Legal
Terms of Service
Effective May 5, 2026
Blockwalk is a directory for photo walks. Hosts post a time and a place; attendees show up and shoot. We are not a party to your walk, we don't run ads, we don't sell your data, and we don't curate a feed for you. By using Blockwalk, you agree to the terms below — written in plain English so you can actually read them.
What Blockwalk is
Blockwalk is a passive directory that connects photographers who want to walk together. We host listings; we don't run the walks. We don't vet hosts, scout the routes, hire guides, or carry insurance for what happens on the ground. When you RSVP to a walk, you're meeting strangers in public — assess that the way you'd assess any plan made on the internet. Under U.S. law (Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act), we are a platform for user-submitted content, not the publisher of it. We don't algorithmically rank or recommend listings beyond simple chronological and geographic filtering.
Who can use it
You must be 18 or older to create an account. By signing up you attest that you are. One account per person — no duplicates, no shared logins, no impersonating someone else (real or invented). If you misrepresent who you are, we'll terminate the account. Blockwalk is built for the United States in v1; if you use it from elsewhere, you do so at your own risk and you're responsible for complying with your local laws.
If you host a walk
Hosting on Blockwalk is a real commitment. You agree to: show up at the time and place you posted; pick locations that are legally accessible to the public (sidewalks, parks, public plazas — not private property without permission); describe the walk accurately, including pace, distance, terrain, and any hazards a reasonable photographer would want to know about; and use basic judgment about group safety (don't lead a dozen strangers into traffic, don't promise access you can't deliver). If you can't make it, cancel the listing as early as you can. Repeated no-shows or misleading listings will get you suspended.
If you attend a walk
RSVP only when you actually plan to show up — capacity is limited and a no-show takes a spot from someone else. Be on time, be civil, and respect the host's call on pace and route. You're responsible for your own safety, your own gear, and your own behavior. Photographing strangers in public is generally legal in the U.S., but it isn't always welcome — read the room, lower the camera when asked, and don't be the reason someone has a bad day. Harassing other attendees, dominating the group, or pulling stunts that put people at risk will get you removed.
Photography and recording
In most U.S. public spaces, you can photograph what you can see — including people, buildings, and police. There are exceptions: military installations, federal courthouses, TSA checkpoints, many K-12 schools, and most private property (malls, stadiums, transit stations operated by private entities) restrict or prohibit photography. Some states and cities have additional rules around critical infrastructure. Knowing the law where you're shooting is on you, not on us. Audio recording is different from photography. Several states — including California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Washington — require all parties to a conversation to consent before you record audio. Don't record audio of other attendees or bystanders without their explicit consent. Video that captures incidental audio falls under the same rules.
If you appear in someone else's photo
We respect that being photographed in public is legal but not always wanted. If a Blockwalk attendee photographed you and you'd like the image taken down from a Blockwalk-hosted surface, email hello@blockwalk.org with a description of the image and where it appears. We'll respond within 7 days. Hosts and attendees agree: don't publish identifiable photos of children without a parent or guardian's permission, and honor good-faith requests from photographed subjects to delete or unpublish. We can't compel anyone to remove an image they've posted on a third-party site (Instagram, Flickr, their own portfolio) — but on Blockwalk surfaces, we will.
Acceptable use
Don't use Blockwalk to: harass, threaten, or stalk other users; organize illegal activity; promote a commercial workshop, paid tour, or product without our written permission; spam listings or messages; scrape the site or its API; or attempt to circumvent suspension. Walks are free. If you want to run a paid workshop, that's a different product than this one — go build it somewhere else, or ask us first.
Suspension and termination
We can suspend or terminate any account, at any time, for violating these terms or for behavior that endangers other users. Specifically: a pattern of no-shows (host or attendee), confirmed harassment, hosting walks at locations where photography is illegal, or creating duplicate accounts after a previous suspension. Suspensions are usually warned first; serious violations are not. If we terminate your account, your listings and RSVPs are removed and you don't get to make a new account. You can also delete your own account at any time from your profile.
Copyright and DMCA
If you believe content on Blockwalk infringes your copyright, send a DMCA notice to hello@blockwalk.org with: (1) your contact information; (2) a description of the work you claim is infringed; (3) the URL of the allegedly infringing content on Blockwalk; (4) a statement, made in good faith, that the use is unauthorized; (5) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on the rights holder's behalf; and (6) your physical or electronic signature. We respond to valid notices and may remove content and terminate repeat infringers. If you think something was taken down in error, you can submit a counter-notice with the same information.
Privacy
How we handle your data is covered in our Privacy Policy. Short version: we collect what we need to run the directory (your account, your listings, your RSVPs), we don't sell it, and we don't share it with advertisers because we don't have any.
Not an emergency service
Blockwalk is not a safety app, not a check-in service, and not a way to summon help. If something goes wrong on a walk — injury, crime, lost person — call 911 or your local emergency number. We have no way to know where you are or that you need help.
Disclaimers and limits
Blockwalk is provided as is, without warranty of any kind. We don't guarantee that listings are accurate, that hosts will show up, that walks will be safe, or that the site will be available. To the maximum extent allowed by law, Blockwalk Inc. and its operators are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the service or your participation in any walk. You participate at your own risk. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Changes to these terms
We'll update these terms when we need to. The current version always lives at this URL with a fresh lastUpdated date. For significant changes — anything that affects your rights or how the service works — we'll email active users in advance. Continued use after a change means you accept the new terms.
Contact
Questions, takedown requests, DMCA notices, or anything else: hello@blockwalk.org. A real person reads it.