Terms of Service

1. Acceptance and scope

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern access to and use of WORL, available at worl.com, including profiles, posts, questions, answers, comments, messages, feeds, search, rankings, and related features (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and the Community Guidelines. The Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain relevant data practices. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

These Terms apply to visitors as well as registered users. Additional rules presented for a particular feature may apply to that feature; if they conflict, the more specific rule controls for that feature to the extent permitted by law.

2. Eligibility and authority

You must meet the minimum age and other eligibility requirements imposed by applicable law and any age requirement displayed at registration. You may not use the Service if doing so is prohibited by law or if we previously banned you, unless we expressly authorize your return. If you use the Service for an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind it.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Service is lawful where you access it. We do not represent that the Service is appropriate or available in every location.

3. Accounts and security

Provide accurate registration information, keep it current, protect your credentials, and promptly notify us through the Contact page if you suspect unauthorized access. You are responsible for activity through your account to the extent permitted by law, including content published and actions taken with your credentials.

We may require verification, refuse registration, reclaim or change usernames, consolidate duplicate accounts, disable credentials, or suspend access where we consider it appropriate for security, integrity, compliance, or operations. An account, username, follower count, reputation score, badge, or other feature does not confer ownership of the Service or any guaranteed entitlement.

4. Your responsibility for content and conduct

You alone are responsible for questions, answers, posts, comments, messages, profile information, links, uploads, and other material you submit, share, or make available (“User Content”). You represent and warrant that you have the rights and permissions needed to submit it and grant the license below; that it is accurate where you present it as fact to the best of your knowledge; and that its submission and our permitted use will not infringe rights, violate confidentiality, or break the law.

You must not post unlawful, defamatory, threatening, deceptive, infringing, privacy-invasive, exploitative, or otherwise prohibited material. Do not disclose someone else’s private information without an appropriate lawful basis or permission. Our rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines. You bear the consequences of your content, including complaints, disputes, and claims arising from it.

We do not endorse User Content and are not its author merely because we host, display, rank, recommend, summarize, translate, or moderate it. Our ability to review content does not create a general obligation to monitor everything.

5. Questions, answers, and reliance on information

Questions and answers are user-generated discussion, not verified facts or individualized advice. Content may be incomplete, outdated, misleading, inaccurate, biased, or unsafe. No answer is guaranteed to be correct, complete, fit for a purpose, or written by a qualified person.

You independently assess, verify, and decide whether to rely on any information on the Service. You are responsible for your decisions, actions, omissions, and outcomes arising from that reliance. Seek appropriately qualified professionals for medical, legal, financial, safety-critical, or other specialized matters. The Service does not create a professional, fiduciary, advisory, or other special relationship with you.

We may edit formatting, titles, categories, tags, presentation, or visibility of questions and answers; merge duplicates; close threads; reorder responses; or remove material to improve utility or protect the Service. We do not promise that any question will receive an answer or that any answer will remain available.

6. Rights in User Content and broad license

You retain only such rights in your original User Content as applicable law recognizes. Facts, ideas, topics, ordinary questions, methods, and other unprotectable elements are not made exclusively yours merely by posting them. Submission does not transfer ownership of all your original copyrighted expression to WORL; instead, you grant the broad license in this section.

By submitting User Content, you grant us and our affiliates, successors, service providers, and authorized partners a worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable, royalty-free, fully paid-up license to host, store, cache, reproduce, publish, distribute, publicly perform and display, communicate, adapt, edit, translate, format, excerpt, index, analyze, promote, create derivative works from, and otherwise use that content in connection with operating, improving, securing, marketing, monetizing, and developing the Service and related products and media, in any format or channel now known or later developed.

To the maximum extent legally permitted, this license is perpetual and irrevocable for content submitted while these Terms apply, and survives account closure and content deletion. It includes use of copies, backups, archives, quotations, reposts, and derivatives made before deletion, subject to applicable law and our Privacy Policy. Where law limits such a license, it applies only to the maximum lawful extent. You authorize us to use your display name and profile attribution alongside content where reasonably related to its use.

You agree not to assert moral rights against uses authorized by this license to the extent waiver or nonassertion is lawful. You remain responsible for obtaining third-party permissions. Nothing here transfers third-party rights you do not possess. We may choose not to use your content and owe no compensation for authorized uses unless separately agreed.

7. Service intellectual property and trademark

WORL, the worl.com domain, associated names, logos, marks, branding, original site text, interface design, software, proprietary datasets, and other materials created or owned by us are protected by trademark, copyright, and other laws as applicable. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

You receive only a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable permission to access and use the Service for its intended functions, subject to these Terms. You may not suggest sponsorship or endorsement, register confusingly similar names, misuse our marks, copy substantial proprietary elements, or commercially exploit the Service except as expressly permitted. Posting User Content does not give you ownership of our presentation, selection, arrangement, brand, or platform-created contributions.

8. Moderation and unilateral operational discretion

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we may, at any time and without obtaining a user’s consent, pre-screen, refuse, remove, edit, restrict, label, demote, archive, preserve, or disclose content; disable interactions; limit distribution; change rankings; lock discussions; revoke privileges; suspend or terminate accounts; and block access. We may act for any reason we consider appropriate, including legal risk, alleged rights violations, safety, quality, reputational concerns, technical needs, policy enforcement, or business priorities.

We generally need not give advance notice, an explanation, or an opportunity to cure unless applicable law requires it. We may use automated and human systems and may make mistakes. We do not guarantee review, reinstatement, restoration, or permanent storage. Where law mandates statements of reasons, complaint handling, appeals, or other process, those mandatory requirements apply. See the Community Guidelines for conduct rules and reporting information.

We may cooperate with lawful requests and preserve or disclose information where legally required or otherwise permitted; relevant practices are described in the Privacy Policy. We are not obligated to intervene in disputes between users.

9. Prohibited access and interference

Do not scrape or harvest data without authorization, run bots that degrade the Service, bypass technical limits, probe vulnerabilities, distribute malware, manipulate voting or reputation, create deceptive identities, evade bans, spam, overload infrastructure, or attempt unauthorized access. Do not reproduce or sell user data or content in violation of rights or law.

We may impose technical limits, rate limits, verification, anti-abuse measures, and access restrictions without advance notice. We may investigate suspected abuse and pursue available remedies.

10. Third parties, external links, and advertisements

The Service may contain third-party links, embedded media, advertisements, or integrations. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party products, policies, availability, accuracy, or conduct. Your dealings with third parties are between you and them. A link, placement, or mention does not imply our endorsement.

We may display promotions, sponsored placements, or advertising in connection with the Service or User Content, subject to applicable law and the Privacy Policy. We do not owe users revenue sharing for such placements unless separately agreed.

11. Changes, availability, and termination

We may introduce, modify, restrict, monetize, suspend, or discontinue any feature or the entire Service, temporarily or permanently, at our discretion and without liability to the maximum extent permitted by law. We do not guarantee uptime, continued access, content retention, backward compatibility, or any particular audience, ranking, reach, or result.

You may stop using the Service at any time and request account closure through available account controls or the Contact page. Closing an account does not automatically remove all content or end rights and obligations that survive termination. We may retain or delete information as described in the Privacy Policy and as required or permitted by law.

We may update these Terms by posting a revised version and effective date. Where legally required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent. Continued use after a valid change takes effect constitutes acceptance where permitted; otherwise, stop using the Service.

12. Disclaimers of warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, SECURITY, AVAILABILITY, OR UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED OR THAT CONTENT IS SAFE OR RELIABLE.

Nothing in these Terms excludes any warranty or right that applicable law does not allow us to exclude.

13. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE AND OUR AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, STAFF, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES; LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS; OR HARM ARISING FROM USER CONTENT, RELIANCE ON ANSWERS, USER DISPUTES, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, OR MODERATION DECISIONS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM OR (B) US$100 (OR ITS LOCAL-CURRENCY EQUIVALENT). THIS CAP DOES NOT APPLY WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Nothing excludes or limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other matter to the extent exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.

14. Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless us and our affiliates, personnel, and partners against third-party claims, losses, damages, liabilities, judgments, and reasonable costs (including legal fees) arising from your User Content, violation of these Terms or the Community Guidelines, infringement of another party’s rights, or unlawful misuse of the Service.

We may assume control of the defense of a claim, and you agree to reasonably cooperate. This provision does not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable consumer law or to losses caused by our own unlawful conduct.

15. Disputes and governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Service operator is established, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules, except to the extent mandatory law requires otherwise. Subject to mandatory jurisdiction rules, disputes arising from the Service or these Terms shall be brought exclusively before the competent courts in that jurisdiction.

Before initiating formal proceedings, you may contact us through the Contact page to describe the dispute and seek an informal resolution. This provision does not deprive you of non-waivable rights or forums that applicable law requires. No contractual wording can guarantee that all claims will be heard exclusively in the operator’s preferred courts.

16. General provisions and contact

If a provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains effective to the extent lawful. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our written consent; we may assign them in connection with a reorganization, acquisition, asset transfer, or similar transaction to the extent lawful. These Terms and incorporated rules constitute the agreement governing the Service unless a separate written agreement applies.

For questions regarding your account, reports, or other communications, use the Contact page. For data matters consult the Privacy Policy; for tracking technologies consult the Cookie Policy.