Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Panopticon ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy, and our Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not agree to any of these terms, you must not use the Platform.

2. Description of Service

Panopticon is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) research tool that retrieves and analyzes publicly available information from social media platforms. The Platform is intended for lawful purposes including journalism, academic research, cybersecurity investigation, brand monitoring, and personal security assessments.

We aggregate data that is freely accessible to any internet user without authentication. We do not circumvent access controls, breach private accounts, or access information that the platform or user has restricted from public view.

3. Permitted Use

You may use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. Permitted uses include:

• Journalistic research and fact-checking of public figures.
• Academic and sociological research on publicly available social media data.
• Cybersecurity and threat intelligence analysis.
• Personal safety assessments (e.g., reviewing your own digital footprint).
• Brand and reputation monitoring of public-facing accounts.
• Legal and compliance investigations conducted by authorized professionals.

4. Prohibited Use

You agree not to use the Platform for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms. Prohibited activities are detailed in our Acceptable Use Policy and include, without limitation:

• Stalking, harassment, intimidation, or threatening any individual.
• Doxxing — compiling or publishing private information to endanger or harass.
• Surveillance of individuals for discriminatory purposes (race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs).
• Circumventing platform access controls or scraping private accounts.
• Any activity that violates applicable local, state, national, or international law.

5. No Guarantee of Accuracy

The Platform retrieves data from third-party sources and generates AI-based analysis. We make no representations or warranties regarding:

• The accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any data displayed.
• The correctness of AI-generated insights, inferences, or classifications.
• The continued availability of any data from third-party platforms.

AI-generated outputs are probabilistic and may contain errors, hallucinations, or misattributions. Users must independently verify any information before relying on it for decision-making.

6. Intellectual Property

Content displayed on the Platform originates from third-party social media platforms and belongs to its respective creators. Panopticon does not claim ownership of any third-party content. Our display of publicly available data constitutes fair use for research and analysis purposes.

The Platform's code, design, and branding are the property of Panopticon. You may not copy, modify, or distribute the Platform's interface or proprietary components without permission.

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PANOPTICON AND ITS OPERATORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM.

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Panopticon and its operators from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of any third party.

9. Third-Party Platforms

Panopticon is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc.), TikTok (ByteDance Ltd.), or any other social media platform. All platform names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Changes to third-party platform policies, APIs, or data availability may affect the Platform's functionality without notice.

10. User Responsibility

You are solely responsible for how you use information obtained through this Platform. You acknowledge that you may be subject to legal consequences if you use this Platform in violation of applicable laws, including but not limited to computer fraud and abuse laws, stalking and harassment laws, privacy regulations, and data protection legislation.

11. Termination

We reserve the right to restrict, suspend, or terminate access to the Platform at our sole discretion, without notice, for any user who violates these Terms or whose usage patterns suggest prohibited activity.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Platform operator resides, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in the courts of that jurisdiction.

13. Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. The updated Terms will be posted on this page with a revised "Effective" date. Continued use of the Platform after modifications constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

14. Data Removal

If you want your data removed from the Platform, make your social media account private. We can only access public data — once your account is private, no further lookups will work and all cached data expires automatically. See our Takedown & Removal page for details.