Terms of Use

Effective Date: 23 July 2025
Last Updated: 14 July 2025

Welcome to SpaceUG, a digital civic platform developed by the Rural Smiles Foundation with support from CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund under the scope of the Flexible Support Mechanism, a six-year programme led by civil society organisations (CSOs). The programme is hosted by Oxfam Novib, together with implementing partners: Protection International, CIVICUS and Urgent Action Fund Latin America and the Caribbean.These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the SpaceUG website (www.spaceug.org), its features, services, and any content made available therein (collectively, the “Platform”).

By using this Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

1. Who Can Use SpaceUG

You must be:

• At least 16 years old (or have parental/guardian consent if younger);

• A civil society actor, human rights defender, activist, or community member committed to civic engagement and peaceful organizing;

• Not suspended or banned from using the Platform due to prior violations.

SpaceUG may verify identities of users and reserves the right to approve or deny account creation at its sole discretion.

2. User Accounts & Responsibilities

• You must create an account to access most features.

• You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and account activity.

• You agree to provide accurate and truthful information during registration and keep your profile updated.

• You agree not to impersonate others, misrepresent your affiliation, or create multiple fake accounts.

If you suspect unauthorized use of your account, notify us immediately at: space@spaceug.org 

3. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the platform to incite violence, hatred, or discrimination;

• Harass, stalk, intimidate, or defame other users;

• Post or share false or misleading information;

• Upload or distribute content that is obscene, pornographic, or illegal;

• Attempt to hack, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform;

• Promote political parties or candidates unless within issue-based civic education;

• Violate any Ugandan laws or international human rights standards.

Violation of these guidelines may lead to account suspension or legal action.

4. User-Generated Content

You may post or upload:

• Stories, blogs, videos, images;

• Civic alerts (e.g., incidents of crackdown, arrest, digital attacks);

• Comments, discussions, or files in group forums.

By submitting content, you grant SpaceUG a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content for civic purposes. You retain ownership of your original work.

SpaceUG reserves the right to:

• Remove content that violates these Terms or community standards;

• Archive or moderate discussions for safety or space limitations;

• Flag suspicious or harmful content for review.

5. Privacy & Data Protection

We value your privacy. Your use of the Platform is governed by our [Privacy Policy], which explains:

• What personal information we collect and why;

• How we use and protect your data;

• Your rights to access, update, or delete your data;

• How we handle anonymous reporting and secure data storage.

We comply with the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019) and global data security standards.

6. Platform Availability

We aim to ensure that SpaceUG is available at all times. However:

• We may suspend access temporarily for maintenance, security, or updates;

• We are not liable for interruptions, delays, or system errors due to third-party hosting or internet limitations;

• We are not responsible for loss of content or data due to user error or cyberattacks.

We will communicate downtime or updates via platform notices or email alerts.

7. Intellectual Property

All materials on SpaceUG including the design, interface, logos, layout, graphics, and content created by the platform team are the property of Rural Smiles Foundation unless otherwise stated. Unauthorized copying, scraping, or reuse of platform content is prohibited.

8. Termination of Use

We may suspend or terminate your access to SpaceUG at our sole discretion if:

• You violate these Terms or any other platform policy;

• You engage in actions that harm users, the Foundation, or the broader civic space;

• You misuse reporting features or post harmful or illegal content.

You may also deactivate your account at any time by contacting: space@spaceug.org 

9. Third-Party Links & Content

SpaceUG may include links to third-party content, tools, or platforms. We do not endorse or control those external sites and are not responsible for any damage or data loss resulting from their use.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Rural Smiles Foundation and its partners are not liable for any damages, loss of data, reputational harm, or legal consequences resulting from:

• Your use or misuse of the platform;

• Suspension or deletion of your account;

• Content posted by third parties;

• Technical errors or unauthorized access.

11. Amendments

We may update these Terms at any time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and notify users via email or platform alerts. Continued use after changes means you accept the revised Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Uganda. Any disputes arising from your use of the Platform shall be resolved amicably or through competent courts in Uganda.

13. Contact Us

For questions or concerns regarding these Terms of Use, please contact:

Rural Smiles Foundation – SpaceUG Support
📧 space@spaceug.org or space@ruralsmiles.org 
🌐 www.spaceug.org