Terms of service

The Bold Truth: Terms of Service, Privacy Policy & DMCA Policy

Effective Date: October 22, 2026

Last Updated: October 22, 2026

Welcome to The Bold Truth (theboldtruth.com), including our website, blog, and community forum (together, the “Site”). This document combines our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Copyright (DMCA) Policy. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to all three parts. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

In this document, “we,” “us,” and “our” mean The Bold Truth and its operators. “You” means anyone who visits or uses the Site.

PART 1: TERMS OF SERVICE

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Site. If you are under 18, you should have a parent or guardian’s permission.

By registering, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate and that you can legally enter into this agreement.

2. Your Account

You are responsible for your account, your password, and all activity under your account.

Keep your login details private and notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

One account per person. We may suspend or delete accounts that are duplicated, fraudulent, or inactive.

3. Community Rules

Your use of the forum is also governed by our Forum Rules & Guidelines, which are part of these Terms. In short, you agree to communicate respectfully, stay on topic, and keep content edifying and lawful.

4. User Content

Your ownership. You keep ownership of the content you post (posts, comments, messages, files, and other materials, “User Content”).

License to us. By posting, you give us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content on and in connection with the Site. This license lasts as long as your content remains on the Site and for a reasonable period afterward in backups.

Your responsibility. You are solely responsible for your User Content. You promise that you own it or have permission to post it, and that it does not violate any law or the rights of others.

Public content. Forum posts are generally visible to other members and may be visible to the public and search engines. Do not post anything you want to keep private.

Views expressed. User Content reflects the views of its authors, not necessarily those of The Bold Truth.

3. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

Break any law or violate anyone’s rights.

Post content that is unlawful, harassing, threatening, hateful, defamatory, obscene, or sexually explicit.

Spam, advertise, or solicit without permission.

Impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation.

Upload viruses, malware, or harmful code.

Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, other accounts, or our systems.

Scrape, harvest, or collect data from the Site by automated means without our written permission.

Interfere with or disrupt the Site’s operation, including the chatbox and other features.

4. Moderation and Termination

We may, at our sole discretion and without notice, edit, move, lock, or remove any content, and may warn, suspend, or ban any user who violates these Terms or whose conduct we consider harmful to the community. You may stop using the Site and request deletion of your account at any time (see Part 2).

5. Resources, Downloads, and Files

Files in the Resource Manager are provided by us or by members. We do not guarantee that they are accurate, complete, or free of defects or harmful code. Download and use them at your own risk.

Members may share only files they have the right to share.

If paid files or subscriptions are offered, additional terms and pricing will be shown at the time of purchase.

6. Religious and Informational Content

The Site is for general religious, educational, and informational purposes. Nothing on the Site is professional advice, including medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice or counseling. Pastoral and spiritual discussion on the Site does not replace guidance from your own church leadership or from qualified professionals. If you are in crisis or danger, contact emergency services right away.

7. Our Intellectual Property

The Site’s design, logos, articles, blog posts, and original materials (excluding User Content) are owned by or licensed to The Bold Truth and protected by copyright and other laws. You may share links and short quotations with attribution, but you may not copy, republish, or sell our content without written permission.

8. Third-Party Links

The Site may link to third-party websites and resources. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, accuracy, or policies. Visiting them is at your own risk.

9. Disclaimers

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT USER CONTENT IS ACCURATE OR RELIABLE.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE BOLD TRUTH AND ITS OWNERS, OPERATORS, MODERATORS, AND VOLUNTEERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SITE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SITE WILL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend and hold harmless The Bold Truth and its operators from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising from your User Content, your use of the Site, or your violation of these Terms.

12. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Pennsylvania, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute will be resolved in the courts located in Northumberland Co., PA, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update this document from time to time. The “Last Updated” date above shows the latest version. Continued use of the Site after changes means you accept them. For material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify members, such as through an announcement.

14. General

If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. These Terms, together with the Forum Rules, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Site.

PART 2: PRIVACY POLICY

We respect your privacy. This section explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide:

Account details: username, email address, and password (stored in encrypted/hashed form).

Profile information you choose to add, such as avatar, signature, location, or biography.

Content you post: threads, replies, chatbox messages, private messages, prayer requests, testimonies, and uploaded files.

Messages you send us, including support tickets and contact forms.

Information collected automatically:

IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, and pages visited.

Date and time of visits, referring pages, and activity such as login times and posts.

Cookies and similar technologies (see below).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Create and manage your account and provide forum features, including badges, credits, and the chatbox.

Operate, maintain, and improve the Site.

Moderate content and enforce our Terms and Forum Rules.

Respond to support tickets and inquiries.

Send account-related emails, such as verification, password resets, and security notices.

Send updates or newsletters if you opt in, which you can unsubscribe from at any time.

Detect and prevent spam, fraud, and abuse.

Comply with legal obligations.

3. Public Information and Sensitive Content

Your username, posts, profile information, and chatbox messages may be visible to other members and the public. Because this is a faith-based community, the things you share may reveal your religious beliefs or personal circumstances. Share only what you are comfortable making public. Use a support ticket rather than a public thread if you need to raise something privately with the team. You may ask us to remove content you posted (see Section 8).

4. Cookies

We use cookies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences (such as light or dark mode), and understand how the Site is used. You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling them may affect Site features. [If you use analytics or advertising cookies, list them here.]

5. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it only:

With service providers who help operate the Site, such as hosting, email delivery, security, and analytics, under obligations to protect it.

For legal reasons, to comply with law, court orders, or legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of The Bold Truth, our members, or others.

In a business transfer, such as a merger or sale of the Site, with notice to you where required.

With your consent, or at your direction.

5A. Third-Party Services

ChatGPT; Google Analytics; 3rd Party Advertisers.

6. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to run the Site, resolve disputes, and meet legal obligations. Server logs are kept for a limited period, at least 90 days, possibly more. Backups may retain deleted data for a short period before being overwritten.

7. Security

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information, including encrypted password storage and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password.

8. Your Choices and Rights

You may:

Access and update your profile information through your account settings.

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Request deletion of your account and personal information. Posts that have been quoted or replied to by others may be anonymized rather than removed so that discussions stay coherent.

Opt out of non-essential emails using the unsubscribe link.

To make a request, contact us using the Support Ticket system. Depending on where you live (for example, California or the European Economic Area), you may have additional rights under local privacy laws, such as the right to know, correct, delete, or port your data. We will honor valid requests as required by law.

9. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. International Users

The Site is operated from the United States. If you access it from elsewhere, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time and will post the new version here with a new “Last Updated” date.

PART 3: COPYRIGHT (DMCA) POLICY

The Bold Truth respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its members to do the same. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (17 U.S.C. § 512), we respond to valid notices of alleged copyright infringement.

1. Reporting Infringement (DMCA Takedown Notice)

If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, send a written notice to our Designated Agent that includes:

Your physical or electronic signature (or that of a person authorized to act on your behalf).

Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.

Identification of the infringing material and its location on the Site, with enough detail for us to find it (for example, the URL).

Your contact information: name, address, telephone number, and email address.

A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.

Designated Copyright Agent:

Name: B. Daugherty

Company: TheBoldTruth.com

Please note that under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), anyone who knowingly makes a material misrepresentation that content is infringing may be liable for damages. If you are unsure whether material infringes your copyright, you may wish to consult an attorney first.

2. Our Response

When we receive a valid notice, we will act promptly to remove or disable access to the material and will make a reasonable effort to notify the user who posted it. We may share a copy of the notice with that user.

3. Counter-Notification

If you believe your content was removed by mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notification to our Designated Agent that includes:

Your physical or electronic signature.

Identification of the removed material and where it appeared before removal.

A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed because of mistake or misidentification.

Your name, address, and phone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court for your district (or, if outside the United States, any judicial district where we may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice.

After receiving a valid counter-notification, we will forward it to the original complainant. If the complainant does not notify us within 10 business days that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the alleged infringement, we may restore the material within 10 to 14 business days after receiving the counter-notification.

4. Repeat Infringers

It is our policy to terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of members who are repeat infringers of copyright.

5. Files and Resources

This policy also applies to files shared through the Resource Manager and to any content, links, or downloads posted by members.

CONTACT US

For questions about these Terms, our Privacy Policy, or privacy requests:

The Bold Truth

Email: Use Ticket System

Website: https://theboldtruth.com

Support: Submit a ticket through the forum

By using The Bold Truth, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and DMCA Policy above.

Before publishing:

Fill in the bracketed placeholders. These are the governing state and county, contact and DMCA emails, mailing address, data retention period, and any third-party services such as analytics, ads, or email providers.

Register your DMCA agent. To qualify for the DMCA “safe harbor” protection, you must designate an agent with the U.S. Copyright Office (copyright.gov/dmca-directory), which currently involves a small fee and renewal every three years. The agent listed in your policy should match the registration.

Match the policy to reality. If you add ads, paid subscriptions or files, donation processing, or analytics, update the Privacy Policy and Terms accordingly. If you have members in the EU or UK, you may need additional GDPR language such as a legal basis for processing.

Have an attorney review it. I’m not a lawyer, and this is a solid general template rather than legal advice. A quick review by an attorney is worthwhile, especially for the liability, indemnification, and governing-law sections.

I can also split this into three separate pages for your footer links, write a short cookie notice banner, or draft a one-paragraph registration checkbox (“I agree to the Terms, Privacy Policy, and Forum Rules”).

Last reviewed October 22, 2026.