Terms of Use
Terms of Use for Youth Story Submissions
New York Youth Speaks accepts submissions from young people approximately between the ages of 13 and 21 who live, study, or spend most of their time in New York City. By submitting a story, you confirm that the writing is your own original work and that it does not violate the rights of others, including through plagiarism, defamation, or harassment.
When you submit a story, you grant New York Youth Speaks a permanent, non-exclusive license to edit, publish, display, and archive your writing under your chosen pen name. You retain authorship of your work, but you give us permission to publish it and maintain it on our site as part of the project’s archive. Once published, your story may remain online unless there is a legal or safety-based reason to remove it.
New York Youth Speaks reserves the right to decline submissions that include hate speech, targeted harassment, explicit identifying information, unsafe content, or material deemed inappropriate or harmful under our editorial guidelines. We also reserve the right to modify content during the editing process for clarity, safety, or quality while maintaining your original meaning and tone. By using this site, you agree to respect the space, the community, and these terms.
Terms of Use for Subscribers
These Terms of Use govern access to and use of the New York Youth Speaks website and subscription-based content by readers and supporters (“Subscribers”).
By subscribing to New York Youth Speaks, you agree to these Terms of Use and confirm that you are at least 18 years old, or that you have the consent of a parent or legal guardian if required by applicable law.
Subscription Access and UseA subscription to New York Youth Speaks provides access to curated youth-authored stories, editorial content, newsletters, and related materials intended for personal, non-commercial use only. Subscriber access is granted to a single individual and may not be shared, transferred, resold, or redistributed to others.
You agree not to copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, transmit, or otherwise exploit any content from the platform for commercial or institutional purposes without prior written permission from New York Youth Speaks.
Account Information and SecurityWhen you subscribe, you may be required to provide accurate and current information, including your name, email address, and billing details. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access if we believe an account is being misused, shared, or accessed in violation of these Terms.
Billing and PaymentsSubscription fees are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on your selection) and are processed securely through third-party payment providers. By subscribing, you authorize us to charge the applicable subscription fees to your chosen payment method.
Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. You may cancel your subscription at any time, and access will continue until the end of the current billing period.
Content and Community StandardsThe stories published on New York Youth Speaks reflect the personal experiences and perspectives of young people. While content is moderated for safety and appropriateness, views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of New York Youth Speaks.
Subscribers agree to engage with the platform respectfully and to refrain from attempting to identify, contact, or harass contributors. Any misuse of content, including attempts to trace or expose the identity of youth contributors, is strictly prohibited.
PrivacyYour personal information as a Subscriber is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We collect and use subscriber data only for purposes related to account management, communication, and payment processing, and we do not sell subscriber information to third parties.
Modifications to the ServiceWe may update, modify, or discontinue parts of the platform or subscription offerings from time to time. We may also update these Terms of Use as necessary. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
TerminationWe reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to the platform at our discretion if these Terms are violated or if continued access would compromise the safety or integrity of the community.
ContactIf you have questions about these Terms of Use or your subscription, please contact us through the information provided on our website.