ZepraSearch — Usage & Privacy Policy
Guidelines for ethical, legal, and responsible use of ZepraSearch search results and API.
Last updated: 2025-11-23
Purpose & Scope
This ZepraPolicy applies to all users of ZepraSearch (the "Service"), including web search, API access, plugins, integrations, and any derivative tools that surface ZepraSearch results. The Service is provided for education, research, business intelligence, and lawful use-cases. It is not a tool for facilitating illegal activities, harm, manipulation, or evasion of law enforcement.
Acceptable Use
Permitted examples: academic research, competitive intelligence, content discovery, learning, responsible product research, and other lawful commercial uses. Users should credit sources when republishing results and respect copyright and intellectual property rights.
Use of ZepraSearch must follow legal and ethical norms; users must not use results to plan, commit, or facilitate illegal acts (e.g., hacking, trading illegal goods, doxxing, violent wrongdoing), to harass or threaten, or to create targeted disinformation that causes real-world harm.
Prohibited Uses — Be Clear, Not Clever
- Planning or facilitating criminal activity (hacking, trafficking, illegal trade, fraud).
- Targeted harassment, stalking, doxxing, or sharing private/sensitive personal data without consent.
- Using results to create or amplify disinformation, election manipulation, or public panic.
- Automated scraping to bypass rate limits, quotas, or to create mirror indexes without permission.
- Using the API to build tools that intentionally evade law enforcement or national security safeguards.
- Creating or distributing deepfakes or synthetic media intended to defame or harm a person's reputation.
Enforcement, Suspensions & Permanent Bans
Violation of this Policy may result in enforcement actions, including warnings, temporary suspension, account termination, and permanent bans. Serious violations (e.g., threats to public safety, criminal facilitation) will be escalated and may result in legal action.
We reserve the right to permanently block accounts that intentionally misuse the Service. We also reserve the right to delete or block content that violates this Policy.
Law Enforcement & Government Requests
ZepraSearch will comply with lawful requests from courts or government authorities under applicable law. We will only disclose user data in response to valid legal process and will challenge overly broad or abusive requests where appropriate. We will notify users of requests affecting their accounts unless prohibited by law.
Governing law for disputes and data requests is the law of India. This Policy aligns with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the privacy principles affirmed by the Supreme Court of India (Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India).
Search Result Responsibility
Search results surfaced by ZepraSearch aggregate public information from across the web. We do our best to remove illegal or clearly harmful content when reliably identified, but we cannot guarantee completeness. Users are responsible for how they use search results. Republishing or acting on content may carry legal or ethical obligations beyond ZepraSearch's control.
API Use & Rate Limiting
API consumers must follow our Developer Terms and rate limits. Unauthorized bulk extraction, re-indexing, or redistribution of ZepraSearch results without an explicit license is prohibited and will lead to immediate termination of API access.
Data Minimization & Retention
We collect minimal logging data necessary for service reliability and abuse prevention (e.g., request timestamps, IP addresses, API keys). Logs are retained only as long as needed for security and compliance and then securely deleted or anonymized.
Takedown, Copyright & Dispute Process
If you believe ZepraSearch hosts or indexes content that violates your copyright or legal rights, submit a DMCA or local equivalent takedown request to [email protected] with required details. We will review and act in accordance with applicable law. Users subject to enforcement may appeal by contacting the Legal team within 30 days.
Bias Mitigation & Transparency
We implement bias detection and mitigation measures and publish periodic transparency reports summarizing moderation trends, law enforcement requests, and notable enforcement actions where permitted.
Appeals & Contact
If your account is suspended or content removed and you believe this was in error, you may appeal within 30 days by emailing [email protected]. Provide account details and a clear rationale; we will review and respond within 14 business days where feasible.
Governing Law & Jurisdiction
This Policy is governed by the laws of India. Disputes arising under or related to this Policy are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Kerala, India (or another local jurisdiction you prefer).
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect new laws, security practices, or service changes. Material changes will be communicated to users via the Service or email where feasible. Continued use after changes implies acceptance of the updated policy.