Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") sets forth the rules and guidelines that govern your use of the Certifyd platform, website at certifyd.cloud, and all related services (the "Service") provided by Certifyd Inc. ("Certifyd," "we," "us," or "our"). This policy is designed to protect Certifyd, its users, and the broader community from harmful, abusive, or unlawful activities.

This AUP is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service. By accessing or using the Service, you agree to comply with this AUP. Violations of this policy may result in suspension or termination of your account and, in serious cases, legal action.

The integrity of digital certificates and badges issued through Certifyd is paramount to the trust that organizations, recipients, and verifiers place in our platform. This AUP is essential to maintaining that trust and ensuring a safe, reliable credential ecosystem for all users.

Acceptable Use

You may use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these guidelines. Acceptable uses of the Service include, but are not limited to:

• Designing, creating, and issuing legitimate digital certificates and badges that accurately represent real achievements, qualifications, completions, or participation
• Managing and organizing certificate templates, recipient lists, and issuance records
• Sharing verification URLs with third parties to allow them to independently confirm the authenticity of a credential
• Using the platform's analytics and reporting tools to track certificate engagement and delivery
• Integrating the Service with authorized third-party platforms in accordance with our documentation and API terms
• Customizing certificate and badge designs with your organization's legitimate branding

You are expected to use the Service responsibly, with respect for other users and in compliance with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations.

Prohibited Activities

You are prohibited from using the Service in any manner that violates applicable law or this AUP. The following activities are strictly prohibited:

Fraudulent Certificates & Badges

You must not issue, create, or distribute digital certificates or badges that are fraudulent, forged, falsified, or that misrepresent the recipient's qualifications, achievements, skills, or participation in any program, course, event, or activity. This includes issuing certificates for programs that do not exist, certifying individuals who have not completed the required activities, or fabricating credentials for the purpose of deceiving employers, educational institutions, or any other parties.

Impersonation

You must not impersonate any person, organization, educational institution, government body, or other entity when using the Service. You must not create accounts or issue certificates under false identities, or use the Service in a manner that falsely suggests an endorsement, affiliation, or partnership with any person or entity that does not exist. Using another organization's name, logo, or branding without authorization to issue certificates on their behalf is strictly prohibited.

Spam & Unsolicited Communications

You must not use the Service to send unsolicited, bulk, or spam communications, including issuing certificates to individuals who have not earned them as a pretext for marketing or promotional purposes. You must not use the certificate email delivery system to distribute commercial advertisements, chain letters, or other unsolicited messages to recipients.

Illegal Content

You must not upload, transmit, or include in any certificate, badge, or content on the Service any material that is illegal, defamatory, libelous, threatening, harassing, obscene, discriminatory, or that promotes violence or hatred against any individual or group. You must not use the Service to facilitate or promote any illegal activity, including but not limited to fraud, money laundering, identity theft, or the sale of counterfeit credentials.

Reverse Engineering

You must not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code, underlying algorithms, data structures, or architecture of the Service. You must not attempt to access non-public features, APIs, or systems of the Service without explicit written authorization from Certifyd.

Automated Scraping & Data Harvesting

You must not use automated scripts, bots, crawlers, scrapers, or any other automated means to access, collect, harvest, or extract data from the Service, including certificate data, user information, verification records, or any other content. You must not compile or aggregate data obtained from the Service for commercial purposes or to create competing products or services without prior written consent from Certifyd.

Circumventing Security

You must not attempt to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service or any related system or network, or attempt to breach, circumvent, or disable any security or authentication measures, access controls, rate limits, or usage restrictions implemented by Certifyd. You must not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any accounts, systems, servers, or databases connected to the Service. You must not transmit any viruses, worms, malware, trojans, or other malicious code through the Service.

Content Standards

All content that you create, upload, or distribute through the Service, including certificate designs, badge graphics, text, images, logos, and any other materials, must comply with the following standards:

• Content must be accurate, truthful, and not misleading
• Content must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, or trade secrets
• Content must not contain obscene, sexually explicit, or pornographic material
• Content must not promote discrimination, hatred, or violence based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
• Content must not include personal information of third parties without their knowledge and consent
• Content must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection laws, advertising standards, and data protection regulations

Certifyd reserves the right to review content on the platform and to remove any content that it determines, in its sole discretion, violates these content standards or this AUP.

Certificate Integrity

The value of the Certifyd platform depends on the integrity and trustworthiness of the digital certificates and badges issued through it. To protect this integrity, you agree to the following obligations:

• You will only issue certificates and badges for legitimate achievements, completions, qualifications, or participation that have actually occurred
• You will ensure that all information on certificates and badges is accurate and verifiable, including recipient names, issuing organization details, credential titles, dates, and any descriptions of the achievement
• You will not create fake, misleading, or deceptive certificates or badges for any purpose, including for testing, demonstration, or satire, unless clearly and prominently marked as such and restricted from public verification
• You will promptly revoke or correct any certificates or badges that contain errors or that were issued in error
• You will not use the Service to create credentials that could be confused with government-issued documents such as degrees, professional licenses, or official certifications regulated by law, unless you are the authorized issuing body
• You will not manipulate or tamper with verification URLs or attempt to create fraudulent verification pages

Certifyd takes certificate integrity very seriously. Violations of these obligations may result in immediate account suspension, revocation of all issued certificates, and potential legal action.

Enforcement & Violations

Certifyd reserves the right to investigate any suspected violation of this AUP and to take appropriate enforcement action. If we determine that a violation has occurred, we may take one or more of the following actions, at our sole discretion and without prior notice:

• Warning: Issue a formal warning to the account holder, identifying the violation and requiring immediate corrective action
• Content Removal: Remove, disable, or restrict access to any content, certificates, or badges that violate this AUP
• Feature Restriction: Temporarily restrict access to specific features of the Service, such as certificate issuance or email delivery
• Account Suspension: Temporarily suspend the violating account pending investigation or corrective action
• Account Termination: Permanently terminate the account and revoke all associated certificates and badges
• Legal Action: Pursue legal remedies, including civil litigation or referral to law enforcement authorities, for serious or repeated violations

The severity of the enforcement action will be proportionate to the nature, severity, and frequency of the violation. We will endeavor to provide notice before taking enforcement action where practicable, but reserve the right to act immediately in cases involving fraud, security threats, or imminent harm.

Reporting Violations

If you become aware of any activity or content on the Service that you believe violates this Acceptable Use Policy, we encourage you to report it promptly. You can report violations by contacting us at support@certifyd.cloud with the subject line "AUP Violation Report."

When reporting a violation, please include as much detail as possible, including:

• A description of the suspected violation
• The URL(s) or certificate verification link(s) involved
• The name or account associated with the violating activity, if known
• Any supporting evidence, such as screenshots or documentation
• Your contact information for follow-up

We take all reports seriously and will investigate reported violations in a timely manner. We may not be able to disclose the specific actions taken in response to a report due to privacy and legal considerations, but we will acknowledge receipt of your report and inform you if further information is needed.

Changes to This Policy

Certifyd reserves the right to update or modify this Acceptable Use Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through the Service or by email.

Your continued use of the Service after any changes to this AUP constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. If you do not agree with the updated AUP, you must stop using the Service and terminate your account.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or need to report a violation, please contact us: