Terms of Service

Last updated: 5 March 2026 | Effective: 5 March 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using CivicRate (civicrate.in), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy, Content Policy, and Correction & Takedown Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.

2. Platform Purpose & Nature of Content

CivicRate is a non-partisan civic engagement platform that enables Indian citizens to rate their elected representatives based on personal perception.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age (Indian voting age) to use CivicRate. By using the platform, you represent that you are 18 or older and an Indian citizen or resident.

4. User Responsibilities

When using CivicRate, you agree to:

• Provide honest ratings based on your genuine perception of a leader's performance
• Not impersonate others or use fake identities to submit multiple votes
• Not use automated tools (bots, scripts) to submit votes or manipulate scores
• Not post defamatory, abusive, threatening, or hateful content in comments, discussions, or reports
• Not post content that incites violence, hatred based on religion/caste/gender, or violates any applicable Indian law
• Take personal responsibility for all content you submit
• Not attempt to manipulate ratings, rankings, or platform metrics
• Not reverse-engineer the platform or attempt to de-anonymize other users

5. Content Ownership & License

• You retain ownership of content you create (comments, discussions, issue reports)
• By posting content, you grant CivicRate a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to display, distribute, and use your content on the platform and for promotional purposes
• You are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of content you submit
• CivicRate acts as an intermediary under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, for user-generated content

6. Platform-Generated Content

CivicRate generates certain content including:

• Leader bios: Auto-generated from official election affidavit data (ECI, ADR/MyNeta). These present factual data as declared by candidates themselves in their election affidavits.
• FAQ answers: Based on aggregated citizen ratings and publicly available government data
• Data summaries: Mathematical computations (averages, rankings) of citizen-submitted ratings

Platform-generated content citing official sources represents our good-faith effort to present accurate public data. Corrections can be requested via our Correction Policy.

7. Intermediary Status & Safe Harbor

CivicRate claims intermediary status under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 for user-generated content (ratings, comments, discussions, issue reports). In compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021:

• We have appointed a Grievance Officer (details here)
• We provide a mechanism for reporting unlawful content
• We act on valid takedown requests within 72 hours
• We comply with all valid Indian court orders

8. Moderation Rights

CivicRate reserves the right to:

• Remove, edit, or hide any content that violates these terms, our Content Policy, or applicable law
• Suspend or restrict access for users who violate platform rules
• Remove votes determined to be fraudulent, automated, or coordinated
• Add "Disputed" labels to content that is subject to correction requests
• Modify or discontinue features at any time without notice

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

CivicRate is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee:

• The accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any ratings, scores, or data
• That the platform will be available without interruption
• That user-submitted content is accurate, truthful, or non-defamatory
• That official data sourced from third parties (ADR, PRS, ECI) is current or error-free

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Indian law, CivicRate, its operators, and contributors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from:

• Ratings, scores, or comments displayed on the platform
• Decisions made based on information on the platform
• Inaccuracies in third-party sourced data
• Actions of other users of the platform

Ratings reflect citizen opinions and do not represent verified facts, accusations, or legal determinations.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CivicRate, its team, and operators from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your violation of these terms or your content posted on the platform.

12. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

• Governing Law: These terms are governed by the laws of India
• Dispute Resolution: Disputes shall first be attempted through mediation via support@civicrate.in
• Jurisdiction: If unresolved, disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in New Delhi, India

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms. Material changes will be notified via homepage banner. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.

15. Contact

For all inquiries: support@civicrate.in | Grievance page