Terms of Service & Acceptable Use

Effective Date: July 18, 2025

At Gaza Online, our goal is to keep as many people in Gaza connected as possible — for learning, work, healthcare, and staying in touch. These terms are here to guide how our services should be used responsibly, so that the system remains fair, safe, and available to everyone who needs it.

1. What You Can Expect from Gaza Online

Gaza Online provides free eSIMs to people living in Gaza so they can access essential services like education, remote work, healthcare, and communication with loved ones. Our services include new eSIM activations, renewals, replacements, and support — all at no cost to residents.

We rely on donations, partnerships, and volunteers to make this possible. That means every eSIM we assign is part of a shared resource. To help us continue serving the community fairly and effectively, we ask recipients to use the service honestly and responsibly, in the spirit of fairness and shared access.

For full details on eligibility, prioritization, and how eSIMs are assigned, please see our Distribution Policy.

2. How to Use Our Services Responsibly

Gaza Online is built on trust — and our ability to keep people connected depends on everyone using the system fairly. When you receive an eSIM from us, we ask that you use it for your own personal needs and share access with care, in ways that reflect the spirit of the service.

You're welcome to:

• Use the eSIM for your own internet access — whether for work, learning, healthcare, or staying in touch with family.
• Share access with others around you — such as family members, neighbors, or community members — by using your device's hotspot feature, if supported.
• Request support, renewals, or replacements as needed, in line with our public guidelines.

Please avoid:

• Submitting multiple requests under different names or numbers.
• Reselling your assigned eSIM to someone else.
• Using your Gaza Online eSIM to charge others for internet access (such as selling hotspot access).
• Collecting requests from others or submitting them on their behalf in exchange for money, favors, or services.
• Misrepresenting your identity, device, or location in order to obtain access.
• Using the service to cause harm, commit fraud, or violate laws.
• Attempting to interfere with or manipulate how requests are prioritized, assigned, or delivered.

3. Using the System Fairly

We ask that each person use their own phone number, submit honest information, and wait for their request to be processed before trying again. Using different identities or switching numbers to jump the line isn't just unfair — it makes it harder for others in Gaza to get connected.

If something goes wrong with your request, don't try to work around the system. Just reach out — we're here to help.

4. Understanding Optimization & Package Assignment

We aim to match each person with the most suitable package based on where they are located, which networks they can access, and how they've used past eSIMs. That means the package you receive may not be the exact one you hoped for — and that's okay.

We make these decisions to stretch resources further and help more people stay connected.

5. Ownership, Usage, and Automatic Adjustments

Every eSIM distributed by Gaza Online remains the property of Gaza Online. We may update, replace, or deactivate eSIMs based on real-world usage and network changes.

If you have a renewable eSIM and it's not being used — or only lightly used — we may automatically assign you a different package that still meets your needs. Using the eSIM consistently helps the system learn what works for you, so it can keep you connected in a sustainable way.

6. Requests Through Partners

Gaza Online collaborates with trusted partners — such as healthcare providers, educational institutions, and community initiatives — who deliver their own services to people in Gaza. Connectivity is offered to help support and enable these services.

If a partner facilitates your request, Gaza Online will still review and process it independently. Your eligibility, location, and device type will determine which package is assigned. Partners cannot choose or prioritize specific eSIMs, but their coordination helps streamline the process and extend access to more individuals who are engaged in essential programs.

Please keep in mind:

• Partners cannot guarantee that your request will be approved.
• You should never be charged by a partner for access to Gaza Online's services.
• All communication about delivery or support will come directly from Gaza Online, not the partner.

We value our partners and the work they do. If you have any concerns about how a partner is using Gaza Online — or if someone tries to sell access or misrepresent our services — please let us know.

For more on how partnerships work and what partners are allowed to do, please see our Partner Policy.

7. Privacy & Data

We take your privacy seriously. Gaza Online only collects the information you choose to share when submitting a request. We do not collect or store any additional data beyond what's required to fulfill your request and manage your service.

What We Collect:

• Your phone number – to identify your account and deliver the eSIM via WhatsApp.
• Your available networks and region – to match you with a compatible eSIM.
• Request and usage metadata – such as activation status and approximate data consumption, to support renewals, replacements, and optimization.

Why We Collect It:

• To assign the right eSIM for your device and region.
• To ensure each person receives only one active eSIM at a time.
• To optimize packages based on real usage and conserve resources.
• To detect and prevent abuse, so the system remains fair for everyone.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties. We may share summary-level data — such as the number of requests fulfilled, regions served, or overall usage trends — in public reports, website updates, or with trusted partners. This data never includes personally identifiable details.

If you were invited to submit a request by a partner or they submitted it on your behalf, they may be able to view your request and the package assigned — for coordination purposes only.

For more, please see our Privacy Policy.

8. Respectful Communication

Gaza Online is powered by volunteers and staff doing their best under challenging conditions. We ask everyone who interacts with our team to do so with respect, patience, and kindness.

Abusive, threatening, or disrespectful communication may result in delays, refusal of service, or loss of access to our platforms.

9. Getting Help

If you need help with a request, have questions about your eligibility, or believe something went wrong, our team is here to support you.

If you already have a Gaza Online support number on WhatsApp, you can continue using it to reach out. If you don't, please start by filling out the contact form on our website. A member of our team will review your message and provide you with the appropriate WhatsApp number if support is needed.

We try to respond as quickly as possible, but delays may happen depending on conditions on the ground and available capacity.

10. Limitation of Responsibility

Gaza Online provides connectivity as a humanitarian service. Once an eSIM is delivered and activated, Gaza Online has no control over how the service is used or who may gain access to the connected device.

We do not collect personal affiliations, political views, or background information, and we do not vet recipients based on political, religious, or social identity. Our goal is to provide fair access to communication tools for all civilians in Gaza.

By using this service, you understand and agree that:

• Gaza Online cannot monitor or restrict how the eSIM is used after it is delivered.
• Gaza Online is not liable for any actions taken by users of the eSIM or for any consequences resulting from how internet access is used.
• The presence of a Gaza Online eSIM on a device does not imply endorsement, affiliation, or responsibility for that individual or their actions.

These terms exist to ensure transparency, protect all parties, and maintain our ability to continue serving people under extremely complex conditions.

Gaza Online reserves the right to terminate service and block access to any account if we become aware that an eSIM has been used in connection with illegal activity, including activities that threaten the safety of others or violate international law.

11. Misuse and Consequences

To protect fairness and ensure this system works for everyone, we take misuse seriously. This includes:

• Submitting false information.
• Attempting to bypass the one-eSIM-per-person policy.
• Reselling access or manipulating the request process.
• Harassing or misleading other users or our team.
• Using the service in connection with illegal activity.

If we identify misuse or evidence of illegal use, we may pause, deactivate, or permanently suspend your access to Gaza Online services — including the immediate termination of any active eSIM.

We do our best to act with fairness and compassion, and we encourage anyone affected to reach out for clarification.

12. Changes to These Terms

Gaza Online may update these terms from time to time to reflect how our services evolve or respond to changing conditions. When we do, we'll update the date at the top of this page.

By continuing to use Gaza Online's services after changes are published, you agree to the latest version.