Acceptable Use Policy

ETHICCRED ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

1. Purpose

This Policy establishes the rules governing the lawful, ethical, responsible, and permitted use of the EthicCred Platform — including websites, applications, APIs, verification services, certificates, professional records, databases, and communications. It forms part of the Terms of Service and applies to all users, organisations, institutions, recruiters, employers, employees, students, contractors, and authorised representatives.

2. Objective

EthicCred facilitates professional identity management, credential verification, professional record management, career passport services, certifications, recommendations, and related activities. Users must use the Platform in a lawful, honest, responsible, and professional manner.

3. Compliance With Laws

Users are responsible for compliance with applicable employment, privacy, data protection, intellectual property, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, consumer protection, and regulatory requirements.

4. Account Responsibility

Users must maintain accurate account information, protect credentials, prevent unauthorised access, use accounts only for authorised purposes, and report suspected unauthorised activity promptly. Users remain responsible for all activity under their accounts.

5. Authorised Uses

Managing professional records, issuing authorised certificates, verifying credentials, managing employment / education / internship / volunteer records, sharing achievements, managing recommendations, and conducting legitimate verification activity.

6. Prohibited Activities

Users shall not submit false information, create fake profiles, impersonate any person or organisation, misrepresent employment history, qualifications, or credentials, submit forged or altered documents, use stolen information, circumvent platform controls, interfere with operations, violate privacy, engage in fraud, or facilitate illegal activities.

7. Certificate Abuse

Users shall not create fake or fraudulent certificates, purchase or sell certificates without authorisation, alter contents, manipulate verification records, or misrepresent certificate status. EthicCred may suspend, revoke, or remove certificates suspected of fraud or abuse.

8. Professional Conduct

Harassment, threats, abuse, hate speech, defamation, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, and offensive communications are prohibited.

9. Restricted Content

Users may not upload content that is unlawful, fraudulent, defamatory, misleading, violates privacy or IP rights, contains malware, or contains unauthorised personal information.

10. Scraping and Data Extraction

Users may not scrape Platform data, harvest user information, use automated collection tools, perform mass downloads, build competing databases, or copy verification records without authorisation.

11. Security Violations

Users may not attempt unauthorised access, bypass authentication, probe vulnerabilities, interfere with security controls, distribute malware, conduct DoS attacks, or attempt privilege escalation.

12. API Usage

API users must follow documentation, respect rate limits, use authorised credentials, protect API keys, and comply with all platform policies. EthicCred may suspend API access for misuse.

13. Intellectual Property

Users may not copy platform software, reverse engineer systems, reproduce proprietary databases, remove ownership notices, or infringe IP rights.

14. Organisation Responsibilities

Organisations issuing records must ensure authorisation, maintain supporting evidence, issue records in good faith, use qualified representatives, and correct known inaccuracies. Organisations remain responsible for what they issue.

15. Privacy and Confidentiality

Users shall not access information without authorisation, share confidential information improperly, disclose sensitive records without permission, or attempt to obtain restricted information.

16. Fraud Prevention

EthicCred may monitor activity to detect identity fraud, certificate fraud, account abuse, impersonation, unauthorised access, or record manipulation. Users agree to cooperate with legitimate investigations.

17. Enforcement

Possible actions include warnings, content removal, certificate suspension/revocation, access restrictions, account suspension/termination, legal action, and reporting to authorities.

18. No Circumvention

Users may not attempt to bypass verification requirements, security controls, access restrictions, account limitations, or platform safeguards.

19. Reporting Violations

Users may report suspected abuse, fraud, impersonation, security concerns, or policy violations through official reporting channels.

20. Platform Integrity

Users shall not engage in activities that may harm platform trust, verification reliability, certificate integrity, user safety, system security, or platform reputation.

21. Limitation of Platform Responsibility

EthicCred is a technology platform and does not guarantee user or organisation honesty, record accuracy, or hiring/business outcomes. Users remain responsible for their own decisions.

22. Changes to This Policy

EthicCred may update this Policy periodically. Continued use constitutes acceptance.

23. Contact

Questions may be directed to EthicCred through official support, compliance, or legal contact channels.