🏝️ Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

📋 1. Introduction and Acceptance

Welcome to the Tourism Platform! These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") and Privacy Policy govern your use of our website and services. By creating an account, submitting reviews, or using any part of our platform, you agree to these Terms.

By using our platform, you confirm that:

• You are at least 13 years old (users under 18 require parental consent)
• You will provide accurate and truthful information
• You understand and accept these Terms and our Privacy Policy
• You will use the platform responsibly and lawfully

🔐 2. Your Privacy Rights (Data Privacy Act of 2012)

We take your privacy seriously and comply with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173). This law gives you control over your personal information.

2.1 What Personal Information We Collect

2.2 How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data only for these purposes:

• ✅ To provide and maintain your account
• ✅ To display your reviews and ratings to other users
• ✅ To send you important updates about the platform
• ✅ To improve our services and user experience
• ✅ To protect against fraud and security threats
• ✅ To comply with legal requirements

⚖️ 3. Your Rights Over Your Personal Data

Under the Data Privacy Act, you have these important rights:

How to Exercise Your Rights:

• 📧 Email our Data Protection Officer at: privacy@tourismplatform.ph
• ⚙️ Use your account settings to update or delete your information
• 📞 Contact us using the information at the end of this document

We will respond to your request within 10 business days as required by law.

👤 4. Your Account and Responsibilities

4.1 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Keeping your password secure and confidential
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access
• Using a strong, unique password

4.2 Accurate Information

You agree to:

• Provide true, accurate, and complete information during registration
• Update your information if it changes
• Not impersonate others or create fake accounts
• Not share your account with others

✍️ 5. Reviews and User-Generated Content

5.1 Review Guidelines

When submitting reviews, you agree to:

• ✅ Share honest, authentic experiences based on your actual visit
• ✅ Be respectful and constructive in your feedback
• ✅ Focus on the location, food, or cultural experience
• ✅ Provide helpful information for other travelers

5.2 Content Ownership and License

You own your content. However, by posting reviews on our platform, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

• Display your reviews on our platform
• Share your content on our social media channels (with attribution)
• Use your content to promote the platform and Philippine tourism
• Allow other users to view, share, and engage with your reviews

You can delete your reviews anytime, which will remove our license to use that content.

5.3 Content Moderation

We reserve the right to:

• Review, edit, or remove content that violates these Terms
• Suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate our guidelines
• Report illegal content to authorities

🛡️ 6. How We Protect Your Data

We implement multiple layers of security to protect your information:

🍪 7. Cookies and Tracking

Like most websites, we use cookies to improve your experience:

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for login and navigation (cannot be disabled)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (language, filters)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how people use the platform (anonymous)

Managing Cookies: You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect platform functionality.

📅 8. How Long We Keep Your Data

We only keep your personal information as long as necessary:

Deleting Your Account: When you delete your account, we will permanently remove your personal information within 30 days. Your public reviews may remain but will be anonymized (username removed).

🤝 9. Third-Party Services and Links

Our platform may contain links to external websites or integrate with third-party services. Please note:

• We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites
• We encourage you to read their privacy policies
• Clicking external links means leaving our platform

Third-Party Services We May Use:

• Google Maps: For location display (subject to Google's Privacy Policy)
• Cloud Storage: For secure data backup (with encryption)
• Email Services: For account notifications (with data processing agreements)

👶 10. Age Requirements and Children's Privacy

We are committed to protecting children's privacy:

• Minimum Age: You must be at least 13 years old to use our platform
• Parental Consent: Users under 18 require parent/guardian consent
• No Intentional Collection: We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13

⚠️ 11. Acceptable Use and Prohibited Activities

To maintain a safe and positive community, you must NOT:

• ❌ Harass, bully, or threaten other users
• ❌ Post false, misleading, or fraudulent reviews
• ❌ Attempt to manipulate ratings or rankings
• ❌ Use bots, scripts, or automated tools
• ❌ Try to hack or bypass security measures
• ❌ Scrape or collect data from the platform
• ❌ Infringe on intellectual property rights
• ❌ Engage in any illegal activities
• ❌ Impersonate others or businesses
• ❌ Spam or send unsolicited messages

Consequences: Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent ban. Serious violations will be reported to authorities.

©️ 12. Intellectual Property Rights

Platform Content

All platform design, logos, text, graphics, and software are owned by Tourism Platform and protected by Philippine and international copyright laws. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or distribute our platform content
• Use our branding without written permission
• Reverse engineer our software

Your Content Rights

You retain all rights to content you create (reviews, photos, comments). By posting, you:

• Confirm you own or have permission to post the content
• Grant us license to display and share your content
• Are responsible for any copyright violations

⚖️ 13. Disclaimers and Limitations

Content Accuracy

Reviews and ratings are opinions of individual users. We:

• Do not verify the accuracy of every review
• Are not responsible for user-generated content
• Encourage you to use your own judgment
• Cannot guarantee the quality of locations reviewed

Service Availability

While we strive for 99.9% uptime, we cannot guarantee:

• Uninterrupted or error-free service
• That the platform will always be available
• That all bugs will be fixed immediately

Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by Philippine law, we are not liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Loss of data, profits, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from your use of the platform
• Actions based on reviews or ratings
• Third-party content or services

🚪 14. Account Termination

Your Right to Leave

You can close your account anytime:

• Go to Account Settings → Delete Account
• Or email us at: support@tourismplatform.ph
• Your data will be deleted within 30 days

Our Right to Suspend or Terminate

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

• Violate these Terms and Conditions
• Engage in fraudulent or illegal activities
• Harm other users or the platform
• Have an inactive account for over 2 years

We will notify you before termination unless prohibited by law.

🔄 15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms and Privacy Policy to:

• Comply with new laws or regulations
• Improve our privacy practices
• Add new features or services
• Address security concerns

How We Notify You:

• 📧 Email notification to your registered address
• 🔔 In-platform notification when you log in
• 📅 30-day notice before major changes take effect

Your continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

🇵🇭 16. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, including:

• Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173)
• E-Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 8792)
• Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175)

Resolving Disputes

If you have a complaint or dispute:

1. Contact Us First: Email support@tourismplatform.ph - we'll try to resolve it within 15 days
2. Mediation: If needed, we can try mediation or alternative dispute resolution
3. Legal Action: Any legal disputes will be handled in Philippine courts

Data Privacy Complaints

For privacy-related concerns, you can also file a complaint with:

✅ 17. Acknowledgment and Consent

By creating an account or using our platform, you acknowledge that:

• ✅ You have read and understood these Terms and Conditions
• ✅ You have read and understood our Privacy Policy
• ✅ You consent to the collection, use, and processing of your personal data as described
• ✅ You understand your rights under the Data Privacy Act of 2012
• ✅ You agree to comply with all rules and guidelines
• ✅ You are legally capable of entering into this agreement

📝 Quick Reference Checklist

📚 Document Version History