Terms of Service

Effective Date: 01/01/2025

Welcome to Socio Connect (“Socio Connect,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, mobile application(s), and any other products or services that reference or link to these Terms (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.

1. Eligibility

1. You must be at least the age of majority in your jurisdiction (e.g., 18 in most regions) to use our Services.
2. By using Socio Connect, you represent and warrant that you meet all eligibility requirements set forth in these Terms and that the information you provide is accurate and truthful.

2. Account Registration

1. Account Creation: Certain features of the Services may require you to create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to update such information as necessary.
2. Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.
3. Unauthorized Use: If you suspect any unauthorized use of your account, you must notify us immediately at [contact email].

3. Description of Services

Socio Connect offers a platform that functions as both a directory for individuals, businesses, and organizations, and a social connection tool where users can interact, share content, and connect with one another. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information in our directories and on our Services:

• We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any listings or user-posted information.
• All interactions and engagements you choose to have on or through our Services are at your own risk.

4. User Conduct

When using Socio Connect, you agree that you will not:

1. Violate Laws: Use the Services in any manner that violates any applicable law, regulation, or these Terms.
2. Infringe Rights: Infringe or violate the rights of Socio Connect or any third party, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights.
3. Disrupt Services: Post content or engage in activities that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Services.
4. Harass or Harm: Post or transmit content that is offensive, hateful, defamatory, obscene, harassing, or that advocates violence or unlawful behavior.
5. Solicit or Spam: Use the Services to send spam, chain letters, junk mail, or any unsolicited mass messages.

5. User Content

1. User Responsibility: You are solely responsible for the content (including text, images, links, and other materials) you post or share on Socio Connect (“User Content”).
2. Ownership & License: You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in your User Content. By submitting User Content, you grant Socio Connect a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, distribute, and adapt your User Content for the purpose of providing and improving the Services.
3. Prohibited Content: We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to review or remove any User Content for any reason, including content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable.

6. Directory Listings

1. Accuracy: We do not guarantee the accuracy of directory listings (such as names, addresses, phone numbers, websites, etc.).
2. User Responsibilities: If you provide or claim a listing, you must ensure the accuracy and legality of your information.
3. Third-Party Links: Directory listings may contain links to third-party websites or services. Socio Connect is not responsible for such websites or services, and your access to them is at your own risk.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

1. Socio Connect Content: The Services, including text, graphics, logos, and software, are owned by or licensed to Socio Connect and are protected by intellectual property laws.
2. Limited License: Subject to these Terms, Socio Connect grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use and access the Services solely for your own personal, non-commercial use.
3. Trademarks: The Socio Connect name and logos are trademarks of Socio Connect. Nothing in these Terms grants you the right to use any Socio Connect trademark, logo, or other brand features.

8. Privacy

Your use of the Services is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference into these Terms. You acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and share your personal information.

9. Payments and Subscriptions (If Applicable)

1. Paid Features: Certain features or listings may require payment of fees. We will disclose any fees before you commit to such features.
2. Refunds: All fees are non-refundable unless otherwise stated in writing or required by applicable law.
3. Billing Information: You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate billing information for any paid Services.

10. Modifications to the Services

Socio Connect reserves the right to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, any portion of the Services at any time without notice. We will not be liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Services.

11. Termination

1. Termination by You: You may stop using our Services and/or terminate your account at any time by contacting [support email].
2. Termination by Socio Connect: We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time for any reason, including violation of these Terms or applicable law.
3. Effect of Termination: Upon termination, your right to use the Services will immediately cease. Any licenses granted to us under these Terms shall survive termination as set forth herein.

12. Disclaimers

1. “As Is” Basis: The Services are provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
2. No Guarantee: We do not guarantee that the Services will be secure, available at any particular time or location, or free of viruses or other harmful components.
3. No Endorsement: Socio Connect does not endorse any user, business, or organization listed on our directory or connected through our social features.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Socio Connect and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of or inability to use the Services. Our total liability to you for any damages shall not exceed the amounts you have paid (if any) to Socio Connect in the past six (6) months.

14. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Socio Connect and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs) arising out of or in any way connected with your use of the Services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

1. Governing Law: These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to them will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Indiana, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.
2. Dispute Resolution: Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be settled by Indiana as determined by Socio Connect’s preference or as required by applicable law.

16. Changes to These Terms

Socio Connect may revise these Terms from time to time at our sole discretion. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Terms on our website or through other reasonable means. By continuing to use the Services after the changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms.

17. Miscellaneous

1. Entire Agreement: These Terms, along with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Socio Connect regarding your use of the Services.
2. Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect.
3. No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.
4. Assignment: Socio Connect may assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without your consent.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding these Terms or the Services, please contact us at:

Socio Connect
Email: [community@socioconnect.com]

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 01/01/2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Socio Connect (“Socio Connect,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and safeguards your personal data when you use our website, mobile applications, and any other services that reference or link to this policy (collectively, the “Services”). By using or accessing our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Registration: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, username, password, and any other information you choose to provide.
• Profile Information: If you choose to create or update a profile, we may collect your address, phone number, photos, business or organizational details (for directory listings), and any other details you voluntarily share.
• User-Generated Content: We collect information you post in public areas (e.g., comments, reviews, forums, messages) or send privately (e.g., direct messages to other users).
• Payment Details (if applicable): If you purchase any paid features or subscriptions, we may collect billing information, such as credit card details, though payments may be processed by a third-party payment processor (see Section 4).

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: We automatically collect information about how you interact with our Services, including the pages or screens you view, the dates and times of your visits, and the links you click.
• Device Information: We may collect data about your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and mobile network.
• Location Data: With your consent, we may collect geolocation data (e.g., your approximate or precise location). You can disable location services at any time in your device settings.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from other users (e.g., if someone invites you to join Socio Connect), social media platforms (if you choose to link your accounts), or other third-party services that help us operate or analyze our Services.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for purposes such as:

1. Providing the Services: To create and manage your account, process transactions, display directory listings, and enable social features like messaging and content sharing.
2. Personalization: To tailor content, recommendations, and advertising based on your interests and interactions with our Services.
3. Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send administrative emails (e.g., account confirmations, security alerts), and inform you about changes to our Services or this Privacy Policy.
4. Analytics and Improvements: To understand usage trends, measure the effectiveness of our features and marketing, and make improvements to our Services.
5. Security and Fraud Prevention: To protect our Services and users from unauthorized or illegal activity, enforce our Terms of Service, and comply with legal obligations.
6. Marketing: Where permitted by law, to send you promotional communications regarding new features, events, or third-party offers that may be of interest to you. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.

3. Legal Bases for Processing (Where Applicable)

If you are located in certain jurisdictions (e.g., the European Economic Area), we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Performance of a Contract: We need to process your information to provide our Services as per our agreement (Terms of Service).
• Consent: We may rely on your consent for certain types of data processing (e.g., marketing communications, location data).
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your data to improve and secure our Services, conduct analytics, or market to you (unless these interests are overridden by your data-protection interests).
• Legal Obligations: We may process data if required to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.

4. How We Share Your Information

1. Service Providers: We share your data with vendors and service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, hosting, analytics, customer support, and email delivery.
2. Business Partners: Where you have chosen to interact with specific partners or integrated services, we may share data to facilitate those interactions.
3. Users and Public: If you submit content in public areas of our Services, that content (including profile details, directory listings, and any publicly posted information) can be viewed by other users and the general public.
4. Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information if we are required to do so by law or if we believe disclosure is necessary to:
   • Comply with legal processes
   • Protect our rights or property
   • Investigate or prevent illegal activities
   • Protect the safety of our users or the public
5. Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, user information may be transferred or disclosed as part of that transaction.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, pixels, and other tracking technologies to:

• Recognize you across different devices.
• Remember your preferences and settings.
• Analyze traffic and usage patterns.
• Deliver relevant ads and track ad performance.

You can control or disable cookies in your browser or device settings, but doing so may limit some functionalities of our Services.

6. International Data Transfers

Socio Connect operates globally, and we may transfer your personal data to jurisdictions outside of your own. We strive to ensure that appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) are in place when transferring data to countries that may not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction.

7. Data Retention

We keep your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, such as providing you with our Services, and to comply with legal or regulatory requirements. When we no longer need your personal data, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

8. Security Measures

We employ industry-standard security measures (e.g., encryption, firewalls, access controls) designed to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data. Please keep your account credentials confidential and alert us immediately of any unauthorized access.

9. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request details about the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectify: Correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Delete: Request deletion of your personal data.
• Restrict: Limit how we process your personal data.
• Port: Obtain a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Object: Object to certain types of processing (e.g., direct marketing, where applicable).
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent, withdraw it at any time.

To exercise these rights, contact us at [privacy@socioconnect.com]. We may ask for verification of your identity before responding to certain requests.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed toward individuals under the age of [13 / 16 / age of majority as per local law]. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without parental or guardian consent. If you believe we have collected information from a child without proper consent, please contact us at [privacy@socioconnect.com], and we will take steps to remove the information promptly.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or integrations with external services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services you visit or use.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy and revising the “Effective Date” at the top. Your continued use of our Services after the changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Socio Connect
Email: [community@socioconnect.com]

Last Updated: 01/01/2025