Terms of Service – HiDesertNEWS

Effective Date: July 29, 2026

These Terms of Service govern your access to and use of HiDesertNEWS.net, HiDesertNEWS publishing tools, community submission features, social media integrations, and related services collectively referred to as the “Services.”

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

1. About HiDesertNEWS

HiDesertNEWS provides local news, public-interest information, community updates, weather information, traffic information, public-safety information, video content, and related media services.

HiDesertNEWS may also provide tools that allow authorized users to submit, manage, schedule, or publish content through third-party platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

2. Eligibility

You must be legally able to enter into an agreement to use the Services.

Individuals under 18 may only submit content with the permission and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

3. Permitted Use

You may use the Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

You agree not to:

Violate any applicable law or regulation.
Submit false, misleading, defamatory, threatening, harassing, or fraudulent information.
Impersonate another person, business, government agency, or organization.
Upload content that infringes another person’s copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights.
Upload malicious software, harmful code, or files intended to disrupt the Services.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, systems, servers, databases, or access tokens.
Use automated systems to scrape, overload, disrupt, or interfere with the Services.
Use the Services to stalk, threaten, identify, or endanger another person.
Publish private or sensitive personal information without authorization.
Misrepresent an advertisement, promotion, rumor, or personal opinion as verified news.

HiDesertNEWS may restrict or terminate access when it reasonably believes these Terms have been violated.

4. Community Submissions

The Services may allow users to submit photos, videos, news tips, event information, lost-and-found pet information, captions, names, contact information, or other materials.

You retain ownership of content you submit.

By submitting content for possible publication, you grant HiDesertNEWS a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

Review and verify the submission.
Copy, edit, resize, crop, caption, format, and adapt the submission.
Publish and display the submission on HiDesertNEWS websites, broadcasts, social media accounts, video channels, and other HiDesertNEWS distribution platforms.
Create excerpts, thumbnails, graphics, voiceovers, compilations, and other editorial versions of the submission.
Archive the submission as part of the HiDesertNEWS news record.
Promote the resulting HiDesertNEWS report or publication.

This license continues for content that has already been published, distributed, archived, or incorporated into a completed news report.

HiDesertNEWS is not required to publish any submission and may remove, reject, edit, delay, or discontinue a submission at its discretion.

5. Your Responsibilities for Submitted Content

By submitting content, you represent that:

The information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
You created the content or have permission from the owner to submit it.
You have permission from identifiable people appearing in the content when legally required.
The content does not violate another person’s legal rights.
The content was obtained lawfully and without trespassing or unlawful surveillance.
Publishing the content will not knowingly place a person or animal in danger.
You have disclosed any commercial, political, employment, or personal interest that could affect the credibility of the submission.

You remain responsible for your submitted content and for any consequences resulting from its submission.

6. News Tips and Source Confidentiality

Submitting information does not automatically create a confidential-source relationship.

Do not assume that your identity, contact information, or submission will remain confidential unless HiDesertNEWS expressly agrees to confidentiality in writing before the information is submitted.

HiDesertNEWS may contact you to verify a submission, request additional information, or confirm permission to publish.

7. Accuracy and Editorial Decisions

HiDesertNEWS strives to provide useful and accurate information, but breaking news, emergency conditions, traffic incidents, weather events, utility outages, public reports, eyewitness accounts, and third-party data can change rapidly.

HiDesertNEWS does not guarantee that every report, map, alert, caption, schedule, price, location, or other item will be complete, current, or error-free.

HiDesertNEWS retains editorial control over:

What information is published.
How information is written, edited, titled, credited, or presented.
Whether a correction, clarification, update, expiration, or removal is appropriate.
How long submitted or published content remains available.

Requests for corrections may be sent to the contact address listed below.

8. Emergencies and Public-Safety Information

HiDesertNEWS is not an emergency dispatch service.

Do not use the Services as a substitute for calling 911, law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, animal control, utility providers, or another appropriate authority.

Emergency alerts, scanner information, wildfire information, traffic information, weather information, and similar reports may be delayed, incomplete, preliminary, or subject to change.

Always follow instructions issued by official authorities.

9. Lost-and-Found Pet Information

Lost-and-found pet listings may contain information supplied by members of the public. HiDesertNEWS cannot independently guarantee ownership, identity, location, condition, or accuracy.

Users should take reasonable precautions before meeting another person, transferring an animal, paying a reward, or disclosing private contact information.

Listings may expire or be removed after a set period. Users may be asked to renew or update a listing if the animal remains missing or unclaimed.

10. Facebook, Instagram, and Other Third-Party Services

The Services may connect with third-party platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, and other service providers.

Your use of those platforms remains subject to their respective terms, policies, permissions, and account requirements.

HiDesertNEWS is not responsible for:

Third-party outages or service interruptions.
Changes to third-party APIs, features, permissions, or policies.
Content removed or restricted by a third-party platform.
Suspension or termination of a third-party account.
Actions independently taken by a third-party service.

You may revoke third-party permissions through the applicable platform’s account settings.

11. Accounts and Security

Certain publishing or administrative tools may require an authorized account.

You are responsible for:

Protecting your login information.
Using secure passwords.
Restricting access to authorized individuals.
Promptly reporting suspected unauthorized access.
Ensuring that information submitted through your account is authorized.

You may not share access tokens, passwords, or credentials with unauthorized parties.

HiDesertNEWS may suspend access when necessary to protect an account, the Services, another user, or a third-party platform.

12. Privacy

Information collected through the Services is handled according to the HiDesertNEWS Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy is available at:

Privacy Policy

HiDesertNEWS does not use information obtained through Meta APIs for advertising, direct marketing, audience profiling, or the sale of personal information.

13. Intellectual Property

Except for user-submitted content and material owned by third parties, the Services and their original content are owned by or licensed to HiDesertNEWS.

This includes HiDesertNEWS branding, logos, layouts, software, graphics, videos, reports, scripts, databases, compilations, and original editorial material.

You may share links to publicly available HiDesertNEWS content. You may not reproduce, sell, republish, remove branding from, or commercially exploit HiDesertNEWS content without written permission, except where permitted by law.

14. Copyright Complaints

A person who believes content published through the Services infringes their copyright may submit a removal request containing:

Identification of the copyrighted work.
Identification or location of the disputed material.
The requesting person’s name and contact information.
A statement explaining why the use is believed to be unauthorized.
A statement that the information in the request is accurate.
A physical or electronic signature.

Requests may be sent to the contact address listed below.

Submitting a knowingly false copyright complaint may result in legal liability.

15. Advertisements and Sponsorships

The Services may contain advertisements, sponsorships, paid announcements, or branded content.

The appearance of a sponsor or advertiser does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by HiDesertNEWS.

HiDesertNEWS is not responsible for the independent products, services, statements, availability, or conduct of advertisers and sponsors.

Additional written agreements may apply to advertisers, sponsors, contributors, contractors, or business partners.

16. Availability and Changes to the Services

HiDesertNEWS may modify, suspend, discontinue, replace, or restrict any part of the Services at any time.

HiDesertNEWS does not guarantee that the Services will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, or compatible with every device or third-party platform.

Maintenance, technical failures, internet disruptions, API changes, weather conditions, power outages, or other circumstances may affect availability.

17. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Services are provided “as is” and “as available.”

HiDesertNEWS disclaims all express and implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, availability, security, and non-infringement.

HiDesertNEWS does not guarantee any specific audience size, publication result, social media performance, response, business result, or outcome from using the Services.

18. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HiDesertNEWS and its owners, operators, employees, contractors, contributors, representatives, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or related to:

Use of or inability to use the Services.
Reliance on published or submitted information.
Delayed, incomplete, inaccurate, expired, or unavailable information.
Loss, deletion, alteration, or unauthorized use of content.
Third-party services or platforms.
Interactions between users.
Actions taken or not taken in response to a news report, alert, listing, or submission.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.

19. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless HiDesertNEWS and its owners, operators, employees, contractors, representatives, and service providers from claims, damages, liabilities, losses, and reasonable expenses arising from:

Content you submit.
Your violation of these Terms.
Your violation of applicable law.
Your infringement of another person’s rights.
Your misuse of the Services.

20. Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time.

HiDesertNEWS may suspend or terminate access without prior notice when reasonably necessary to:

Enforce these Terms.
Protect the Services or another person.
Investigate suspected misuse or security issues.
Comply with a legal or third-party platform requirement.
Discontinue a feature or service.

Sections that logically should continue after termination will remain effective, including ownership, licenses for previously published content, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification.

21. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

To the extent permitted by law, disputes relating to these Terms or the Services will be handled in the state or federal courts with jurisdiction over San Bernardino County, California.

22. Changes to These Terms

HiDesertNEWS may update these Terms as its Services, features, legal obligations, or third-party integrations change.

Updated Terms will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the Services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

23. Severability

If any part of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect.

Failure to enforce a provision does not waive the right to enforce it later.

24. Entire Agreement

These Terms and the HiDesertNEWS Privacy Policy constitute the general agreement between you and HiDesertNEWS regarding use of the Services.

Separate written agreements may apply to employees, contractors, field reporters, sponsors, advertisers, property owners, licensors, or other business relationships.

25. Contact

Questions, correction requests, copyright complaints, and legal notices may be sent to:

HiDesertNEWS
Website: https://hidesertnews.net
Email: sheldoncowles@gmail.com