as a consumer under the law of the country you live in.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as Budgie grows. If a change matters, we’ll tell you in the app before it applies. The date at the top always shows the latest version.

12. The law

These terms follow the law of the country where we’re based. If you live in the EU, the UK or another country with mandatory consumer protections, you keep those protections and can bring a claim in your local courts. If any part of these terms can’t be enforced, the rest still applies.