Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout these terms. They have the same meaning whether they appear in singular or plural.

• Account means the unique account created for you to access Koru.
• Company (referred to as “Koru,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) refers to SAC Industries, trading as Koru.
• Content means any articles, posts, votes, comments, or other material submitted through the platform.
• Country refers to the United Kingdom.
• Credibility Score means the numerical score assigned to users, authors, and content based on voting accuracy and community consensus.
• Device means any device that can access the platform, such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet.
• Feedback means feedback, suggestions, or ideas you send us regarding the platform’s features or performance.
• Platform refers to the Koru website and any associated applications.
• Terms mean these Terms & Conditions that form the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding use of the platform.
• You means the individual accessing or using the platform.

2. Acknowledgment

These are the Terms & Conditions governing the use of this platform and the agreement that operates between you and the Company. These terms set out the rights and obligations of all users regarding the use of the platform.

Your access to and use of the platform is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms & Conditions. These terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the platform.

By accessing or using Koru, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the platform.

Your access to and use of the platform is also conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with our Privacy Notice. Please read it carefully before using the platform.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to create an account and use Koru. By registering, you confirm that you meet this age requirement. We verify your age at registration, but we do not store your date of birth.

During the pre-beta period, registration is invite-only. You may only create an account using a valid invite code issued by the Company or an existing user with invite privileges.

4. Credibility scoring system

Koru uses a credibility scoring system to help surface trustworthy content. By using the platform, you agree to participate in this system. This is a core feature of Koru, not an optional add-on. Here is what that means:

• Your voting accuracy is tracked. When you vote on whether content is credible or not credible, your votes are compared against community consensus over time. Reporting content (spam, misinformation, hate speech) is a separate moderation action and does not affect your credibility score.
• You have a credibility score. This single score reflects how consistently your votes align with the broader community’s assessment and, if you submit content, how the community rates what you publish. It is calculated algorithmically based on your participation.
• Your credibility score is visible to other users. Transparency is a core principle of Koru. All users can see your credibility score on your profile.
• Content you submit is scored by the community. If you submit articles or posts, other users will vote on their credibility. Those votes feed into your overall credibility score.
• Higher credibility scores carry more weight. Votes from users with higher credibility scores have more influence on content rankings and consensus.
• Votes are permanent. Once you cast a vote on a piece of content, it cannot be changed or withdrawn. Vote carefully and in good faith.

Credibility scores reflect aggregated community voting patterns and do not represent the views, endorsement, or editorial judgment of Koru.

We may modify the credibility scoring algorithms as the platform evolves. Material changes to how scores are calculated will be communicated to users.

5. User accounts

When you create an account, you must provide information that is accurate, complete, and current at all times. Failure to do so constitutes a breach of these terms, which may result in termination of your account.

You are responsible for safeguarding the password you use to access the platform and for any activities or actions under your account. You agree not to disclose your password to any third party. You must notify us immediately upon becoming aware of any breach of security or unauthorised use of your account.

You may not use as a username the name of another person or entity that is not lawfully available for use, a name or trademark subject to rights of another person or entity without appropriate authorisation, or a name that is otherwise offensive, vulgar, or obscene.

Each person may only hold one account. Creating multiple accounts to manipulate the credibility scoring system or circumvent restrictions is strictly prohibited and will result in termination of all associated accounts.

6. Your responsibilities

By using Koru, you agree to:

• Vote honestly and in good faith on the credibility of content.
• Not submit content you know to be false or misleading.
• Not attempt to manipulate the credibility scoring system.
• Not engage in coordinated inauthentic behaviour, including but not limited to: organised voting campaigns, coordinating with others to systematically upvote or downvote specific content or sources, using multiple accounts to manipulate scores, or any other activity designed to artificially influence credibility scores.
• Not create multiple accounts.
• Not use automated tools, bots, or scripts to interact with the platform.
• Treat other users with respect.
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

7. Content and intellectual property

Content you submit to Koru remains yours. By submitting content, you grant the Company a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to display, distribute, index, and make available your content within the platform. This licence exists for the duration that your content remains on the platform.

You represent and warrant that you have the right to submit any content you provide and that such content does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.

You can request removal of your submitted content at any time. Anonymised aggregate data derived from your content (such as vote tallies) may be retained after removal.

8. Feedback

You assign all rights, title, and interest in any Feedback you provide to the Company. If for any reason such assignment is ineffective, you agree to grant the Company a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide right and licence to use, reproduce, disclose, sub-licence, distribute, modify, and exploit such Feedback without restriction.

9. Third-party content and links

Koru aggregates and displays news content from third-party sources. The Company does not endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any third-party content displayed on the platform.

The platform may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by the Company. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. We strongly advise you to read the terms and privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately for violations of these terms, including but not limited to:

• Breach of these Terms & Conditions.
• Manipulation or attempted manipulation of the credibility scoring system.
• Coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
• Creation of multiple accounts.
• Submitting content that is knowingly false or harmful.

Where reasonably possible, we will notify you of the reason for suspension or termination. Upon termination, your right to use the platform will cease immediately.

You may request account deletion at any time by emailing privacy@korunews.com from the email address linked to your account. During pre-beta, deletion requests are handled manually. Self-service deletion is planned for full launch. Upon deletion, your personal data will be removed or anonymised in accordance with our Privacy Notice.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Company and its suppliers shall not be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever, including but not limited to damages for loss of profits, loss of data or other information, for business interruption, for personal injury, or loss of privacy arising out of or in any way related to the use of or inability to use the platform, even if the Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

The Company does not guarantee the accuracy of credibility scores, content rankings, or community consensus. These are algorithmically generated based on community participation and should not be relied upon as the sole indicator of content truthfulness.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitation of liability for incidental or consequential damages. In these jurisdictions, liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

12. "As is" and "as available" disclaimer

The platform is provided to you "as is" and "as available," with all faults and defects, without warranty of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, the Company expressly disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

Without limitation, the Company makes no warranty or undertaking that the platform will meet your requirements, achieve any intended results, be compatible with any other software or systems, operate without interruption, meet any performance or reliability standards, or be error-free.

Koru is currently in pre-beta. Features, scoring algorithms, and platform functionality may change, be modified, or be removed at any time without notice.

13. Governing law

The laws of the United Kingdom, excluding its conflicts of law rules, shall govern these terms and your use of the platform. Your use of the platform may also be subject to other local, national, or international laws.

14. Disputes resolution

If you have any concern or dispute about the platform, you agree to first try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us. For European Union consumers, you will benefit from any mandatory provisions of the law of the country in which you are resident.

15. Severability and waiver

If any provision of these terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

The failure to exercise a right or to require performance of an obligation under these terms shall not affect a party's ability to exercise such right or require such performance at any time thereafter, nor shall the waiver of a breach constitute a waiver of any subsequent breach.

16. Changes to these terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will make reasonable efforts to provide at least 30 days' notice before new terms take effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use the platform after revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please stop using the platform.

17. Contact us

If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us at legal@korunews.com.