Terms of Service

Section 1 — Eligibility

By using our Services, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater. If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

Section 2 — Account Registration and Access

Certain features of the Services may require you to create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information to keep it accurate. 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 of your account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or are inactive for extended periods.

Anonymous (Guest) Access

Certain features of the Services are available without creating a full account through "Guest" or "Anonymous" access. Anonymous access is subject to the following conditions:

• CAPTCHA verification (hCaptcha) is required to prevent automated and fraudulent use
• Anonymous users are assigned a device-based identifier for session management and abuse prevention
• Anonymous users have limited access to certain features, including but not limited to: regional leaderboards, achievement tracking, advanced notification settings, and detailed report history
• You may upgrade to a full registered account at any time without losing previously submitted earthquake reports

Section 3 — Permitted Use

You agree to use the Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You shall not:

• Use the Services in any manner that violates applicable laws or regulations
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity, security, or performance of the Services
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any systems, networks, or data
• Transmit malicious code, viruses, worms, or any other harmful content
• Reproduce, distribute, modify, or commercially exploit our content without authorization
• Use automated means (bots, scrapers) to access the Services without our consent
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users or our personnel
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Submit false, exaggerated, or fabricated earthquake reports
• Manipulate the reputation or leaderboard system through artificial means, including but not limited to coordinated false reporting or exploitation of algorithmic logic
• Abuse the community reporting system to cause unnecessary public alarm or panic
• Circumvent rate limits, CAPTCHA verification, or other anti-abuse measures implemented in the Services
• Create multiple anonymous accounts from the same device to evade restrictions, rate limits, or enforcement actions

Section 4 — Intellectual Property

The GeoShake name, logo, and all related trademarks, service marks, and trade dress are the exclusive property of APPFLOWS Technology. You may not use our trademarks without prior written consent.

The GeoShake open-source firmware and hardware designs are licensed under the MIT License, as specified in our GitHub repository. All other content, including website design, text, graphics, and software, is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

Section 5 — Orders and Payments

All product purchases are subject to acceptance and availability. Product prices are displayed in Euros (€) and are subject to change without prior notice. Prices include applicable taxes unless otherwise stated.

We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order at our sole discretion, including orders that appear fraudulent, that are placed by resellers without authorization, or that contain errors in pricing or product information.

Payment must be made in full at the time of purchase through our approved payment processors. You represent that you are authorized to use the payment method provided.

Section 6 — Shipping and Delivery

Shipping is provided on an INCOTERM DAP (Delivered at Place) basis. This means that customs duties, import tariffs, and local taxes applicable in the destination country are the sole responsibility of the buyer.

Estimated delivery times are provided for informational purposes only and are not guaranteed. We are not liable for delays caused by customs, carriers, or circumstances beyond our control.

Risk of loss and title for products pass to you upon delivery to the carrier.

Section 7 — Returns and Refunds

You may request a return within 14 days of receiving your order, provided the product is unused, in its original packaging, and in resalable condition. To initiate a return, please contact us.

Refunds will be processed to the original payment method within 14 business days of receiving the returned product. Shipping costs for returns are the responsibility of the buyer, unless the return is due to our error or a defective product.

Section 8 — Community Earthquake Reports

8.1 Nature of Community Reports

Community earthquake reports are user-generated content submitted by individual users based on their subjective perception of ground shaking. These reports are:

• NOT verified seismic measurements from calibrated instruments
• NOT official earthquake data from any governmental or scientific authority
• NOT validated, confirmed, or endorsed by seismological institutions, emergency management agencies, or APPFLOWS Technology

Community reports are aggregated algorithmically to identify potential seismic events. The resulting "community earthquakes" are statistical aggregations of user-submitted data, not confirmed seismological events.

8.2 No Guarantee of Accuracy

We make no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any community earthquake report, community earthquake event, or notification generated from community data. Reports and derived data may be:

• Inaccurate due to user error, misperception, or subjective judgment
• Delayed due to network conditions, server processing, or device connectivity
• Affected by non-seismic vibrations (e.g., heavy traffic, construction, industrial activity, or meteorological phenomena)
• Subject to false or malicious submissions, despite our anti-abuse measures (CAPTCHA, rate limiting, reputation scoring)
• Incorrectly clustered, geolocated, or assigned intensity levels by our automated algorithms

8.3 Not a Substitute for Official Systems

Community reports and alerts generated by the GeoShake platform are supplementary information only and do NOT replace:

• Official national and regional earthquake monitoring systems (e.g., AFAD, USGS, EMSC, JMA)
• Government-issued earthquake early warning systems
• Emergency broadcast systems, civil defense alerts, or public warning sirens
• Professional seismological analysis, damage assessment, or safety inspections
• Building safety codes, evacuation plans, or emergency preparedness protocols

Users must always follow official guidance from local and national emergency management authorities for all life-safety, evacuation, and emergency response decisions.

8.4 Limitation of Liability for Community Reports and Alerts

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, APPFLOWS TECHNOLOGY, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, OR ANY OTHER LOSSES, ARISING FROM OR IN CONNECTION WITH:

• Any reliance on community earthquake reports, community earthquake events, notifications, or alerts generated through the Services
• Failure to detect, report, or alert users of an actual seismic event
• Delayed, incomplete, or inaccurate alerts or notifications
• False positive alerts (alerts generated when no actual earthquake occurred)
• False negative outcomes (failure to generate an alert when an earthquake did occur)
• Any decisions, actions, or omissions taken by users based on data, reports, or alerts from the Services
• Incorrect seismic intensity calculations, geographic clustering, or magnitude estimates produced by our algorithms
• Actions or reports submitted by other users of the Services

8.5 User Responsibility When Submitting Reports

By submitting a community earthquake report through the Services, you represent and warrant that:

• You have genuinely felt ground shaking or seismic activity at the time of reporting
• The intensity level you selected reflects your honest and good-faith perception of the shaking
• You understand that your report will be aggregated with reports from other users and may contribute to the generation of community earthquake alerts sent to other users
• You consent to sharing your approximate geographic location with the report for the purpose of seismic event clustering and geographic analysis
• You accept that your report becomes part of a community dataset and may be used, in anonymized and aggregated form, for scientific research, public safety analysis, and service improvement

8.6 Abuse and Enforcement

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to:

• Remove, disregard, or quarantine reports that appear to be false, automated, malicious, or otherwise in violation of these Terms
• Suspend or permanently terminate accounts that repeatedly submit false reports or abuse the community reporting system
• Adjust reputation scores to reflect the accuracy and reliability of a user's reporting history
• Implement, modify, or strengthen rate limits, CAPTCHA requirements, geographic restrictions, or other anti-abuse measures at any time without prior notice
• Cooperate with law enforcement authorities if false reporting constitutes a criminal offense under applicable law

Section 9 — Seismic Data Disclaimer

In addition to community earthquake reports, the GeoShake platform processes seismic sensor data from hardware devices (e.g., GeoShake T1, DIY nodes). The following disclaimers apply to all seismic data provided through the Services:

• Hardware sensor data is experimental and may contain errors, noise, or artifacts due to sensor calibration, device placement, environmental conditions, or firmware limitations
• Richter magnitude estimates, Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) calculations, and damage assessments derived from sensor data are algorithmic approximations and are not official seismological measurements
• GeoShake hardware devices are consumer-grade instruments and are not calibrated to the standards of professional seismological equipment maintained by national geological surveys
• Sensor data quality may be affected by temperature, humidity, building vibrations, traffic, and other environmental factors beyond our control
• Historical seismic data may be corrected, modified, recalibrated, or removed without prior notice as part of ongoing data quality improvements
• Real-time data streams may experience latency, interruptions, or data loss due to network conditions, server load, or device connectivity issues

Section 10 — Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT:

• The Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• Earthquake alerts or notifications will be delivered promptly, accurately, or at all
• Community earthquake reports reflect actual seismic events
• Seismic data from hardware devices is accurate, complete, or reliable
• The Services will detect all earthquakes in your area
• Intensity, magnitude, or location estimates are correct

SEISMIC DATA, EARTHQUAKE ALERTS, COMMUNITY REPORTS, AND EARLY WARNING NOTIFICATIONS ARE PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS THE SOLE BASIS FOR LIFE-SAFETY, EVACUATION, PROPERTY, OR FINANCIAL DECISIONS. USERS SHOULD ALWAYS FOLLOW OFFICIAL GUIDANCE FROM LOCAL AND NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES.

Section 11 — Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL APPFLOWS TECHNOLOGY, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES.

THIS LIMITATION SPECIFICALLY INCLUDES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM: INACCURATE OR FALSE COMMUNITY EARTHQUAKE REPORTS; FAILURE TO DELIVER OR DELAYED DELIVERY OF EARTHQUAKE ALERTS OR EARLY WARNING NOTIFICATIONS; FALSE POSITIVE OR FALSE NEGATIVE SEISMIC EVENT DETECTIONS; INCORRECT SEISMIC INTENSITY, MAGNITUDE, OR LOCATION CALCULATIONS; AND ANY RELIANCE ON COMMUNITY-SOURCED DATA FOR LIFE-SAFETY, PROPERTY PROTECTION, EVACUATION, OR FINANCIAL DECISIONS.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED EUROS (€100).

Section 12 — Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless APPFLOWS Technology and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any rights of a third party; (d) your negligence or willful misconduct; (e) community earthquake reports you have submitted; or (f) any claim that your use of the Services caused harm to a third party.

Section 13 — Apple App Store Terms

The following additional terms apply to users who access our Services through the GeoShake iOS application downloaded from the Apple App Store:

• This Agreement is between you and APPFLOWS Technology only, not with Apple Inc.
• APPFLOWS Technology, not Apple, is solely responsible for the App and its content.
• The license granted is limited to a non-transferable license to use the App on Apple-branded devices you own or control.
• Apple has no obligation to furnish maintenance or support services for the App.
• Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims relating to the App or your use thereof.
• Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms.

Section 14 — Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Turkey, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Antalya, Turkey.

Section 15 — Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, or if modification is not possible, shall be severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Section 16 — Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Services will immediately cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to intellectual property provisions, disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification obligations, and the community earthquake reports and seismic data disclaimers.

Section 17 — Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the Services (in-app notification), on our website, or by email to registered users. Your continued use of the Services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

Section 18 — Contact

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us through our contact page.