Tipline Terms of Service

By accessing or using the Bay Tides Secure Tipline ("the Tipline"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Tipline.

These Terms apply exclusively to the Tipline and are separate from the Bay Tides main website Terms of Service, which govern your use of baytides.org.

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Tipline. By using the Tipline, you represent that you meet this age requirement.

The Bay Tides Secure Tipline is an anonymous reporting platform operated by Bay Tides, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the San Francisco Bay's environment.

The Tipline allows individuals to:

• Submit anonymous reports about environmental concerns affecting the San Francisco Bay Area
• Attach supporting documents or files to their reports
• Communicate with Bay Tides through an anonymous receipt code system

The Tipline is provided free of charge as part of Bay Tides' nonprofit mission.

The Tipline is intended for reporting environmental concerns related to the San Francisco Bay Area, including but not limited to:

• Environmental violations and regulatory non-compliance
• Pollution, illegal dumping, and contamination events
• Threats to wetlands, wildlife habitats, and water quality
• Climate-related concerns including undisclosed emissions
• Internal concerns about Bay Tides' operations

All reports should be submitted in good faith, meaning you genuinely believe the information is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. For details on what constitutes good faith reporting, see our Whistleblower Policy .

You agree not to use the Tipline for any of the following:

• False or fabricated reports — Submitting information you know to be untrue with the intent to deceive or cause harm
• Harassment or threats — Using the platform to threaten, intimidate, defame, or harass any individual or organization
• Unrelated illegal content — Submitting material unrelated to environmental concerns that is illegal under applicable law
• Spam or abuse — Flooding the platform with repetitive, irrelevant, or nonsensical submissions
• Platform exploitation — Attempting to compromise, disrupt, or exploit the Tipline's infrastructure, security, or functionality

Bay Tides reserves the right to discard submissions that clearly violate these terms and to take reasonable measures to prevent ongoing abuse of the platform.

Bay Tides takes extensive measures to protect the anonymity and security of Tipline users, as described in our Tipline Privacy Policy. However, you should be aware of the following:

• No absolute guarantee: While we implement strong security measures, no system can guarantee absolute security or anonymity. Sophisticated adversaries with sufficient resources may attempt to compromise any system.
• Use Tor: For maximum anonymity, we strongly recommend accessing the Tipline through the Tor Browser . Accessing the Tipline through a regular browser may expose your IP address.
• Receipt code responsibility: Your receipt code is the only means of accessing your submission. Keep it secure and private. We cannot recover lost receipt codes.
• Content awareness: Be mindful of information you include in submissions that could inadvertently reveal your identity (such as writing style, specific knowledge, or attached file metadata).

Bay Tides is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization, not a law firm . Nothing provided through the Tipline constitutes legal advice.

• Submitting a report through the Tipline is not a formal legal filing, complaint, or regulatory submission
• Bay Tides personnel are not attorneys and cannot provide legal counsel
• Using the Tipline does not create an attorney-client relationship

If you are considering reporting environmental violations and are concerned about your legal rights or protections, we strongly recommend consulting with a qualified attorney. Our Whistleblower Policy includes information about relevant whistleblower protection laws for general awareness.

THE TIPLINE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, BAY TIDES DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT
• WARRANTIES REGARDING THE SECURITY, RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, OR PERFORMANCE OF THE TIPLINE
• WARRANTIES THAT THE TIPLINE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS

Bay Tides does not warrant or guarantee that:

• The Tipline will be available at all times or any specific time
• Reports will be reviewed within any particular timeframe
• Specific actions will be taken in response to any report
• The security measures will be effective against all potential threats

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, BAY TIDES, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE TIPLINE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL BAY TIDES' TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE TIPLINE EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00).

This limitation applies to all causes of action, whether based in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other legal theory, even if Bay Tides has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, Bay Tides' liability shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

By submitting content through the Tipline, you grant Bay Tides a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the submitted information in furtherance of our environmental mission. This includes:

• Reviewing and investigating reported concerns
• Using factual information from reports to support advocacy and conservation efforts
• Sharing relevant information with regulatory agencies when appropriate and with your consent

We will not publicly publish the content of your submission without your explicit consent, except where required by law. Any public use of information derived from tipline submissions will be done in a manner that protects the anonymity of the submitter.

Bay Tides reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be handled as follows:

• Material changes: We will provide at least 30 days' notice before material changes take effect by posting updated Terms with a new effective date
• Minor changes: Non-material changes may be made without advance notice
• Version tracking: The version number and effective date at the top of this document reflect the current version

Your continued use of the Tipline after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you disagree with any changes, you should discontinue use of the Tipline.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please reach us through:

• Our contact page: baytides.org/contact
• The tipline messaging system: Use your receipt code to communicate directly through the platform