Terms of Use
By downloading, installing, or using Factual ("the app"), you agree to these Terms of Use. If you don't agree, please stop using the app and remove it from your device.
These Terms supplement Apple's Standard EULA, which also applies as a baseline. Where the two documents conflict, the more user-protective term controls.
1. Who we are
Factual is an iOS news reader and fact-checking tool, developed and published by an independent developer based in Portugal. References to "we," "us," and "our" in this document mean that developer. Contact details are at the bottom.
2. What the app does
Factual lets you subscribe to RSS news feeds, read articles inside a clean reader, and — for users on the Expert tier — generate AI-powered summaries, fact-checks, and translations.
It is a tool for getting information, not a primary source. The app aggregates content published by third parties (news outlets) and analyses that content with third-party AI models. We don't write the news, and we don't independently verify every claim it makes.
3. Your account and access
Factual doesn't have user accounts. There is no sign-up, password, or stored profile. Access is tied to:
- The iOS device the app is installed on, for your local preferences and reading list.
- Your Apple ID, for subscription entitlements managed by Apple.
You are responsible for keeping the device the app runs on secure. If your device is lost or stolen, your local Factual data may be accessible to whoever holds the device; uninstalling the app or wiping the device removes that data.
4. Subscriptions and one-time purchases
Factual offers three paid tiers that unlock the Expert feature set (AI digest, extended summaries, AI fact-check, translation to 20+ languages, unlimited source search, premium app icons):
- Expert Monthly — recurring monthly subscription.
- Expert Yearly — recurring annual subscription.
- Expert Lifetime — one-time purchase, non-renewing.
4.1 Free trial
Both subscription tiers offer a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. The trial is granted by Apple on a per-Apple-ID basis; if you have used a trial on Factual before, you may not be eligible again. Apple makes the final determination of trial eligibility.
4.2 Auto-renewal
Auto-renewing subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period at the then-current price, unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Renewal pricing matches the rate displayed in the app at the time of renewal. If a price increase requires your explicit consent under the App Store rules, Apple will request it before the next renewal.
4.3 How to cancel
Cancel any time from inside Factual (Settings → Membership → Manage Subscription) or from the iOS system Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions. Cancellation stops the next renewal; you keep access through the end of the period you've already paid for.
4.4 Refunds
All payments are processed by Apple. Refund requests are handled exclusively by Apple at https://reportaproblem.apple.com. We cannot issue or deny refunds on our own — that decision is Apple's.
4.5 Lifetime purchase
The Lifetime tier is a one-time purchase that unlocks Expert for as long as the app is functional and the App Store entitlement remains valid on your Apple ID. "Lifetime" refers to the lifetime of the product, not of the buyer; if Factual is permanently discontinued, the Lifetime benefit ends with it. We have no plans to discontinue the app, but disclose this here for honesty.
5. Important disclaimers about AI features
This section matters. Please read it.
5.1 AI is not authoritative
Factual's summaries, fact-checks, and translations are generated by third-party AI models (currently Google Gemini). AI output can be wrong. It can hallucinate facts that aren't in the source article, mistranslate idioms, mis-attribute claims, or rate an unverified statement as "verified" when it isn't.
You should treat any AI-generated content in Factual as a starting point, not as the final word. For anything that matters — health decisions, financial moves, voting, legal action — consult the original article and authoritative primary sources before relying on what an AI said about it.
5.2 Fact-check verdicts are an opinion
The fact-check feature aggregates publicly available fact-check ratings from IFCN-accredited sources and uses AI to synthesise them with additional web searches. A "verified" or "disputed" verdict in the app reflects what those sources and the AI thought at the time the check was run. It is not a legally binding judgment of truth and should not be relied upon as such.
5.3 Translations are best-effort
Translated headlines and article bodies preserve the gist of the original but may drop nuance, sarcasm, or culturally specific framing. For high-stakes content (medical, legal, financial), read the original language version or seek a professional translation.
5.4 Third-party news content is not ours
Articles you read in Factual are written and published by third-party news outlets. We don't endorse, edit, or independently verify their content. Editorial complaints, factual disputes, or takedown requests for an article should be directed to the original publisher, not to us.
6. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble the app beyond what's permitted by applicable law.
- Use Factual to send abusive volumes of traffic to any third-party API or RSS feed, or to circumvent rate limits imposed by those services.
- Use the AI features to generate, distribute, or store content that violates Google Gemini's usage policies — for example, content intended to harass, defraud, or generate non-consensual intimate imagery.
- Republish, redistribute, or commercialise the AI-generated summaries, fact-checks, or translations in a way that misrepresents them as your own original work or as a third party's verified statement.
- Use the app for any unlawful purpose under Portuguese or EU law.
We may suspend or revoke access to Expert features (for example, by refusing to renew an Apple Offer Code) if we detect serious abuse, though such cases are extremely rare for a single-user app.
7. Intellectual property
The Factual app — its name, logo, design, source code, and AI-prompt formulations — is the property of the developer. You receive a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive licence to use the app on iOS devices associated with your Apple ID, in accordance with Apple's Standard EULA.
Original articles you read inside the app remain the property of their respective publishers. The AI-generated summaries and translations of those articles are derivative works produced on your device for your personal use; we don't claim ownership over them, and you should respect the underlying publisher's rights when sharing them externally.
8. Warranty disclaimer
Factual is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that:
- The app will be uninterrupted, error-free, or available at all times.
- AI-generated content will be accurate, complete, or up to date.
- Third-party RSS feeds, APIs, or services will remain accessible.
- The app is suitable for any specific use beyond casual news reading.
Nothing in this section limits any rights you have under mandatory consumer-protection law (in the EU, including the Consumer Sales Directive and the Digital Content Directive), which apply regardless of these Terms.
9. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither we nor any affiliated party shall be liable for:
- Indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages.
- Loss of data, loss of profits, business interruption, or reputational harm.
- Decisions you made in reliance on AI-generated summaries, fact-checks, or translations.
Where mandatory consumer-protection law in your jurisdiction caps liability differently, that statutory cap applies. In any event, our aggregate liability for any claim arising out of these Terms is limited to the amount you actually paid for Factual subscriptions or in-app purchases in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or EUR 50, whichever is greater.
10. Changes to the app and to these Terms
We may update the app from time to time to fix bugs, improve features, or comply with new platform requirements. Some updates may change or remove features; we'll do our best to keep the Expert feature set stable, but we don't guarantee that any specific feature will exist forever.
We may also update these Terms — for example, when we add a new third-party service or change subscription pricing. Material changes will be called out in the App Store update release notes for the version that introduces them, so you can review the new Terms before installing the update. Continued use of the app after a material change means you accept the updated Terms; if you don't, please uninstall.
11. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the law of Portugal, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If you are a consumer resident in the European Union, you also benefit from the mandatory consumer-protection provisions of the law of the EU member state where you live; nothing in these Terms removes those protections.
If a dispute arises and we can't resolve it informally:
- EU consumers may use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform and may bring proceedings in the courts of their place of residence.
- All other users agree that disputes shall be resolved by the courts of Lisbon, Portugal.
If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
12. Contact
For questions about these Terms, subscription support, or anything else legal-related:
For App Store billing issues, refunds, or subscription management, always go through Apple Support at https://support.apple.com. We cannot intervene in the App Store billing chain.
A formal postal address can be provided on request by email — the developer's full trader details are also held by Apple as part of the App Store developer account and surface in the App Store listing under "App Support" / "Developer Information."