Effective Date: May 1, 2026
1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "You," or "Guardian") and Plio Academy, Inc., a Nevada nonprofit corporation ("Plio," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing, using, or registering for services on plio.academy, learn.plio.academy, or any affiliated Plio Academy digital properties (collectively, the "Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms.
If you do not agree to these Terms in their entirety, you must not access or use the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform following the posting of changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
If you are using the Platform on behalf of a child or student under 18 years of age, you represent and warrant that you are the parent, guardian, or legally authorized representative of that child, and you agree to be bound by these Terms on their behalf.
2. Age Eligibility and COPPA Compliance
2.1 Account Creation
Plio Academy is intended for children ages 5–17 and their parents, guardians, and educators. Children under 13 may not create accounts directly. All accounts for children under 13 must be created, managed, and maintained by a parent, guardian, or legally authorized school administrator.
2.2 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Plio Academy complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq. We do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 13 without prior verifiable parental consent (collected via the parent's or guardian's email account creation).
We collect from children under 13 only the minimum information necessary to provide educational services:
- Display name (e.g., "Alex," "Dino") — not a legal name
- Age range (not exact date of birth)
- Avatar emoji and color preference
- Learning progress data (lessons completed, quiz scores, time on task)
We never collect from a child under 13:
- Email address, phone number, or other contact information
- Social media handles or usernames
- Geolocation data
- Biometric data
- Precise location
2.3 Parental Rights Under COPPA
If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 13 using the Platform:
- You have the right to review all personal information we hold about your child
- You may request deletion of your child's data at any time
- You may refuse to permit further collection, use, or disclosure of your child's information
- To exercise these rights, email us at hello@plio.academy with proof of parental authority
3. Account Registration and Guardian Responsibility
3.1 Account Holder Obligations
When you create a Plio Academy account, you are responsible for:
- Providing accurate, current, and complete information
- Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
- Notifying us immediately if your account is compromised
- Ensuring that all information you provide complies with applicable law
- All activity that occurs under your account, whether authorized by you or not
3.2 Guardian Oversight
If you are the parent or guardian of a student account, you are responsible for:
- Monitoring your child's use of the Platform
- Ensuring your child's participation is age-appropriate
- Reviewing your child's learning progress reports regularly
- Communicating any concerns about content or safety to us immediately
3.3 Account Termination
Plio Academy reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account if:
- You violate any provision of these Terms
- You provide false or misleading information
- We have reasonable grounds to believe misuse is occurring
- Legal or regulatory requirements demand it
- The account remains inactive for more than 24 months
Upon termination, your right to access the Platform terminates immediately, though your obligation to these Terms continues. We may retain data as required by law or for legitimate educational research purposes.
4. Acceptable Use and Conduct
4.1 Permitted Uses
You may use the Platform only for lawful, noncommercial educational purposes in accordance with these Terms. Permitted uses include:
- Engaging with self-paced lessons and interactive activities
- Viewing progress reports and learning analytics
- Communicating with Plio support staff
- Participating in cohort-based courses and group activities (where offered)
4.2 Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to:
Harmful or Illegal Activity
- Use the Platform to violate any law, regulation, or third-party right
- Engage in harassment, bullying, hate speech, or discrimination
- Post, upload, or share content that is violent, sexually explicit, or intended to harm others
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or its systems
Disruption and Misuse
- Introduce malware, viruses, worms, or other malicious code
- Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's normal operation or other users' access
- Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to collect data without permission
- Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code of the Platform
- Use the Platform in any manner that could overload or damage its infrastructure
Commercial Activity
- Sell, resell, or commercially exploit access to the Platform
- Use the Platform for competitive intelligence or market research
- Collect or harvest user data for external use
Impersonation and Fraud
- Impersonate another user, instructor, or Plio staff member
- Create multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions
- Provide false information to gain unauthorized access
4.3 Content Standards
All content you submit to the Platform (including text, images, videos, or feedback) must:
- Be original or used with full permission
- Not infringe third-party copyright, trademark, or privacy rights
- Be age-appropriate and respectful to other users
- Not contain personal information of other users without their consent
5. Intellectual Property Rights
5.1 Plio's Intellectual Property
All curriculum content, interactive lessons, games, videos, graphics, logos, music, and other materials on the Platform (collectively, "Plio Content") are owned by or licensed to Plio Academy. Plio Content is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
5.2 Limited License
Plio grants you a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable license to access and use Plio Content solely for your personal, noncommercial educational use. This license does not permit you to:
- Download or store entire courses for redistribution
- Create derivative works based on Plio Content
- Sublicense, sell, or share access with others outside your household
- Remove or alter any copyright notice, trademark, or proprietary legend
5.3 Student Work
You retain copyright to any original work (essays, projects, artwork, submissions) you create on the Platform. By uploading such work, you grant Plio Academy a perpetual, nonexclusive, royalty-free license to:
- Store and display it on the Platform for educational purposes
- Use it anonymously in aggregated analytics or research
- Share it with your instructors and parents for feedback
5.4 Feedback and Suggestions
Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide to Plio Academy (via email, surveys, or support channels) become the property of Plio Academy. We may use such feedback to improve the Platform without compensation or attribution.
6. Limitation of Liability and Disclaimers
6.1 AS-IS Provision
The Platform is provided on an "as-is," "as-available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Plio Academy disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, noninfringement, and title.
Plio Academy does not warrant that:
- The Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
- Any defects or errors will be corrected
- The Platform will meet your specific needs or expectations
- Content is accurate, complete, or current
6.2 No Liability for Interruptions
Plio Academy is not liable for any service interruptions, slowdowns, or unavailability caused by:
- Server maintenance, upgrades, or downtime
- Network failures or connectivity issues
- Third-party service failures (hosting providers, payment processors, analytics platforms)
- Denial-of-service attacks or cybersecurity incidents
- Acts of God or events beyond our reasonable control
6.3 Limitation of Damages
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL PLIO ACADEMY, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, LICENSORS, OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR:
- Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost revenue, lost data, or lost business opportunity, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages
- Any direct damages exceeding the total fees you have paid to Plio Academy in the 12 months preceding the claim (or $100, whichever is greater)
- Any damages arising from or related to your use of the Platform, including but not limited to unauthorized access, data breaches, or educational outcomes
This limitation applies to all claims, regardless of the theory of liability (contract, tort, strict liability, or otherwise) and even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose.
6.4 Educational Outcomes Disclaimer
Plio Academy does not guarantee any specific educational outcome, grade, test score improvement, or academic achievement. Our curriculum and interactive lessons are designed to support learning, but success depends on many factors including student effort, prior knowledge, teaching support, and individual learning styles. We are not liable for any perceived inadequacy of educational content or failure to achieve desired academic results.
7. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Plio Academy, its directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:
- Your use of or conduct on the Platform
- Your breach of these Terms or applicable law
- Your infringement of any third-party intellectual property, privacy, or publicity right
- Your violation of any third-party's rights
- Any harm caused by content you upload, submit, or share on the Platform
8. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law
8.1 Informal Resolution
Before initiating formal legal proceedings, you and Plio Academy agree to attempt to resolve any dispute through good-faith informal negotiation. Either party may initiate negotiation by sending a written notice to:
Plio Academy
hello@plio.academy
The notice must describe the dispute, the relief sought, and the proposed resolution. Both parties will attempt to reach resolution within 30 days.
8.2 Binding Arbitration
If informal resolution fails, any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be settled by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted by a single neutral arbitrator in Las Vegas, Nevada.
ARBITRATION MEANS YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT. Arbitration is faster and less formal than litigation. Either party may appeal an arbitration award in limited circumstances.
8.3 Exceptions to Arbitration
Notwithstanding Section 8.2, the following claims may be brought in court:
- Claims for intellectual property infringement
- Claims seeking injunctive or equitable relief to prevent irreparable harm
- Claims arising under consumer protection laws
- COPPA or children's privacy violations
8.4 Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada, without regard to its principles of conflicts of law.
8.5 Class Action Waiver
You agree that any arbitration or legal proceeding shall be conducted on an individual basis and not as a class action, collective action, or representative action. You waive your right to participate in any class action against Plio Academy. If a court finds this waiver unenforceable, any class action must be brought in court and not in arbitration.
9. Termination and Survival
9.1 Termination by You
You may terminate your account at any time by emailing hello@plio.academy with your request. Upon termination, your access to the Platform will be disabled, but we may retain data as permitted by law or as necessary for legitimate business purposes.
9.2 Termination by Plio
Plio Academy may terminate your account and access to the Platform immediately, without prior notice, if:
- We discover you have violated these Terms
- We receive legal notice requiring account suspension
- Your account is used in violation of applicable law
- We determine the account poses a risk to the Platform or other users
9.3 Survival
The following sections survive termination: Intellectual Property Rights, Indemnification, Limitation of Liability, Dispute Resolution, and any provision that by its nature is intended to survive termination.
10. Changes to These Terms
Plio Academy may modify these Terms at any time by posting the updated version on the Platform with a new "Effective Date." Material changes will be communicated to guardians by email at least 14 days before they take effect.
Your continued use of the Platform after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not accept the changes, you must stop using the Platform and request account deletion.
11. Third-Party Services and Links
11.1 Third-Party Integrations
The Platform integrates with third-party services including:
- Clerk for user authentication and account management
- Stripe for donation and payment processing
- Resend for transactional email delivery
- PostHog for privacy-friendly analytics
- Sanity for curriculum content management
- Vercel for hosting and deployment
Each third-party service has its own privacy policy and terms of service. Your use of these services is governed by their respective agreements, not these Terms. We are not responsible for their practices, security, or compliance with law.
11.2 External Links
The Platform may contain links to external websites, educational resources, or third-party content. Plio Academy does not endorse, sponsor, or assume responsibility for external links or their content. Your use of external links is entirely at your own risk and subject to their terms and privacy policies.
11.3 No Endorsement
Linking to the Platform from external websites does not imply endorsement by Plio Academy. We reserve the right to deny link requests or require removal of links that, in our sole discretion, are inappropriate or harmful.
12. Accessibility and Accommodation
12.1 Commitment to Accessibility
Plio Academy is committed to making the Platform accessible to users with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards.
The Platform includes features such as:
- Keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility
- Adjustable text size and high-contrast color modes
- Captions and transcripts for video content
- Dyslexic-friendly font options
- Reduced motion preferences for animation-sensitive users
12.2 Accommodation Requests
If you encounter accessibility barriers or need accommodation beyond built-in features, please contact us at:
Accessibility Support
Email: hello@plio.academy
We will work with you to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with law.
13. Limitation on Warranties for Educational Content
13.1 Curriculum Content Standards
Plio Academy develops and curates curriculum content to align with widely recognized educational standards including Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. However:
- Content is updated regularly as research, standards, and teaching practices evolve
- We do not guarantee that all content will be appropriate for every learner or learning style
- Instructors and guardians are responsible for determining whether content is suitable for the specific child
- We may retire or modify content at any time
13.2 Instructor Qualifications
Plio Academy instructors, tutors, and mentors (where available) bring diverse qualifications and experience. While we vet instructors for competency and background, we:
- Do not guarantee any specific teaching method or approach
- Do not warrant that an instructor is the "best fit" for your child
- Are not liable for an instructor's educational decisions, grading, or feedback
- Recommend discussing learning needs and concerns directly with the instructor
13.3 Progress Reporting
Progress reports, analytics, and learning assessments provided through the Platform are intended to inform your understanding of your child's learning. However:
- Assessments are not formal psychological or educational evaluations
- Reports reflect only activity within Plio Academy, not a complete picture of your child's learning
- We recommend supplementing Plio Academy with other educational resources and professional assessment if you have concerns
14. Data Retention and Deletion
14.1 Retention of Account Data
After account termination or deletion request, Plio Academy will:
- Delete or anonymize most personal information within 45 days (30 days for children's data under 13)
- Retain aggregated, anonymized learning data for research and program improvement
- Retain transaction records and donation information as required by nonprofit accounting standards (typically 7 years)
- Retain data as required by law or to fulfill legitimate legal obligations
14.2 Backup Retention
Due to our backup and disaster-recovery practices, deleted data may persist in backup systems for up to 30 additional days beyond the deletion period. We do not actively search backups for deleted data.
14.3 Cooperation with Legal Requests
Notwithstanding the above, we may retain or disclose data if required by:
- Subpoena, court order, or legal process
- Law enforcement investigation
- Government agencies with statutory authority
- Fraud prevention or security concerns
15. Severability and Waiver
15.1 Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect to the maximum extent permitted by law.
15.2 Waiver
No waiver of any provision or right shall be effective unless in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Plio Academy. Failure by Plio Academy to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
16. Force Majeure
Plio Academy is not liable for failure to perform obligations under these Terms if such failure results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including:
- Natural disasters, pandemics, or epidemics
- Wars, terrorism, or civil unrest
- Government actions or embargoes
- Strikes, lockouts, or labor disputes
- Utility failures or internet infrastructure outages
- Cyber attacks or malicious third-party interference
In such events, Plio Academy will provide notice and make reasonable efforts to resume service as soon as practicable.
17. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other documents we reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and Plio Academy regarding your use of the Platform and supersede all prior negotiations, understandings, and agreements, whether written or oral.
18. Contact and Support
For questions about these Terms, account issues, or to request account deletion, please contact:
Plio Academy Legal & Support
Email: hello@plio.academy
We aim to respond to support requests within 5 business days.
END OF TERMS OF SERVICE
Last Updated: see the source document. This page is generated directly from docs/legal/tos-2026-05.md — the markdown is the authoritative source; this is the complete policy, not a summary.