Terms of Service

Community conduct

IPAK-EDU Social is a community of scientists, learners, practitioners, and advocates focused on evidence-based discussion of health, science, and policy. You agree to participate in good faith: criticize ideas, not people; source your claims where practical; and respect other members even when you disagree.

Harassment, doxxing, targeted threats, incitement to violence, spam, and illegal content are prohibited. Accounts that engage in these activities will be suspended.

Your account

You are responsible for the security of your password and for activity under your account. Please use a unique password you do not reuse on other sites. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

You may close your account at any time by contacting us. We may suspend or close accounts that violate these terms, including accounts created with false information.

Content you post

You retain ownership of what you write. By posting you grant IPAK-EDU a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and promote your content on the platform and in related communications (newsletters, social sharing, archives).

Do not post copyrighted material you do not have rights to. Do not post private health information about identifiable individuals without their consent.

Scientific discussion and liability

Information shared on IPAK-EDU Social — including by instructors, authors, and fellow members — is for educational and research discussion. It is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions.

IPAK-EDU and its contributors are not liable for decisions made based on platform content. We strive for rigor but do not guarantee accuracy or completeness of any particular claim.

Data and privacy

We store your email, display name, bio, profile photo, and activity history (posts, comments, course enrollments) to operate the platform. We do not sell your data to advertisers. We do not send unsolicited marketing email. See our Privacy Policy (in preparation) for full details.

Data tools: your rights, our processing, and liability

The following sections govern use of the data-processing, de-identification, ingest, summarization, reporting, and analysis features of the platform (the Tools). They apply in addition to the sections above, and for any conflict concerning data you upload to the Tools, they control.

Definitions. In these data-tool sections: Tools means the data features described above; Source System means any electronic health record, research database, registry, electronic data capture system, or other system from which a user obtains data before using the Tools; Uploaded Data means any file, archive, dataset, or content that a user submits to, decrypts within, or processes using the Tools; Processed Output means any de-identified dataset, summary, report, or other result the Tools produce from Uploaded Data; and PHI means Protected Health Information as defined at 45 CFR 160.103.

Your rights in the data you upload. By submitting Uploaded Data to the Tools you represent and warrant, on each occasion, that (a) you hold all rights, licenses, consents, authorizations, and legal bases needed to access, use, upload, decrypt, export, and process that data through the Tools; (b) your acquisition and export of the data from any Source System is authorized under your agreements, licenses, and terms of use with that Source System and its operator; (c) you have obtained any patient, participant, or data-subject authorizations, and any institutional, ethics or IRB, contractual, or regulatory approvals required for your use of the data with the Tools; and (d) your use of the Tools with the data does not and will not violate any law, regulation, contract, data-use agreement, or third-party right.

Responsibility for data legality rests with you. Responsibility for the lawful acquisition, licensing, export, and permitted use of all Uploaded Data rests solely and exclusively with the user who uploads it. IPAK-EDU does not verify, and has no obligation or practical ability to verify, whether a user holds the rights or licenses represented above. The Tools provide processing capability only and make no determination as to any user authority over any Uploaded Data. The user assumes all risk arising from the source, licensing, and export authority of the Uploaded Data.

Processing happens in your browser; no PHI reaches our servers. Except where expressly stated for a specific Tool, de-identification and processing of Uploaded Data happen locally, within the browser or device of the user. Raw or directly identifiable Uploaded Data is not transmitted to, received by, or stored on IPAK-EDU servers. Because IPAK-EDU does not receive or maintain PHI on behalf of any user, IPAK-EDU does not act as a HIPAA business associate under 45 CFR 160.103 with respect to Uploaded Data, and no Business Associate Agreement is offered, required, or to be implied from use of the Tools. Where a specific Tool sends any content to a server component for processing, only de-identified content is sent, and the user agrees not to disable, circumvent, or defeat the browser-side de-identification step and not to submit directly identifiable data through any Tool designed to receive only de-identified content.

De-identification is best-effort; review output before you share it. The Tools apply automated de-identification on a best-effort basis. IPAK-EDU does not warrant that any Processed Output satisfies the HIPAA de-identification standards of 45 CFR 164.514(b), being Expert Determination or Safe Harbor, or the requirements of any other privacy law, and no Processed Output should be treated as legally de-identified unless the user has independently confirmed that it meets the applicable standard. The user is solely responsible for reviewing Processed Output before any disclosure, publication, or onward transfer.

Restricted and special-category data. The user is solely responsible for identifying and complying with any heightened restrictions on the Uploaded Data, including without limitation substance use disorder records subject to 42 CFR Part 2; personal data of individuals in the European Union or United Kingdom subject to the GDPR or UK GDPR, for which the user acts as controller or processor as applicable; data subject to state privacy laws including the CCPA and CPRA; and data governed by any registry, state, or institutional data-use agreement. The user shall not submit such data to the Tools unless the user has satisfied all applicable restrictions on its export and processing.

Indemnification. The user shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless IPAK-EDU, its affiliates, and their officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or relating to (a) the Uploaded Data of the user; (b) any breach of the representations, warranties, or obligations in these data-tool sections; (c) any lack of rights, licenses, or authority to acquire, export, use, or process any Uploaded Data; or (d) any violation of law, regulation, contract, or third-party right in connection with the Tools.

No warranties; limitation of liability. The Tools and all Processed Output are provided on an as-is and as-available basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. IPAK-EDU does not warrant that the Tools will meet user requirements or that Processed Output will be accurate, complete, or fit for any regulatory, clinical, or research purpose. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the aggregate liability of IPAK-EDU arising out of or relating to the Tools or any Uploaded Data or Processed Output shall not exceed the amount the user paid to access the Tools in the twelve months preceding the claim, and IPAK-EDU shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages.

No legal or clinical determination. Processed Output is informational and does not constitute legal advice, a regulatory determination, or a clinical or diagnostic conclusion. The user remains responsible for all professional, clinical, regulatory, and legal judgments made in connection with Uploaded Data or Processed Output.

Relationship to the content you post. Uploaded Data and Processed Output are not member posts within the meaning of the Content you post section above. The license granted to IPAK-EDU under that section, to display, distribute, and promote member content, does not apply to Uploaded Data or Processed Output, and IPAK-EDU claims no license to and no ownership of Uploaded Data or Processed Output. These data-tool sections, not the Content you post section, govern Uploaded Data and Processed Output. The prohibition above on posting private health information without consent continues to apply to community content and is separate from and additional to the obligations in these data-tool sections.

Paid features and subscriptions

Some courses, instructor subscriptions, and premium classrooms require payment. Payments are processed by Stripe. Refund policy for paid courses: contact the instructor within 14 days of purchase for prorated refund consideration. Recurring subscriptions may be canceled at any time; access continues through the end of the paid period.

Governing law and disputes

These terms, and any dispute arising out of or relating to them, the platform, or the Tools, are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. You agree that the state and federal courts located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have exclusive jurisdiction, and you consent to venue and personal jurisdiction in those courts.

Changes to these terms

When we finalize the full Terms and Privacy Policy, we will email all active account holders at least 14 days before the new terms take effect. Continued use of the platform after that date constitutes acceptance.

Contact

Questions about these terms, privacy, or your account: contact us via the support link on any page or email info@ipak-edu.org.