Legal

§1 Introduction

Opintok ("we", "our", or "the Platform") is a reflective journaling and knowledge-sharing platform that uses artificial intelligence to help users explore their ideas, engage in community discussions, browse AI-curated quotes, and discover insights from curated reference libraries. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data transparently and responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights in relation to it. We are fully committed to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable global privacy standards.

§2 Scope & Applicability

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the Opintok platform, including:

• Members — individuals who write reflections, participate in community discussions, and interact with the AI system.
• Librarians — users with elevated permissions who may upload documents, books, or articles to curate reference libraries on the platform.
• Administrators — users who manage platform operations, moderation, and user accounts.

By using Opintok, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

§3 Data We Collect

Account & Profile Data

• Username and email address (used for account creation and communication).
• User role designation (member, librarian, or administrator).
• Account preferences and settings.

Content You Create

• Reflections — personal journal entries you write on the platform. Private reflections are stored locally on your device and are never transmitted to our servers unless you explicitly choose to share them publicly.
• Discussions — comments and conversations on public reflections and curated quotes.
• Resonances — your interactions with other users' public reflections and quotes.

Moderation & Safety Data

• Content reports — when you report objectionable content, we store the report details (reason, optional description) to enable review.
• Block records — when you block a user, we store the block relationship to filter their content from your feed.
• Moderation results — automated content moderation scores generated by our AI moderation system.

Usage Data

• Interactions with AI-generated follow-up questions and cited references.
• Session data and timestamps.

Librarian-Specific Data

• Uploaded documents, metadata, and associated copyright declarations.
• Activity logs related to content uploads and library management.

Local Storage

• Opintok uses a local-first architecture. Your private reflections, collections, notification preferences, and discussion read-states are stored in your browser's IndexedDB. This data remains on your device and is not transmitted to our servers unless you explicitly share content publicly.

Technical Data

• Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
• Essential cookies required for authentication and session management (see Section 9).

§4 How We Use Your Data

We use your data strictly for the following purposes:

1. To provide, operate, and improve the Opintok platform and its AI capabilities.
2. To process and respond to your interactions with the AI follow-up system.
3. To deliver notifications about activity on your public reflections, including browser notifications and periodic digest emails.
4. To verify librarian identity and validate content submissions.
5. To maintain platform security and detect fraudulent or unlawful activity.
6. To communicate important service updates, policy changes, or account notices.
7. To comply with applicable legal obligations.

§5 Our Core Data Commitments

Opintok is built on a foundation of trust. We make the following firm commitments:

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party, ever.
• We do not sell, distribute, or monetize the books, articles, or documents available on the platform.
• We do not build advertising profiles or share your data with advertising networks.
• We do not use uploaded content for purposes beyond AI citation and knowledge sharing within the platform.
• We do not access your private reflections. Private content is stored locally on your device and never transmitted to our servers.
• We do not use third-party analytics or tracking services. No Google Analytics, no advertising pixels, no behavioral tracking.

§6 Notifications & Emails

Opintok may send you notifications through the following channels:

• Browser notifications — opt-in only. You can enable or disable these at any time through the notification center. These are processed entirely in your browser.
• Digest emails — periodic summaries (at most every 6 hours) of new activity on your public reflections. These are sent to your registered email address. You will only receive digest emails when there is new activity to report.

Emails are sent via third-party email delivery services (currently Resend). These services process your email address solely for the purpose of delivering messages on our behalf and are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.

§7 Content & GDPR Compliance

All reference content made available on Opintok — whether curated by us or uploaded by librarians — is required to comply with GDPR and applicable intellectual property regulations. Specifically:

• Reference libraries consist of freely accessible, open-access publications, public domain works, and GDPR-compliant materials.
• All sources are verified to ensure they are publicly available and that their use does not infringe upon any individual's personal data rights.
• Content that contains personal data of individuals (such as directories or personal records) is not permitted on the platform.

§8 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases under GDPR Article 6:

• Contractual necessity — processing your data to provide the services you have requested.
• Legitimate interests — improving platform functionality, maintaining security, and detecting abuse.
• Legal obligation — complying with applicable laws and law enforcement requests.
• Consent — where we rely on your consent (e.g., browser notifications, optional communications), you may withdraw it at any time.

§9 Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Account data is retained for the duration of your active account plus 12 months after account closure.
• Public reflections and discussions are retained for 24 months after account closure, after which they are anonymized or deleted.
• Librarian upload records and compliance documentation are retained for 5 years to satisfy legal obligations.
• Local data (private reflections, notification states) is stored on your device and can be cleared by you at any time.
• You may request deletion of your server-side data at any time (see Section 12).

§10 Cookies & Local Storage

Opintok uses essential cookies and browser storage required for the platform to function correctly:

• Authentication cookies — to maintain your login session.
• IndexedDB — to store your private reflections, collections, notifications, and discussion read-states locally on your device.
• localStorage — for minimal app state (migration flags, pending actions).

We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies. You may configure your browser to reject cookies, though this may affect your ability to use certain features of the platform.

§11 Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest.
• Row-level security policies on our database ensuring users can only access their own data and public content.
• Access controls limiting internal access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Incident response procedures compliant with GDPR's 72-hour breach notification requirement.

No system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

§12 Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

1. Right of Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
2. Right to Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
3. Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") — request deletion of your data where no legal basis remains for processing.
4. Right to Restriction — request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.
5. Right to Data Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
6. Right to Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
7. Right to Withdraw Consent — where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

§13 International Data Transfers

If your data is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, or transfers to countries recognized as providing adequate data protection.

§14 Contact & Complaints

For any privacy-related inquiries or to file a complaint:

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority or the relevant supervisory authority in your jurisdiction.

§1 Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Opintok platform ("the Platform", "the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use Opintok.

These Terms apply to all users of the platform, including members, librarians, and administrators. Opintok reserves the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the platform following notification of updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

§2 Description of Service

Opintok is a reflective journaling and knowledge-sharing platform. The platform enables users to:

1. Write reflections — personal journal entries that can be kept private or shared publicly with the community.
2. Engage with AI — receive AI-generated follow-up questions and insights on your reflections, with optional references from curated libraries.
3. Participate in discussions — comment on and discuss public reflections and curated quotes with other community members, including @mention support to reference other users.
4. Browse curated quotes — discover AI-curated quotes extracted from reference libraries, with tag-based filtering and discussion threads.
5. Explore the community — browse public reflections, resonate with ideas, and discover new perspectives.
6. Report and block — flag objectionable content and block abusive users to maintain a safe community.
7. Curate libraries (Librarians) — upload and manage reference documents that the AI system can cite.

§3 User Accounts

To access certain features of the platform, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during registration.
• Maintain the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
• Not create accounts on behalf of others without authorization.

Opintok reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

§4 Privacy & Content Visibility

Opintok uses a local-first, private-by-default architecture:

• All reflections are private by default. Private reflections are stored only on your device and are never transmitted to our servers.
• You may choose to make reflections public, at which point they are synced to our servers and visible to other users in the community feed.
• Public reflections can receive discussions, resonances, and AI-generated follow-ups from other users.
• You can change the visibility of your reflections at any time.

§5 Librarian Role

5.1 Eligibility

The Librarian role grants users the ability to upload documents, books, and articles to create reference libraries accessible through the Opintok AI system. Librarian status is granted upon invitation and verification by Opintok administrators.

5.2 Obligations

By uploading any content to Opintok, a Librarian represents and warrants that:

• They are the copyright holder of the uploaded content, or have obtained all necessary licenses, permissions, and authorizations to upload and distribute the content on the platform.
• The content does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any third party.
• The content complies with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR — particularly that it does not contain personal data of individuals without proper consent or legal basis.
• The content does not contain unlawful, defamatory, harmful, or objectionable material.

5.3 Content Validation

Opintok performs reasonable checks to verify that uploaded content appears to be GDPR-compliant and does not constitute an obvious infringement. These checks include automated scanning and metadata review.

5.4 Liability for Unlawful Uploads

Librarians bear full and sole legal responsibility for the content they upload. Opintok explicitly disclaims all liability for Librarian-uploaded content. In particular:

• Uploading paid, commercially protected, or unlicensed content without authorization violates these Terms and may constitute a breach of copyright law.
• Opintok reserves the right to disclose Librarian identity and upload records to copyright holders, legal representatives, or law enforcement authorities in the event of a reported violation.

5.5 Content Takedown

Opintok reserves the right to remove any content from the platform at any time, without prior notice, if it determines or reasonably suspects that the content violates these Terms, applicable laws, or a valid copyright infringement notice has been received.

§6 Content & Intellectual Property

6.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all reflections, discussions, and other content you create on Opintok. By making content public, you grant Opintok a non-exclusive, worldwide license to display that content within the platform for the purpose of operating the service. You may delete your content or account at any time.

6.2 AI-Generated Responses

AI responses generated by Opintok are based on your reflections and available reference materials. These responses:

• Cite sources and references from available libraries where applicable.
• Are provided for reflective and educational purposes only.
• Do not constitute legal, medical, financial, or professional advice.
• May contain errors, omissions, or outdated information.

6.3 No Redistribution

Users may not reproduce, download, copy, redistribute, or otherwise exploit the reference content available on Opintok beyond its intended use within the platform. All intellectual property rights in third-party content remain with the respective rights holders.

§7 Community Conduct & Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Opintok platform to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations.
• Upload, share, or distribute content you do not have the right to use.
• Post content that is offensive, hateful, discriminatory, or promotes violence.
• Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate other users through discussions, @mentions, or any other platform feature.
• Post content that promotes self-harm or suicide.
• Post sexually explicit or inappropriate material.
• Spam, post misleading information, or distribute fraudulent content.
• Circumvent or attempt to bypass the platform's content validation, moderation, or access controls.
• Harvest, scrape, or extract data from the platform in an automated manner without written permission.
• Introduce malware, viruses, or other harmful code.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation.
• Use the AI system to generate or disseminate misinformation, harmful content, or content designed to deceive.

7.1 Content Moderation

All user-generated content is subject to automated and manual review. Content that violates these Terms will be removed within 24 hours of being reported or detected by our moderation system.

7.2 Reporting & Blocking

Users can report objectionable content and block abusive users at any time using the report and block features available throughout the platform. We review all reports and take action within 24 hours. Blocking a user immediately removes their content from your feed.

7.3 Account Suspension & Termination

Users who violate these Terms may have their content removed and their account suspended (restricted to view-only access) or permanently terminated without notice. Repeat offenders will be banned from the platform. Opintok reserves the right to cooperate with law enforcement when required.

§8 Disclaimer of Warranties

The Opintok platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Opintok disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated responses.
• Warranties that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

§9 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Opintok and its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform.
• Any loss of data, revenue, profits, goodwill, or business arising from use of or reliance on the platform.
• Any content uploaded by Librarians, including copyright infringement or data protection violations caused by such content.
• Loss of locally stored data (private reflections) due to browser clearing, device failure, or other client-side causes.

Opintok's total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the amount you have paid to Opintok in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or USD $100, whichever is greater.

§10 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Opintok and its affiliates, officers, and employees from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the platform in violation of these Terms.
• Content you upload as a Librarian, including any copyright infringement or unlawful use of third-party materials.
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights.
• Any misrepresentation you make in connection with your use of the platform.

§11 Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with applicable international law. Disputes will be resolved as follows:

• We will attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith negotiation in the first instance.
• If negotiation fails, disputes shall be referred to binding arbitration under internationally recognized arbitration rules.
• Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

§12 Changes to These Terms

Opintok reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users via email or a prominent notice on the platform at least 14 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the platform after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

§13 Contact

For questions, concerns, or legal notices related to these Terms:

§1 Agreement

By using Opintok, you agree to these Terms of Use. Please read them carefully before accessing user-generated content or creating your own. These Terms of Use apply to all users of the Opintok mobile application and web platform.

§2 Community Standards

The following are strictly prohibited:

• Content that is offensive, hateful, discriminatory, or promotes violence.
• Harassment, bullying, threats, or intimidation of any kind.
• Content that promotes self-harm or suicide.
• Spam, misleading information, or fraudulent content.
• Sexually explicit or inappropriate material.
• Any content that violates applicable laws.

§3 Content Moderation

All user-generated content is subject to automated and manual review. Our automated moderation system uses AI to detect and flag objectionable content in real time. Content that violates these terms will be removed within 24 hours of being reported or detected.

§4 Reporting & Blocking

You can report objectionable content or block abusive users at any time using the report and block features available throughout the app. Our team reviews all reports and takes action within 24 hours.

When you block a user, their content is immediately removed from your feed and all discussion threads visible to you. Our team is notified of the block and will review the blocked user's activity.

§5 Account Termination

Users who violate these terms may have their content removed and their account suspended (restricted to view-only access) or permanently terminated without notice. Repeat offenders will be banned from the platform.

§6 User Responsibility

You are responsible for the content you create and share on Opintok. By using this service, you agree to act respectfully and contribute positively to our community of readers and thinkers.

§7 Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of content you create. By posting publicly, you grant Opintok a non-exclusive license to display your content within the app. You may delete your content or account at any time.

§8 Disclaimer

Opintok is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not responsible for user-generated content. We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

§9 Contact

For questions or concerns about these Terms of Use: