CiteLine Terms of Service

Effective date: 1/25/2026
Publication: CiteLine (the “Publication,” “we,” “us”)
Contact: citeline@substack.com
Location and governing law: California, USA

1) Agreement to these Terms

By accessing, reading, subscribing to, or commenting on CiteLine, you agree to these Terms of Service (the “Terms”). If you do not agree, do not use the Publication.

These Terms apply to the Publication’s content, comments, community spaces, and any related services we provide to readers. Use of the Substack platform is also governed by Substack’s own terms, policies, and guidelines.

2) What CiteLine provides

CiteLine publishes journalism, analysis, and related materials, including newsletters, posts, audio, and archives (the “Content”). We may update, correct, or revise Content as described in Section 10.

3) Subscriptions, payments, and access

• Subscriptions and billing: Subscriptions, payments, and account access are handled through Substack and its payment processors.

• Cancellation: You can cancel according to the options provided in your Substack account settings.

• Refunds: Any refund practices we offer, if any, will be described on the Publication or handled case by case at our discretion, subject to Substack’s systems and rules.

4) Intellectual property and permitted use

Unless otherwise stated, the Content is owned by CiteLine or its licensors and is protected by copyright and other laws.

You may:

• Read and share links to the Content.

• Quote short excerpts with attribution and a link, consistent with applicable law.

You may not:

• Republish full posts or substantial portions without our prior written permission.

• Copy, scrape, mirror, or compile the Content to build a competing product, database, or feed.

• Remove watermarks, attribution, or notices.

5) Comments and community rules

We want strong disagreement and strong sourcing, not abuse.

You agree not to post or share:

• Harassment, threats, or targeted hate.

• Doxxing or private personal information.

• Defamation, impersonation, or fraudulent claims of affiliation.

• Spam, scams, malware, or illegal content.

Moderation:

• We may remove content, limit participation, or block accounts for violations of these Terms or for behavior that undermines the community.

• We may also remove content for legal or safety reasons.

Substack also maintains community guidelines that may apply to your conduct on the platform.

6) Your submissions and user content license

If you post comments or submit material to us (including tips sent through forms or email), you represent that you have the right to share it.

By posting comments publicly on the Publication, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, and distribute that material in connection with operating and promoting the Publication.

7) Tips, sensitive information, and source protection

Do not send sensitive personal information unless necessary. If you are providing a tip, consider minimizing identifying details and use secure methods when available.

We may receive unsolicited pitches and materials. Unless we agree in writing, submissions are not guaranteed to be treated as confidential.

8) Transparency about AI tools

We use a very sophisticated, custom-made GPT to help with research, citations, and editing. We do not use it for writing.

In practice, the tool can help surface source leads, organize references, and flag places where citations or attribution may be needed. Humans write every sentence, verify sources, and make all editorial decisions.

9) No professional advice

The Content is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice. You should consult a qualified professional for advice tailored to your situation.

10) Corrections and updates

We aim to be transparent when we make substantive changes. When a material error is confirmed, we will correct it and add a clear note explaining what changed and when. We do not make silent substantive rewrites.

11) Third-party links and services

The Publication may link to third-party websites or services. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content or practices.

12) Disclaimer of warranties

The Publication and Content are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

13) Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, CiteLine will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Publication or reliance on the Content.

14) Indemnification

If you violate these Terms or the law and your actions cause harm or legal exposure to CiteLine, you agree to indemnify and hold CiteLine harmless from resulting claims, liabilities, and expenses.

15) Termination

We may suspend or terminate access to the Publication or community features at any time for violations of these Terms or to protect the Publication, readers, or our legal obligations.

16) Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Effective date” above will change when updates are made. Continued use of the Publication after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

17) Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to: citeline@substack.com