Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Haven (the “Service”), operated by Public Discourse Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

We may modify these terms at any time. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. We will notify users of material changes via email or in-app notification.

2. Service Description

Haven is a coordinated counterspeech platform designed to support individuals experiencing online harassment. The Service connects harassment targets (“Figures”) with volunteer supporters (“Allies”) who provide constructive responses to harmful content.

The Service is intended to promote civil discourse and provide emotional support—not to enable counter-harassment, brigading, or any form of coordinated attacks against individuals.

3. Eligibility

To use Haven, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement
• Not be prohibited from using the Service under applicable law
• Provide accurate and complete registration information

The Service is intended for use by natural persons only. Automated accounts, bots, or scripts are strictly prohibited.

4. User Accounts and Roles

Haven offers two primary user roles:

• Figures: Individuals who have experienced or are experiencing online harassment and seek support from the community.
• Allies: Volunteers who respond to support requests with constructive, de-escalating messages.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Haven only for its intended purpose of supporting civil discourse. You must NOT use the Service to:

• Coordinate harassment, brigading, or pile-on attacks against any individual
• Post inflammatory, threatening, or abusive content
• Spread misinformation or deliberately misleading content
• Create multiple accounts or impersonate another person
• Manipulate the platform through artificial engagement or fake requests
• Violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party rights
• Circumvent any security measures or access restrictions
• Use automated tools, scrapers, or bots

Violations may result in immediate account suspension or termination without notice.

6. Intellectual Property

User Content: You retain ownership of content you create and share through the Service. By posting content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and display that content for the purpose of operating and improving the Service.

AI-Generated Templates: The Service may provide AI-generated response templates to assist Allies. These templates are provided as suggestions only. You are solely responsible for any content you post, whether or not it was based on a template.

Platform Content: All other content, including the Haven name, logo, design, and software, is owned by Public Discourse Foundation and protected by intellectual property laws.

7. Research Participation

Haven is developed as part of an IRB-approved academic research study on coordinated counterspeech interventions. By using the Service, you acknowledge that:

• Anonymized and aggregated usage data may be collected for research purposes
• Research findings may be published in academic venues
• No personally identifiable information will be included in publications without explicit consent

For more information about data collection and your rights, please see our Privacy Policy.

8. Disclaimers and Limitations

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• Support requests will receive responses or achieve desired outcomes
• The Service will effectively reduce harassment or its effects

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PUBLIC DISCOURSE FOUNDATION SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

9. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using the in-app account deletion feature.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without cause or notice, including for violations of these Terms or our Code of Conduct. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Switzerland, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Zurich, Switzerland.

11. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact: