Community Agreement

Community Exchange is built on five values. They are not aspirational. They are requirements for participation.

• Mutual Aid. We show up for each other. This platform exists because neighbors helping neighbors is more powerful than any institution acting alone.
• Civic Responsibility. Democracy works when people participate. We believe every resident has a right and a responsibility to engage with the systems that shape their life.
• Respect Across Difference. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in America. We treat every person with dignity regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status.
• Truth and Accuracy. We do not fabricate, exaggerate, or misrepresent. Every data point has a source. Every claim is verifiable. Trust is the foundation.
• Accountability. We hold ourselves, our elected officials, and our institutions accountable. Transparency is not optional.

As a member of Community Exchange, you get access to personalized civic information for your exact address, including your elected officials at every level of government, active policies that affect your neighborhood, community services and resources, learning content and civic guides, and tools to take action like Call Your Representative.

1. Provide accurate information about yourself, including your real name and address.
2. Treat other community members with respect and dignity at all times.
3. Do not use this platform to harass, threaten, or intimidate any person, including elected officials.
4. Do not submit false, misleading, or fabricated content.
5. Do not use automated tools, bots, or scripts to access the platform without permission.
6. Report inaccurate information when you find it.
7. Respect the privacy of other community members.

Violation Response: Violations are reviewed by our team. Consequences range from a warning to temporary suspension to permanent removal, depending on severity and pattern.

Immediate Removal: Threats of violence, doxxing, harassment, hate speech, or any illegal activity result in immediate and permanent removal without warning.

Legal Recourse: We reserve the right to report illegal activity to law enforcement and to pursue legal remedies for violations that cause harm to our community or platform.

You must be at least 13 years old to use Community Exchange. If you are between 13 and 17, you need a parent or guardian to consent to this agreement on your behalf. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

We collect your address to match you with your elected officials and local services. We do not sell your data. We do not share your address with third parties. Our full privacy practices are described in our Privacy Policy.

We may update this agreement. When we do, we will notify you and ask you to review and re-sign. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

By creating an account and signing this agreement, you affirm that you share the community values described above, accept the obligations and accountability measures, and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

The civic data, contact information, service listings, and community content on Community Exchange are provided for lawful civic engagement, personal education, and community benefit only. Any misuse of information on this platform is a violation of this agreement and may result in civil and criminal liability.

Prohibited misuse includes, but is not limited to:

• Using official contact information to harass, threaten, or intimidate elected officials, community members, or staff.
• Compiling or redistributing personal data from this platform for commercial purposes without written authorization.
• Using service or resource information to exploit, defraud, or deceive vulnerable community members.
• Misrepresenting affiliation with Community Exchange or The Change Lab to gain access, trust, or financial benefit.
• Using platform data to interfere with elections, suppress voter participation, or undermine democratic processes.
• Scraping, harvesting, or systematically extracting platform data through automated means without written permission.

Legal consequences: Violations may result in civil legal action under applicable Texas and federal law, including but not limited to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. § 1030), the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act (Texas Penal Code § 33.02), and applicable harassment and stalking statutes. The Change Lab reserves the right to pursue injunctive relief, monetary damages, and referral to law enforcement without prior notice to the violating party.

By signing this agreement, you acknowledge that misuse of information obtained through Community Exchange may expose you to significant civil fines and criminal prosecution under Texas and federal law. This is not a hypothetical warning. It is a condition of access.