Terms of Service — HWA NYC

Last updated: February 7, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of HWA NYC (the "Service"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1) Who we are

HWA NYC is operated by Heavy Fish Inc., Brooklyn, New York, United States.

Contact: hello@hwa.nyc

2) Eligibility (Age)

HWA NYC is intended for users 16 years of age or older.

If you are under 16, you must not use HWA NYC.

HWA NYC is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

3) NYC-only operation and location requirement

HWA NYC is designed to function only within New York City. The Service requires location access during your session to verify NYC presence and enable core features. If you deny location access, the Service will not function.

4) No accounts

There are no user accounts and no email/password login. Your browser may receive an essential cookie (hwa_session_id) to help maintain voting integrity and apply voting limits. See the Privacy Policy for details.

5) Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use bots, scripts, automation, or other methods to manipulate voting or traffic
• Attempt to bypass voting limits or anti-abuse measures
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service (including probing, scanning, or attacking)
• Use the Service for unlawful purposes
• Reverse engineer, copy, or exploit the Service except where allowed by law

We may limit, suspend, or block access if we reasonably believe there is abuse or harm to the Service or community.

6) Informational nature and no emergency use

HWA NYC provides community signals and aggregated indicators. It is not an emergency service and should not be relied upon for urgent decisions. For emergencies, call 911.

7) Intellectual property

All rights, title, and interest in the Service (software, design, branding, content, and marks) are owned by HWA NYC / Heavy Fish Inc. You receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes, subject to these Terms.

8) Third-party services

We may use third-party services (for example, hosting and analytics). Your use may also be subject to those third parties' terms and policies.

9) Disclaimer of warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

10) Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HWA NYC and Heavy Fish Inc. will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the Service.

11) Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless HWA NYC and Heavy Fish Inc. from claims arising out of your misuse of the Service or violation of these Terms.

12) Changes to the Service or Terms

We may change or discontinue the Service at any time. We may update these Terms; continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms. We will update the "Last updated" date when we do.

13) Governing law and venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute will be brought in state or federal courts located in New York County or Kings County, New York, and you consent to jurisdiction there.

14) Contact

Questions about these Terms: hello@hwa.nyc