Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and The Displaced Times, Ltd. ("we," "us," or "our"). These Terms govern your access to and use of our website at displacedtimes.com, including all content, features, services, and functionality offered through the site.

By accessing or using our website, subscribing to our newsletter, making a donation, submitting an application to the Council of Refugee-Led Organizations, or otherwise engaging with our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must discontinue use of our services immediately. We reserve the right to deny access to any person who violates these Terms.

2. About The Displaced Times

The Displaced Times is an independent, non-partisan digital media organization co-owned by Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs). We produce journalism, analysis, audio, and video content focused on displaced and marginalized communities worldwide. Our editorial output is governed by a Council of RLOs.

Our headquarters are located in Kakuma, Turkana County, Kenya. For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us at legal@displacedtimes.com.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years of age to use our services. By using our website, you represent and warrant that you are at least 16 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

If you are using our services on behalf of an organization (including but not limited to a Refugee-Led Organization applying for council membership), you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

4. User Conduct

When using our services, you agree to comply with all applicable local, national, and international laws and regulations. You further agree not to:

• Use our services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems, servers, databases, or any non-public portions of the website.
• Interfere with, disrupt, or create an undue burden on our website, servers, or networks connected to our services.
• Use automated scripts, bots, scrapers, or other automated means to access or collect content from our website without our prior written consent.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Transmit any viruses, malware, or other harmful code through our services.
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information in council applications, donation forms, or any other submissions.
• Use our content to incite violence, hatred, or discrimination against any individual or group.
• Circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security-related features of the website.

5. Intellectual Property

Our content

All content published on The Displaced Times — including but not limited to articles, photographs, illustrations, graphics, audio recordings, video broadcasts, logos, trademarks, page layouts, and software code — is the property of The Displaced Times and/or its content providers and is protected by international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any content from our website without our prior written consent, except as follows:

• You may share links to our articles on social media and other platforms, provided you do not alter the content or remove attribution.
• You may quote brief excerpts from our articles for purposes of commentary, criticism, news reporting, education, or research, in accordance with the fair use doctrine and the Copyright Act of Kenya (Cap. 130).
• You may print or download individual articles for personal, non-commercial use only.

User submissions

By submitting any content to us — including council applications, feedback, story tips, or correspondence — you grant The Displaced Times a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, store, and process that content for the purposes for which it was submitted. You retain ownership of your submissions but acknowledge that we may retain copies for record-keeping, legal, and operational purposes.

6. Donations & Contributions

The Displaced Times accepts voluntary financial contributions from individuals and organizations who wish to support our journalism. By making a donation, you agree to the following:

• All donations are voluntary and do not constitute payment for goods, services, or advertising. Donations do not entitle the donor to editorial influence, preferential coverage, or any form of quid pro quo.
• Donations are processed through our secure payment processor in Kenyan Shillings (KES). The displayed USD-to-KES exchange rate is approximate and based on current market rates at the time of the transaction.
• All donations are non-refundable unless the transaction was unauthorized or resulted from a technical error. If you believe a transaction was made in error, contact us at finance@displacedtimes.com within 14 days.
• Donation receipts are sent to the email address you provide at the time of the transaction. It is your responsibility to provide an accurate email address.
• Donations are allocated toward reporting, capacity building, technology, and operational costs as described on our Subscribe page. We reserve the right to allocate funds where they are most needed.
• We do not guarantee that donations are tax-deductible. Tax deductibility depends on your jurisdiction and your personal tax situation. Consult your tax advisor.

7. Council of RLOs

The Council of Refugee-Led Organizations is a governance body that co-owns The Displaced Times. Membership is by application and is subject to the following terms:

• Submission of an application does not guarantee membership. All applications are reviewed by our team and evaluated based on the criteria published on our Council page.
• Council members are expected to participate in quarterly governance meetings, respect editorial independence, and contribute operationally as described in the Council expectations.
• Council membership may be revoked if a member organization acts in a manner inconsistent with the values and principles of The Displaced Times, including but not limited to: breach of editorial independence, failure to attend governance meetings without notice, fraudulent representation, or conduct that endangers the safety of journalists, sources, or community members.
• Information submitted in council applications is treated as confidential and processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
• Monthly financial contributions by council members are voluntary commitments based on organizational capacity. Failure to fulfill a stated contribution amount does not automatically result in loss of membership but will be discussed during governance reviews.

8. Newsletter & Communications

By subscribing to our newsletter, you consent to receive periodic email communications from The Displaced Times, including editorial updates, breaking news alerts, and organizational announcements.

• You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every email. Upon unsubscription, your email will be removed from our mailing list within 30 days.
• We will never sell, share, or rent your email address to third parties for marketing purposes.
• We reserve the right to send transactional emails (such as donation receipts or application confirmations) regardless of your newsletter subscription status, as these are essential service communications.

9. Translation & Accessibility

We provide automated translation of our content into multiple languages and text-to-speech audio for article listening. These features are provided to improve accessibility and inclusivity.

• Translations are generated by machine and may contain inaccuracies, errors, or nuances that differ from the original English-language content. The English version of all content is the authoritative version.
• We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any translated content. Users should not rely solely on translated content for legal, medical, financial, or safety-critical decisions.
• Text-to-speech audio is synthesized by AI and may not perfectly reproduce the tone, emphasis, or intent of the original written text.
• We are not liable for any damages, misunderstandings, or losses arising from reliance on translated or synthesized content.

10. Editorial Independence

The Displaced Times maintains full editorial independence. Our reporting, analysis, and editorial decisions are made solely by our editorial team and are not influenced by donors, sponsors, council members, government entities, or any other external parties.

While our Council of RLOs participates in governance — including editorial policy oversight, budget review, and strategic direction — the council does not direct, dictate, or approve individual stories, headlines, or editorial positions. Day-to-day editorial decisions rest with the newsroom.

We are committed to accuracy, fairness, and accountability in our reporting. If you believe any content on our site is inaccurate, misleading, or violates journalistic standards, please contact our editorial team at editors@displacedtimes.com. We take all complaints seriously and will investigate and, where appropriate, issue corrections.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

Our website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
• That our website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.
• That the content on our website is accurate, complete, reliable, or current.
• That any defects or errors will be corrected.

You use our website at your own risk. We do not warrant that the website is free of viruses or other harmful components, although we take reasonable measures to maintain security.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, The Displaced Times, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and council members shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, whether arising from:

• Your access to, use of, or inability to use our website or services.
• Any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in our content, including translated or synthesized content.
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your personal data.
• Any conduct or content of any third party connected to our services.
• Any interruption, suspension, or termination of our services.

In no event shall our total aggregate liability exceed the amount you have paid to us (if any) in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Displaced Times, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and council members from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of our services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights; or (d) any content you submit to us, including council applications and correspondence.

14. Third-Party Links & Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not owned or controlled by The Displaced Times. We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, terms of service, or practices of any third-party websites or services.

The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by The Displaced Times. We strongly advise you to read the terms and privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

15. Modifications to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
• Post a prominent notice on our website for a reasonable period of time.
• Where practicable, notify subscribers by email.

Your continued use of our services following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree with the revised Terms, you must stop using our services.

16. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to our services at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice, if we reasonably believe that you have violated these Terms or engaged in conduct that could harm The Displaced Times, its users, or third parties.

Upon termination, all provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive — including but not limited to intellectual property provisions, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification — shall remain in full force and effect.

17. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any supplemental terms or policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Displaced Times regarding your use of our services. These Terms supersede all prior agreements, understandings, negotiations, and discussions, whether oral or written, between you and us.

19. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Nairobi, Kenya.

Before initiating any formal legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith negotiation for a period of not less than 30 days. If the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation, either party may pursue formal legal remedies.