Terms and Conditions

Welcome to RateMySociety (“we,” “our,” or “us”). By accessing or using our website ratemysociety.co.uk (“Website”), you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Website.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Website.

1. Eligibility

1. You must be at least 16 years old to use this Website.
2. By creating an account or posting content, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.
3. If you are under 16, you may only use the Website under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

2. Accounts and Account Security

1. Users may create an account to leave reviews and ratings on university societies.
2. When you create an account, you agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information.
3. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use or suspected breach of your account.
4. You agree not to:
   • Share your login credentials with anyone
   • Use another person’s account without permission
   • Create multiple accounts for the purpose of manipulating reviews or ratings

3. User Content and Licenses

1. User Content refers to reviews, ratings, comments, and any other content posted by users.
2. By posting User Content, you grant RateMySociety a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute your content as necessary for the operation of the Website.
3. You retain ownership of your content but agree not to post content that violates any third-party rights, including copyright, trademark, or privacy rights.
4. You agree not to post content that:
   • Contains personal attacks, threats, harassment, or abusive language
   • Is discriminatory or promotes hate speech based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age
   • Is overtly political, inflammatory, or intended to incite unrest
   • Contains sexually explicit or obscene material
   • Contains viruses, malware, or other harmful code
   • Constitutes spam or repetitive content intended to manipulate ratings
5. We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to monitor, edit, or remove content that violates these Terms.

4. Prohibited Conduct

By using the Website, you agree not to:

1. Use the Website for any illegal, fraudulent, or unauthorized purpose
2. Attempt to access accounts, data, or systems you are not authorized to access
3. Disrupt the functionality of the Website or introduce malware
4. Engage in automated review posting, bot activity, or other manipulation of ratings
5. Impersonate other users, individuals, or organizations
6. Post content in violation of applicable law

5. Account Termination and Suspension

1. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts at our discretion, including but not limited to:
   • Repeated violations of the content rules
   • Spam, review bombing, or manipulation of ratings
   • Non-human/bot accounts
2. Terminated accounts may not be reinstated.
3. If your account is terminated, any content you posted may be removed, modified, or retained by the Website at our discretion.

6. Personal Data and Privacy

1. We may collect personal data voluntarily provided during account creation:
   • Email address
   • Display name (if using third-party authentication)
2. Your data will be processed in accordance with applicable UK data protection laws (including GDPR).
3. We do not sell personal data to third parties.
4. You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data by contacting us at terms@ratemysociety.co.uk .

7. Intellectual Property

1. The Website, its content, graphics, logos, and software are the property of RateMySociety and are protected by UK copyright and trademark laws.
2. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from the Website’s content without prior written permission, except as necessary for personal use in accordance with these Terms.

8. Third-Party Services

1. The Website does not currently integrate third-party services or links.
2. If third-party links or integrations are added in the future, we are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of those third-party services.

9. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

1. The Website is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
2. We do not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of user-generated content.
3. In no event shall RateMySociety be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your use of the Website or reliance on user-generated content.
4. You acknowledge that reliance on any reviews or ratings posted by users is at your own risk.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless RateMySociety, its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising from:

1. Your violation of these Terms
2. Your User Content
3. Your use of the Website in violation of applicable law

11. Dispute Resolution

1. These Terms are governed by the laws of the United Kingdom.
2. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in the United Kingdom.
3. Before initiating legal proceedings, you agree to attempt to resolve disputes informally by contacting us at terms@ratemysociety.co.uk .

12. Changes to Terms

1. We may update these Terms periodically.
2. The “Effective Date” indicates when these Terms were last updated.
3. Continued use of the Website after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

13. Reporting Abuse

1. Users may report content that violates these Terms by contacting us at terms@ratemysociety.co.uk .
2. Reports should include specific details such as links to content and reasons for the report.

14. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms or the Website:
Email: terms@ratemysociety.co.uk
Website: https://ratemysociety.co.uk

By using RateMySociety, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.