FORUM ("the Platform", "the Service") is operated by Knoesis Technologies Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales ("Knoesis", "we", "us", "our"). Our registered address and compliance contact is available at legal@knoesis.co.uk.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you", "your") and Knoesis Technologies Limited governing your access to and use of the FORUM platform at dailyforum.co.uk and any associated applications (collectively, "the Service"). By registering an Account, accessing, or using the Service in any way, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Advertising Information Notice, each incorporated herein by reference.

• "Content" means any text, argument, challenge, debate contribution, username, profile information, or other material submitted, posted, or transmitted by a User.
• "User-Generated Content" or "UGC" means Content originating from a User, distinct from content produced by Knoesis.
• "Debate" means a structured, time-limited exchange of arguments on a defined topic hosted on the Platform.
• "Account" means the registered user account required to access and participate in the Service.
• "Prohibited Content" has the meaning given in Clause 7.

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Service. By creating an Account, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement. Users under 18 confirm they have obtained parental or guardian consent. Knoesis reserves the right to terminate any Account reasonably believed to belong to a user under the age of 13 without notice.

Knoesis reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Where changes are material, we will notify registered users by email or prominent Platform notice no less than 14 days before changes take effect. Continued use of the Service following notification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must close your Account and cease use immediately.

FORUM is a structured, real-time debate platform enabling registered users to participate in time-limited, position-based debates on defined topics within community-scoped environments. Features include debate participation, argument submission, challenge mechanics, reputation tracking, and community leaderboards.

FORUM is classified as a User-to-User Service under the Online Safety Act 2023. The Platform facilitates the transmission and display of User-Generated Content between registered users. Knoesis acts as the host of such content and not as its publisher or author.

Knoesis does not author, generate, substantively edit, or endorse the individual User-Generated Content posted on the Platform. Knoesis provides technical infrastructure, structural debate mechanics, automated moderation tooling, and community standards enforcement. In accordance with the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 and applicable UK hosting and intermediary protections, Knoesis shall not be treated as a publisher of User-Generated Content and shall not bear liability for such content save as expressly provided by applicable law or these Terms. Nothing in this Clause limits Knoesis's obligation to act expeditiously upon acquiring actual knowledge of unlawful content in accordance with its Notice and Takedown obligations in Clause 10.

The Service operates as a closed platform. Access to Content and participation in Debates requires a registered Account. Anonymous access to User-Generated Content is not permitted. This requirement forms a core part of Knoesis's accountability and safety framework.

To create an Account you must provide accurate, complete, and current information as prompted during registration. Accounts are managed through Firebase Authentication, operated by Google LLC. By creating an Account you also agree to Google's applicable Firebase terms of service. Knoesis is not responsible for failure, interruption, or security incidents arising from Firebase Authentication services outside Knoesis's reasonable control.

Each user is permitted one Account. Creation of multiple Accounts -- whether to circumvent suspension, inflate metrics, or for any other purpose -- is strictly prohibited and constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for all activity under your Account. Notify Knoesis immediately at legal@knoesis.co.uk upon becoming aware of any unauthorised access. Knoesis shall not be liable for any loss arising from your failure to maintain credential security.

You represent and warrant that all Account information is truthful, accurate, and not misleading. Impersonation of any person or entity constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

Knoesis reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate your Account at any time, with or without notice, for any of the following reasons:

• Breach of any provision of these Terms
• Submission of Prohibited Content as defined in Clause 7
• Accumulation of flags indicating systematic abuse, harassment, or Platform misuse
• Conduct posing a legal, reputational, or safety risk to the Platform, other users, or third parties
• Receipt of a court order or law enforcement directive requiring action
• Any other reason Knoesis deems necessary to protect the integrity and safety of the Service

Knoesis's exercise of moderation and enforcement powers is a contractual right and does not give rise to any claim for damages, compensation, or injunctive relief by the affected user.

You may close your Account at any time via the settings in the Service or by contacting legal@knoesis.co.uk. Debate contributions and performance records may be retained in anonymised or aggregated form to maintain historical debate record integrity, in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Subject to compliance with these Terms, Knoesis grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes. This licence does not include any right to: scrape or systematically extract Content; sublicense or commercially exploit the Service; reverse engineer or decompile Platform software; or use the Service in a manner exceeding normal user participation.

All intellectual property rights in the FORUM platform -- including design, software, structure, branding, trademarks, and Knoesis-originated content -- are and shall remain the exclusive property of Knoesis Technologies Limited. Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights to you.

By submitting Content, you grant Knoesis a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual licence to host, store, display, reproduce, and distribute your Content solely for the purposes of operating and improving the Service, including the generation of aggregated, anonymised analytics. You retain ownership of your Content subject to this licence. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to grant this licence and that your Content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights.

You agree to use the Service in good faith, in accordance with these Terms and applicable law, and in the spirit of structured fair debate. You agree not to use the Service in any manner that undermines the integrity of the Platform.

By participating in a Debate, you agree that:

• You will commit to a position honestly and not participate under false pretences
• You will not coordinate with other users to manipulate debate outcomes, persuasion scores, or reputation metrics
• You will not submit arguments that are deliberately misleading or designed to generate artificial momentum shifts
• Your debate performance record is public and permanently associated with your Account

You agree not to:

• Use automated scripts, bots, or tools to submit arguments, create accounts, or manipulate any Platform metric
• Attempt to circumvent profanity filters, content moderation systems, or automated safety mechanisms
• Exploit any technical vulnerability in the Platform -- discovered vulnerabilities must be reported to legal@knoesis.co.uk
• Access or attempt to access accounts, data, or systems belonging to other users
• Impose unreasonable or disproportionate load on Platform infrastructure

All Content must comply with these Terms and applicable UK law. Content must be relevant to the Debate in which it is submitted, within the character limits enforced by the Platform, and submitted in good faith.

The Service employs automated moderation systems including profanity and contextual content filters that screen Content at or prior to submission. The operation of automated filters does not: constitute editorial control over the substance of User-Generated Content; make Knoesis a publisher of Content that passes through such filters; or guarantee the complete absence of non-compliant Content. Automated moderation operates as a first-line technical safeguard supplemented by community flagging.

Registered users may flag Content believed to violate these Terms or applicable law. Flagged Content is reviewed by Knoesis's moderation team and may be removed, with the submitting Account suspended or terminated and, where required by law, reported to relevant authorities. This system is integral to Knoesis's Notice and Takedown obligations and its Online Safety Act 2023 compliance framework.

Moderation decisions are made at Knoesis's reasonable discretion and are final subject to Knoesis's internal appeal process. Appeals should be submitted in writing to legal@knoesis.co.uk within 14 days of the decision. Knoesis is not obligated to restore Content or Accounts pending appeal.

Knoesis is under no obligation to proactively monitor all Content on the Platform. Automated filters and flagging mechanisms constitute Knoesis's reasonable technical and organisational measures. Knoesis will act upon acquiring actual knowledge of unlawful Content in accordance with Clause 10.

The following categories of Content are strictly prohibited, will result in immediate removal and Account termination, and may be reported to law enforcement authorities:

• Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or any sexualised content involving minors
• Content constituting or inciting terrorism, extremism, or violence against any person or group
• Credible threats to the life or physical safety of any identified individual
• Content violating the Computer Misuse Act 1990 or equivalent legislation
• Non-consensual intimate imagery
• Content facilitating serious criminal activity

The following categories are prohibited and will result in Content removal and may result in Account suspension or termination:

• Content that is defamatory under the Defamation Act 2013
• Content constituting harassment or targeted abuse under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
• Content that is discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010
• Content designed to manipulate debate outcomes through coordinated inauthentic behaviour
• Spam or deliberately disruptive Content
• Content impersonating any individual, institution, or organisation
• Content infringing third-party intellectual property rights
• Content violating any individual's privacy rights, including unauthorised disclosure of personal data
• Unauthorised advertising, promotional, or commercial Content

Users who knowingly submit Prohibited Content cannot rely on any argument that Knoesis's automated systems failed to intercept such content. Full liability for Prohibited Content rests with the submitting user.

Knoesis does not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, truthfulness, or reliability of any User-Generated Content. Debate arguments reflect the personal views of the individual users who submit them and do not represent the views of Knoesis Technologies Limited. Users participate in Debates at their own risk and exercise their own independent judgment in evaluating arguments.

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Knoesis does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Knoesis reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without notice.

The Service integrates with Google Firebase (backend infrastructure and authentication) and Google AdSense (advertising). Knoesis is not responsible for the performance, availability, or conduct of these third-party services. Your use is subject to the relevant third-party terms and privacy policies.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Knoesis shall not be liable to you for:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages arising from use of or inability to use the Service
• Loss of profits, data, goodwill, or reputational damage
• Any damage arising from User-Generated Content posted by other users
• Any failure caused by circumstances beyond Knoesis's reasonable control, including third-party infrastructure failures
• Any actions taken by Knoesis in good faith pursuant to its moderation obligations

Nothing in these Terms limits Knoesis's liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be excluded by law. Where liability cannot be excluded, Knoesis's total aggregate liability shall not exceed the greater of the total amount paid by you to Knoesis in the preceding twelve months or one hundred pounds sterling (£100).

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Knoesis Technologies Limited and its directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your breach of these Terms; (c) your submission of Content; or (d) your violation of any third-party rights or applicable law.

Users must not submit Content that infringes copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.

If you believe Content on the Platform infringes your copyright, submit a written notice to legal@knoesis.co.uk including:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
2. Identification of the infringing material with sufficient detail to locate it
3. Your contact information including name, address, telephone number, and email address
4. A statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or law
5. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are authorised to act
6. Your physical or electronic signature

Knoesis will respond to valid notices promptly and act in accordance with applicable law.

Knoesis operates a Notice and Takedown procedure in compliance with the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 and the Online Safety Act 2023. Upon acquiring actual knowledge of unlawful Content, Knoesis will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to such Content.

To submit a Notice and Takedown request, contact Knoesis in writing at legal@knoesis.co.uk with the subject line "Notice and Takedown Request", including: your name and contact details; a description of the Content and its location on the Platform; the legal basis on which you believe the Content is unlawful; and a declaration that the information provided is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Upon receipt of a valid notice, Knoesis will: (a) acknowledge receipt; (b) review the Content against applicable law and these Terms; (c) take such action as Knoesis deems appropriate, including removal, restriction, or referral to law enforcement; and (d) notify the submitting user where legally permissible.

Actions taken by Knoesis in good faith pursuant to its Notice and Takedown obligations shall not give rise to any liability to either the notifying party or the user whose Content was subject to action.

FORUM is classified as a User-to-User Service under Part 1 of the Online Safety Act 2023. Knoesis acknowledges its obligations as a regulated service provider and will implement and maintain safety measures as required by Ofcom and applicable secondary legislation.

Knoesis implements the following safety measures:

• Mandatory Account registration preventing anonymous content submission
• Automated profanity and contextual content filtering at the point of submission
• Community flagging and human moderation review processes
• Account suspension and termination for systematic misuse
• Cooperation with law enforcement and regulatory authorities as required by law
• Maintenance of records necessary to comply with regulatory reporting obligations

As a text-based platform serving primarily educational and academic debate functions, FORUM falls within the lower-risk regulatory tier under the Online Safety Act framework. Knoesis will assess its regulatory obligations on a continuing basis as the Platform grows and as Ofcom issues applicable guidance.

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Subject to Clause 12.3, the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or their subject matter or formation.

If you are a UK consumer, you may have statutory rights that cannot be excluded or limited by these Terms. Nothing in these Terms shall affect your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law.

If you have a complaint about the Service, contact legal@knoesis.co.uk in the first instance. We will endeavour to resolve complaints within a reasonable timeframe.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Advertising Information Notice, constitute the entire agreement between you and Knoesis in relation to the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

If any provision is found invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

No failure or delay by Knoesis in exercising any right under these Terms shall constitute a waiver. No single or partial exercise shall preclude further exercise of that right.

Knoesis may assign its rights and obligations to any successor entity, including in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, without your prior consent provided your rights are not materially diminished. You may not assign your rights without Knoesis's prior written consent.

Knoesis shall not be liable for any failure or delay resulting from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, governmental action, internet infrastructure failure, third-party service failure, or civil unrest.

These Terms do not confer any rights on any third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise.

Knoesis Technologies Limited — Legal and Compliance
Email: legal@dailyforum.co.uk  ·  Platform: dailyforum.co.uk