Terms of Use
These terms govern your use of Tether. By creating an account or using the app, you agree to them. Please read them alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle your information.
1. About Tether
Tether is a free, self-guided educational program for addressing loneliness and social isolation, operated by CASCH in collaboration with Dr. Kiffer G. Card and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. It teaches skills drawn from the Public Health Guidelines for Social Connection and invites you to complete brief check-ins and assessments as part of a research effort to understand what helps.
2. Tether is not medical care
Tether provides general educational and self-help content. It is not therapy, counselling, diagnosis, or medical advice, and it is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. The well-being questionnaires in the app are screening and self-monitoring tools, not diagnostic instruments. Always seek the advice of a qualified provider with any questions about a medical or mental-health condition, and never disregard professional advice because of something you read in the app.
3. Who may use Tether
You must be at least 16 years old to create an account. By using Tether, you confirm that you meet this requirement and that the information you provide about yourself is accurate.
4. Your account
You are responsible for keeping your login details confidential and for activity that occurs under your account. Use an accurate email address so that you can recover access if needed. Tell us promptly if you believe your account has been used without your permission. You may close your account at any time, as described in the Privacy Policy.
5. Participating in research
Using Tether contributes to research on loneliness and social connection. Your information is used in de-identified and aggregate form for this purpose, as set out in the Privacy Policy. Participation in the research use of your data is voluntary, and you may withdraw your consent without losing access to the core features of the app, except where withdrawal is not technically possible because data has already been de-identified and analysed.
6. Acceptable use
You agree to use Tether only for its intended purpose and in a lawful way. You will not attempt to access other users' accounts or data, disrupt or probe the service or its security, copy or redistribute the content for commercial purposes, or use the app to harm yourself or others. We may suspend or close accounts that misuse the service.
7. Content and intellectual property
The lessons, text, design, and other materials in Tether are owned by CASCH and its collaborators and are protected by intellectual-property laws. You may use them for your own personal, non-commercial benefit. The reflections, entries, and responses you write remain yours; by submitting them, you grant us permission to store and process them for the purposes described in the Privacy Policy.
8. Availability and changes
We offer Tether on an "as is" and "as available" basis and may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of it at any time. We aim to keep your data safe, but we may also perform maintenance or updates that temporarily affect availability.
9. Disclaimers and limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Tether and its operators make no warranties, express or implied, about the program, including its accuracy, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose, and disclaim liability for any loss or harm arising from your use of, or inability to use, the app, or from reliance on its content. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
10. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada that apply there, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Disputes will be subject to the courts located in British Columbia, unless applicable law provides otherwise.
11. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. When we make a material change, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Continuing to use Tether after a change means you accept the revised terms.
12. Contact us
Questions about these terms can be directed to the Tether team, care of Dr. Kiffer G. Card, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, at privacy@tether-app.ca.