Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: August 22, 2026

Please read these Terms & Conditions ("Terms") carefully before using the Short News mobile application ("App," "Service," "we," "us," "our"). By creating an account or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

1. Eligibility

  • You must be at least 13 years old to use Short News. If you are between 13 and 18, you confirm that you have your parent/guardian's permission.
  • You must provide accurate registration information (name, email, mobile number) when signing up via Email, Phone, or Google Social Login.
  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account.

2. The Service

Short News is a news aggregation and citizen journalism platform that:

  • Curates news content from third-party RSS feeds for informational purposes.
  • Allows registered users ("Creators/Reporters") to submit local news articles, images, and videos via Creator Studio.
  • Displays official live news streams via the YouTube IFrame API.
  • Provides features such as bookmarks, likes, comments, poll voting, rewards, and creator monetization.

We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any news content, whether aggregated via RSS or submitted by users.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC)

3.1 Your Content

When you submit news articles, headlines, images, or videos ("Content"), you retain ownership of your Content, but you grant Short News a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable license to host, reproduce, distribute, display, and promote that Content within the App and its promotional channels.

3.2 Content Standards

You agree that Content you submit will:

  • Be factually accurate to the best of your knowledge and not intentionally misleading (no fake news or fabricated reporting).
  • Not infringe any third party's copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights.
  • Not contain hate speech, defamatory statements, obscene material, incitement to violence, or content that violates applicable Indian law (including the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021).
  • Not include spam, malware, or content designed to manipulate view counts or rewards.

3.3 Moderation & Removal

We reserve the right (but not the obligation) to review, edit, refuse, or remove any Content, and to suspend or terminate accounts, at our sole discretion, without prior notice, if Content violates these Terms or applicable law.

3.4 Copyright Complaints

If you believe Content on Short News infringes your copyright, please contact our Grievance Officer (Section 11) with details of the infringing content and your ownership proof. We will investigate and take appropriate action, including removal, in accordance with applicable law.

4. Creator Monetization & Payouts

  • Creators may earn rewards based on views, engagement, and platform-defined monetization criteria, which may change from time to time at our discretion.
  • To withdraw earnings, Creators must provide accurate bank account, UPI ID, or mobile payment details. You are responsible for ensuring this information is correct; we are not liable for funds lost due to incorrect details provided by you.
  • We reserve the right to withhold, delay, or reverse payouts in cases of suspected fraud, fake engagement, policy violations, or view-count manipulation.
  • Minimum payout thresholds, processing timelines, and applicable fees (if any) will be communicated within the Creator Studio.
  • All earnings are subject to applicable taxes, which are the Creator's responsibility to report and pay.

5. Rewards, Check-ins & Lucky Draws

  • Daily check-ins, spin wheel bonuses, and lucky draws are promotional features offered at our discretion and may be modified, paused, or discontinued at any time.
  • Rewards have no cash value outside the platform's redemption mechanisms and cannot be transferred, sold, or exchanged except as expressly permitted in-app.
  • We reserve the right to disqualify users from rewards programs if we detect fraudulent activity, multiple/fake accounts, or automated participation (bots).

6. Advertising

The App displays advertisements served through Google AdMob and other custom ad networks, including banner, native, and interstitial ads. Ad content is managed by third-party networks, and we are not responsible for the content of advertisements displayed.

7. Device Permissions

Use of certain features requires permissions such as Camera, Media access, Location, and Notifications, as described in our [Privacy Policy]. You may manage these permissions through your device settings at any time; disabling them may limit certain App features.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

  • Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation.
  • Use bots, scripts, or automated means to interact with the App or manipulate views, rewards, or payouts.
  • Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the App.
  • Upload viruses, malware, or engage in any activity that disrupts the Service.
  • Use the App for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable local, state, national, or international law.

Violation of these rules may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account, forfeiture of pending earnings/rewards, and/or legal action.

9. Intellectual Property

The Short News name, logo, App design, and underlying software are the exclusive property of Short News and its licensors. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use our trademarks or branding without prior written consent.

10. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

  • News Accuracy: Content aggregated via RSS feeds or submitted by users is provided "as is." Short News does not independently verify all news content and disclaims liability for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions.
  • No Warranty: The App is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
  • Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, Short News shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the App, including loss of earnings, data, or goodwill.
  • Third-Party Services: We are not responsible for the practices, content, or availability of third-party services integrated into the App (Firebase, AdMob, YouTube, OneSignal, GoldAPI, etc.).

11. Grievance Officer / Contact

In accordance with applicable Indian law, grievances regarding Content or these Terms may be directed to:

Email: [email protected]

We aim to acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within the timelines prescribed by applicable law.

12. Account Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for violation of these Terms, suspected fraud, or at our reasonable discretion. You may also delete your account at any time via in-app settings or by contacting support. Upon termination, your right to use the App ceases immediately; certain provisions (IP, liability, monetization disputes) survive termination.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via an in-app notice or by updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Mandsaur, India.