Terms of Service

Acceptance of Terms & Eligibility

By downloading, accessing, or using PeerStudy ("we," "our," or "us"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. PeerStudy is a closed-network platform. To be eligible to use the service, you must maintain an active, authorized .edu email address from a licensing partner university and must be at least 17 years of age. PeerStudy is an independent third-party service provider; we are not a legal part of your University. We reserve the right to verify your enrollment status and terminate access if you are no longer an active student at a partner institution.

Academic Integrity Policy

PeerStudy is strictly an academic collaboration and peer-to-peer networking tool. You are solely responsible for ensuring your use of the platform complies with your specific University's Academic Integrity Policy and Honor Code.

Prohibited Acts

You may not use PeerStudy to facilitate cheating, plagiarism, or academic fraud. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing unauthorized materials such as exam questions, answer keys, or completed assignments.

Instructor Guidelines

You must strictly follow your instructor's rules regarding group work. If a professor forbids collaboration on a specific assignment, using PeerStudy for that assignment constitutes a violation of these Terms.

Monitoring Disclaimer

In accordance with 47 U.S.C. § 230, PeerStudy is a passive provider of an interactive computer service. We do not proactively monitor User-Generated Content for academic accuracy or integrity violations; however, we reserve the right to remove content or terminate accounts upon receiving a formal report of such violations from the University.

User Conduct, Campus Safety, & Blocking

You agree to use PeerStudy in a lawful, respectful manner that aligns with your University's Student Code of Conduct.

Zero Tolerance

You may not use the platform for harassment, bullying, hate speech, or the transmission of obscene, illegal, or malicious content. This applies to all areas of the platform including individual chats, group chats, Club lounge chats, and any content shared through voice messages, photos, or documents. You may not reverse-engineer, decompile, copy, or attempt to derive the source code of the PeerStudy platform.

Self-Help Safety Tools

PeerStudy provides a Block feature. If you block a user: (1) they cannot send you study requests or messages, (2) you will no longer see that user listed in any of your shared classes within the app, and (3) blocked users are hidden bidirectionally across all platform surfaces including the live list, messages, study requests, and pool invitations.

Safety Monitoring & Admin Access

To ensure campus safety, PeerStudy utilizes an automated content moderation system. Content flagged for high-risk behavior (e.g., threats of violence or self-harm) or manually reported by a user will be intercepted and shared with authorized University officials for review and potential disciplinary action. This monitoring applies equally to individual chats, group chats, and Club lounge chats.

Profile Photo Moderation

Profile photos are automatically screened for inappropriate content using automated image analysis. Photos that do not pass moderation are removed and cannot be used on the platform.

Clubs

PeerStudy allows students to create and join university-scoped community groups ("Clubs"). By creating or participating in a Club, you agree to the following:

Club Content

All messages and content shared within Club lounge chats are subject to the same safety monitoring, moderation, and conduct rules as all other communications on the platform.

Club Creation

Any verified student may create a Club. The Club creator is responsible for choosing an appropriate Club name and description. Club names that are offensive, misleading, or violate the University's Student Code of Conduct are prohibited.

Club Photos

Club creators may upload a photo to represent the Club. Uploaded Club photos must not contain inappropriate, offensive, or illegal content.

Club Membership

Clubs are visible only to students at the same university. Any verified student at that university may join a Club.

Club Deletion

Clubs with zero remaining members are automatically deleted along with all associated data, including lounge chat messages, Club photos, and membership records.

User-Generated Content

By using PeerStudy, you acknowledge that the platform supports the following types of user-generated content: text messages, photos (up to 5 per send), documents, voice messages (up to 5 minutes), emoji reactions, session invitations, and meeting links. You are solely responsible for all content you share on the platform. Content that violates these Terms, applicable law, or your University's policies may be removed and may result in account termination.

Academic Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

PeerStudy provides the platform as an educational aid and does not guarantee any specific academic outcome, grade improvement, or the factual correctness of information shared by other users.

Not an Official Record

PeerStudy is a manual-entry platform. It is not a substitute for official university systems, course catalogs, or professional academic advising.

"As Is" Service

The platform is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis, without warranties of any kind.

Liability Cap

To the maximum extent permitted by New Jersey law, PeerStudy's total liability for any claims arising from the use of the platform is strictly limited to $100.00 USD. PeerStudy is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless PeerStudy, its founders, and its affiliates from any claims, damages, lawsuits, or expenses (including attorney's fees) arising out of your violation of these Terms, your violation of your University's Academic Integrity policies, or your misuse of the platform.

Account Restrictions & Security

Accounts are strictly limited to one user. You may not share your login credentials, verification codes, or platform access with any unauthorized individuals. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. Upon account deletion, your profile information is removed, your sent messages are anonymized, and all associated data is cleaned up in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Termination

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to suspend or terminate your account instantly and without prior notice if you violate these Terms of Service, engage in fraudulent activity, or if directed to do so by your University's administration.

Governing Law

These Terms of Service and any disputes arising out of your use of PeerStudy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its conflict of law principles.