Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Sting9 Research Initiative website (sting9.org), submitting messages, or accessing our dataset or API, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our services.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and nlsio LLC (change of status planned), the operator of the Sting9 Research Initiative.

2. Service Description

Sting9 Research Initiative provides a platform for:

• Submitting suspected phishing, smishing, and scam messages for research purposes
• Building an open-source dataset of malicious communications
• Training AI models to detect digital deception
• Providing dataset access to researchers, academics, and security professionals
• Offering educational content about phishing and smishing threats

3. User Obligations

3.1 Accurate Submissions

When submitting messages, you agree to:

• Submit only messages you genuinely believe to be phishing, smishing, or scam attempts
• Provide accurate metadata and context where requested
• Not submit legitimate business communications as fraudulent
• Not submit copyrighted content unless you have the right to do so

3.2 Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

• Abuse or overload our submission system with spam or automated submissions (unless authorized)
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, or compromise our platform's security
• Submit messages containing child exploitation material or other illegal content
• Use our dataset or API in violation of the ODC-BY-NC license terms
• Misrepresent your affiliation with Sting9 or use our name without permission
• Submit false or misleading information to gain unauthorized access to our services

3.3 Responsible Use

Users accessing our dataset or API agree to use it responsibly and ethically, in accordance with applicable laws and the ODC-BY-NC license. Commercial use requires a separate license agreement.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 Dataset License

The Sting9 dataset is released under the Open Data Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (ODC-BY-NC) license with clarifications. See our License page for full details.

4.2 Submitted Content

By submitting messages to Sting9, you grant us:

• A worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use, modify, and distribute the submitted content
• The right to anonymize and include the content in our public dataset
• The right to use the content for training AI models and research purposes

You represent that you have the right to submit the content and grant these licenses.

4.3 Website Content

All content on the Sting9 website (text, graphics, logos, design) is owned by nlsio LLC or its licensors and is protected by copyright and trademark laws. You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute website content without permission, except for personal, non-commercial use.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your information.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

We make NO WARRANTIES, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Accuracy: We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of submitted messages or our dataset
• Availability: We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
• Security: While we implement security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security
• Detection Capability: Our AI models and dataset do not guarantee detection of all phishing attempts
• Fitness for Purpose: We do not warrant that our services will meet your specific requirements

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, nlsio LLC AND THE STING9 RESEARCH INITIATIVE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Damages arising from reliance on our dataset or AI models
• Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or use of our servers or data
• Damages arising from errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in submitted messages or our dataset
• Any claims by third parties related to submitted content

In jurisdictions that do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless nlsio LLC, Sting9 Research Initiative, and their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of our services
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your submission of content that infringes on third-party rights
• Your violation of any applicable laws or regulations

9. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to our services at any time, without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Submission of inappropriate or harmful content
• Unauthorized commercial use of our dataset or API

Termination does not affect previously granted licenses for submitted content or dataset usage under the ODC-BY-NC license.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

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

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Sting9 services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Switzerland.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Terms on this page
• Updating the "Effective Date" at the top
• Sending notice to registered API users (if applicable)

Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.