Legal
Terms of Service
Last updated: 27 August 2026
1. Agreement
These Terms of Service ('Terms') govern your access to and use of the WhānauGuard service ('Service'), including our website, mobile applications, and all related features. By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you are setting up protection for tamariki, you confirm you are their parent or legal guardian with the authority to consent on their behalf.
2. What WhānauGuard is
WhānauGuard is a family digital-safety service that helps parents set and enforce rules across enrolled devices using each platform's officially supported management capabilities. It is not a surveillance product: no keylogging, no covert capture, no reading of private messages, no camera or microphone access. We exist to give parents visibility and control while respecting the dignity and privacy of every family member.
3. Eligibility
You must be 18 years or older to create a parent account. You represent that all information you provide during registration is accurate and complete. The Service is not directed at children under 13 and does not collect personal information from children — it operates on devices enrolled by their parent or guardian.
4. Accounts and security
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is required for all parent accounts. You must not share your account with anyone who is not an authorised parent or guardian. You must notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access. We provide recovery codes at signup — store them securely.
5. Honest capability
Each operating system permits different controls. We describe what we can do honestly, and we never claim a device is protected when enforcement is not active. Where a platform limits us, we detect, alert and explain — we never pretend. The feature availability table on our Features page reflects current platform capabilities and may change as operating systems update.
6. Subscriptions and billing
The Aotearoa Family plan is provided at no cost for eligible New Zealand registrations. The Global Family plan is a paid subscription at US$4.95 per family per month, billed in advance via our payment processor (Stripe). Prices are displayed in your local currency where supported. We reserve the right to change prices with at least 30 days' written notice. You can cancel at any time and keep access until the end of the current billing period.
7. 30-day money-back guarantee (Global plans only)
This guarantee applies to Global (international) families on a paid subscription. If WhānauGuard does not work for your family within the first 30 days of your Global Family subscription, contact us at help@whanauguard.online and we will issue a full refund — no questions asked, no hoops to jump through. This guarantee covers your first subscription period. Aotearoa families: the plan is already provided at no cost, so there is nothing to refund. We believe families should only pay for something that genuinely helps them.
8. Your data
Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, and how long we keep it. We process data only to operate the service, and we never sell personal information. We comply with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable to EU/EEA residents, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents, and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 for UK residents. You have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your data at any time.
9. Acceptable use
You agree to use the Service lawfully, to protect only devices you are authorised to manage, and not to attempt to bypass, reverse-engineer, or misuse the Service. You must not use WhānauGuard to monitor, track, or surveil any person beyond what is necessary for parental digital-safety management. Parents are responsible for how protection rules are applied in their family and for complying with any local laws regarding device management and consent.
10. Availability and reliability
We work to keep the Service reliable, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. Protection is designed to keep enforcing the last signed policy on devices even during cloud outages. We aim for 99.9% uptime but are not liable for brief service interruptions. Planned maintenance windows are communicated in advance where possible.
11. Intellectual property
The Service, its design, content, and all related intellectual property are owned by or licensed to WhānauGuard. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the Service for its intended family-safety purpose. Nothing in these Terms grants any rights to copy, modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer the Service.
12. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, WhānauGuard is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited under New Zealand law, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, or any applicable local consumer-protection law.
13. Consumer rights
Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy conferred by the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (New Zealand), the Australian Consumer Law, or any other applicable consumer-protection legislation that cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified by agreement. If the Service is not of acceptable quality, fit for purpose, or as described, you are entitled to remedies under the applicable consumer-protection law.
14. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless WhānauGuard and its officers, directors, and employees from any claims, losses, or damages arising from your misuse of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any applicable law or third-party rights.
15. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand. If you are an EU/EEA resident, you may also have the right to bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence. We encourage you to contact us first at help@whanauguard.online so we can resolve any concerns informally before formal proceedings.
16. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to parents at least 30 days before they take effect, and we will display the 'Last updated' date at the top of this page. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you may close your account and request data deletion.
17. Contact
Questions about these Terms: help@whanauguard.online. Our Data Protection Officer (for GDPR-related enquiries): dpo@whanauguard.online.
Questions? Email help@whanauguard.online.