Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Britain Builders ("the Platform", "we", "us", "our") at britainbuilders.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Platform.

Effective Date: These terms are effective as of 17 December 2024 and apply to all users of the Platform.

2. Description of Service

Britain Builders is a civic tech coordination and recruitment platform that:

• Provides educational recruitment challenges (cryptography, steganography, civic tech development)
• Issues verifiable credentials to demonstrate completion of challenges
• Connects technologists with civic infrastructure projects
• Maintains a registry of builders working on UK public sector problems

The Platform is currently in Phase 1 (static site, client-side only). Future phases will include backend services, user accounts, and project coordination tools.

3. Acceptable Use Policy

3.1 Permitted Uses

You may use the Platform to:

• Complete recruitment challenges to demonstrate your skills
• Earn and share verifiable credentials
• Learn about cryptography, steganography, and civic tech
• Connect with other builders in the community
• Browse and contribute to open-source civic tech projects

3.2 Prohibited Uses

You may NOT:

• Cheat or circumvent: Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to solve challenges or bypass verification
• Share solutions publicly: Post answers or detailed solutions to challenges in public forums (educational discussion in private is fine)
• Forge credentials: Create, modify, or claim credentials you did not legitimately earn
• Harass or abuse: Use the Platform to harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Scrape or exploit: Scrape data, overload servers, or exploit vulnerabilities for malicious purposes
• Impersonate: Pretend to be another person or entity
• Violate laws: Use the Platform for any illegal purpose or in violation of UK law

4. Credentials and Achievements

4.1 Nature of Credentials

Credentials issued by Britain Builders are:

• Educational: Demonstrate completion of recruitment challenges
• Non-binding: Not legal qualifications, certifications, or employment offers
• Verifiable: Based on W3C Verifiable Credentials standard (Phase 1 implementation is simplified)
• Portable: You can export and share your credential as JSON

4.2 Phase 1 Credential Limitations

During Phase 1, credentials are:

• Client-side only: Generated and stored in your browser
• Not cryptographically signed: Proof of completion is not cryptographically verified
• Self-attested: We cannot verify you didn't cheat (honor system)
• Not employment guarantees: Earning a credential does not guarantee employment or project placement

4.3 Revocation Rights

We reserve the right to revoke credentials if:

• You cheated or used automated tools to complete challenges
• You violated these Terms of Service
• The credential was obtained fraudulently
• You engaged in harmful behavior toward the community

Revocation will be implemented in Phase 2 when we have a credential registry.

5. User Responsibilities

5.1 Account Security (Phase 2)

When Phase 2 launches with user accounts, you are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
• All activity that occurs under your account
• Notifying us immediately of unauthorized access

5.2 Accurate Information

If you choose to provide information (solver handle, registry profile), you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Update information to keep it accurate
• Not impersonate others or misrepresent your identity

5.3 Legal Compliance

You are responsible for ensuring your use of the Platform complies with:

• UK law and regulations
• Export control and sanctions laws (if sharing credentials internationally)
• Your employer's policies (if participating during work hours or using work devices)

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Platform Content

All content on the Platform (text, graphics, logos, code, puzzles) is owned by Britain Builders or licensed to us and is protected by UK copyright law.

6.2 Open Source Components

The Platform uses open-source libraries and may include open-source code. See our GitHub repository for specific licenses. Our own code is released under the MIT License unless otherwise specified.

6.3 Your Credentials

You retain ownership of the credentials you earn. We grant you a perpetual, non-exclusive license to:

• Display your credential in portfolios, resumes, and social media
• Export and share your credential in JSON format
• Link to verification URLs we provide

6.4 User-Generated Content

If you submit content to the Platform (forum posts, project contributions, code), you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content as part of the Platform.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

7.1 No Warranty of Accuracy

We do not warrant that:

• The Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• Challenges are fair, solvable, or appropriate for all skill levels
• Credentials will be recognized by employers or other third parties
• Any information on the Platform is accurate, complete, or current

7.2 Educational Purpose

Challenges are provided for educational purposes only. Information learned should be verified independently before use in production systems or critical applications.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY UK LAW, BRITAIN BUILDERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Indirect damages: Lost profits, data loss, or consequential damages
• User actions: Damage caused by your use or misuse of credentials
• Third-party conduct: Actions of other users or third parties
• Service interruptions: Downtime, data loss, or technical failures
• Employment outcomes: Failure to secure employment or project work

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Platform shall not exceed £100.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Britain Builders, its contributors, and partners from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your violation of these Terms of Service
• Your violation of any law or regulation
• Your violation of third-party rights (including intellectual property rights)
• Your misuse of credentials or Platform content

10. Termination

10.1 Your Rights

You may stop using the Platform at any time. You may also delete all your data by clearing your browser's localStorage.

10.2 Our Rights

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform if:

• You violate these Terms of Service
• You engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior
• We are required to do so by law
• We discontinue the Platform

10.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access the Platform ceases immediately
• Credentials you already earned remain yours (but may be revoked)
• Provisions regarding liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution survive

11. Changes to Terms

We may revise these Terms of Service at any time. When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• We will display a notice on our homepage for 30 days
• For registered users (Phase 2), we will send an email notification

Your continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. If you disagree with the changes, you must stop using the Platform.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

12.1 Dispute Resolution

Before initiating legal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us to resolve disputes informally. We commit to good-faith efforts to resolve complaints within 30 days.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Service is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Britain Builders regarding the Platform and supersede any prior agreements.

15. Contact and Questions

If you have questions about these Terms of Service:

• General inquiries: Contact us via our website contact form
• Legal questions: Email [email protected] (when available)
• Security issues: Email [email protected]
• GitHub: File an issue at github.com/postrv/britain-builders