EduConnectio Terms of Service
Effective Date: [Date of Platform Launch/User Acceptance]
WELCOME TO EDUCONNECTIO
Please read these Terms of Service (the "Terms") carefully. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you (the "User") and ConnectioTech ("ConnectioTech," "Company," "we," "us," or "our"), the owner and operator of the EduConnectio platform (the "Platform" or "Service").
EduConnectio is a youth-centered hybrid EdTech and social media platform that connects school learners with instructors and professionals to share content, create courses, and participate in mentorship programs. By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
1. Acceptance of Terms
1.1. Agreement to Terms: By creating an EduConnectio account, accessing the Service, posting any content, or clicking to accept these Terms, you agree to be legally bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.
1.2. Eligibility and Age Requirements:
- The Platform is intended for use by school learners and individuals seeking to connect with instructors or professionals.
- If you are under the age of majority in your jurisdiction (e.g., a minor or school learner), you represent and warrant that you have reviewed these Terms with your parent or legal guardian, and your parent or legal guardian agrees to these Terms on your behalf and takes full responsibility for your compliance.
- The Service is not intended for children under the age of 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information and terminate the account.
2. User Accounts and Platform Access
2.1. Account Registration: You must provide accurate and complete information when registering for your account. You are solely responsible for the activity that occurs on your account and for keeping your account password secure.
2.2. User Categories: The Platform supports different user types:
- Learners: Individuals primarily using the platform for career discovery, skill-building, and peer collaboration.
- Instructors/Content Creators: Users who create and monetize courses and content on the platform.
- Professionals/Mentors: Verified individuals who offer mentorship and guidance.
2.3. Platform Changes: ConnectioTech reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time, with or without notice.
3. User-Generated Content (UGC) and Creator Economy
EduConnectio operates on a user-based model, where users are responsible for creating content, including posts, courses, videos, and mentorship program materials ("User Content"). ConnectioTech acts as a passive conduit for the online distribution and publication of User Content.
3.1. User Responsibility for Content (Disclaimer of Responsibility):
- You are solely responsible for your User Content, including its legality, reliability, and appropriateness. ConnectioTech is not responsible for and does not endorse, support, or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any User Content.
- The content uploaded by users, including courses, educational materials, and posts, is not the responsibility of ConnectioTech. ConnectioTech does not screen, edit, or control the User Content provided on the Service.
3.2. Content Ownership and License Grant:
- You retain all ownership rights to your User Content.
- However, by submitting User Content to the Service, you grant ConnectioTech a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the User Content in connection with the Service and ConnectioTech's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.
- Waiver of Credit: Due to the scale of user-generated content and the nature of the Service's operation and promotion, your content will not be credited on the Platform in a manner that requires ConnectioTech to explicitly name you or pay you royalties for the use of the content under the license granted above. You waive any right to any claim against ConnectioTech for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights, rights of privacy and publicity, moral rights, and rights of attribution in connection with your User Content.
3.3. Paid Content and Transactions:
- Instructors may monetize content like YouTube, through paid courses and mentorship sessions.
- ConnectioTech collects a commission on paid courses and mentorship sessions as outlined in the Instructor Premium model (e.g., 15-20% on courses and 10-15% on mentorship sessions).
- ConnectioTech is not a party to any agreement between a Learner and an Instructor/Professional. The Company makes no representations or warranties regarding the quality, suitability, or qualification of any Instructor or Professional or the accuracy of their User Content.
4. Prohibited Conduct and Community Guidelines
You agree not to upload, post, transmit, or otherwise make available any User Content that:
- Is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or hateful.
- Violates the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or publicity rights of others.
- Promotes illegal acts or conduct, including any form of academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating, plagiarism).
- Constitutes spam, commercial solicitation, or unauthorized advertising (outside of the Creator Economy monetization structure).
- Contains or promotes violence, self-harm, hate speech, or discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age.
- Involves the exploitation of minors, including any sexually explicit content.
- ConnectioTech is committed to developing robust mechanisms to identify and address misinformation. You must not post information that is known to be false, inaccurate, or misleading.
ConnectioTech reserves the right to remove any User Content and/or terminate your account for violating these Prohibited Conduct rules at its sole discretion.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
5.1. ConnectioTech IP: All rights, title, and interest in and to the Platform (excluding User Content), including all software, technology (AI, AR, ML), designs, trademarks, and logos, are the exclusive property of ConnectioTech.
5.2. Trademark: "EduConnectio" and "ConnectioTech" are trademarks of ConnectioTech. You are not granted any right to use the Company's trademarks, trade names, or service marks.
6. Disclaimers and Warranties (Crucial Protection)
6.1. Platform "AS IS": THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. CONNECTIOTECH EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
6.2. CONTENT DISCLAIMER: CONNECTIOTECH MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (I) THE SERVICE OR USER CONTENT WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; (II) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; OR (III) THE QUALITY OF ANY COURSES, MENTORSHIP, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY CONTENT ON THE SERVICE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
6.3. NO EDUCATIONAL ADVICE: THE PLATFORM PROVIDES CAREER GUIDANCE, SKILL-BUILDING COURSES, AND MENTORSHIP ACCESS. ANY EDUCATIONAL, FINANCIAL, OR CAREER ADVICE PROVIDED BY USERS (INSTRUCTORS/PROFESSIONALS) IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONNECTIOTECH IS NOT A CERTIFIED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTCOMES OF ANY USER'S EDUCATION OR CAREER PATH.
7. Limitation of Liability (Strong Financial Protection)
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AGREE THAT CONNECTIOTECH, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF CONNECTIOTECH HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (I) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE; (II) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES; (III) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (IV) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY (INCLUDING USERS, INSTRUCTORS, OR MENTORS) ON THE SERVICE; OR (V) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SERVICE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL CONNECTIOTECH'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES, AND CAUSES OF ACTION EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO CONNECTIOTECH IN THE LAST TWELVE (12) MONTHS, OR ONE HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS (US$100.00), WHICHEVER IS LESS.
8. Indemnification (User Pays for Company's Defense)
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ConnectioTech, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, and licensors from any and all third-party claims, liability, damages, and costs (including, but not limited to, reasonable legal fees) arising from:
- Your use of the Service.
- Your User Content (including any claim that your User Content infringes the intellectual property rights or other rights of a third party).
- Your violation of these Terms.
- Your violation of any applicable laws, rules, or regulations.
- Any action or omission by any Instructor or Professional with whom you interact on or through the Platform.
9. Termination
ConnectioTech may terminate or suspend your account and deny access to the Service at its sole discretion, without notice or liability, for any reason, including, but not limited to: (a) breach or violation of these Terms; (b) requests by law enforcement or government agencies; (c) discontinuance or material modification of the Service; or (d) unexpected technical issues.
10. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
10.1. Governing Law: These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. ConnectioTech is an innovation company based in South Africa.
10.2. Jurisdiction: You agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the use of the Service shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Gauteng, South Africa.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms, please contact: ConnectioTech, Email: support@connectiotech.co.za
By using EduConnectio, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service.