Before we start, we want you to know roots’s mission is " ... to empower individuals worldwide by creating a free, secure, and equitable platform for scholarly activity, one that resets our expectations by protecting data as a public service, enabling unfettered collaboration and growth. "

As you can probably imagine having a mission statement such as this, we take your privacy very seriously and thus we want to be as up-front and clear as possible with you in this document. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns!

Here are the details:

• We will not collect any more information than needed to provide you with a great experience.
• When we collect information, it is not with the intent to give or sell it for marketing or related purposes. Data would only be shared to bring you the best experience using roots and we will, whenever possible, anonymize whatever data we share.  
• In addition to the small amount of information we collect, we realize that in the course of using this software, you will be trusting us with a lot of your most valuable data. We will not use your data to target you with ads, nor will we allow others to do so.
• We will not sell your data under any circumstances.  
• roots's mission is to keep your data safe and secure. While we have taken every effort to create an environment where your data will be protected forever, we cannot predict the future. If, somehow, roots is acquired by another company that does want to use your data in a manner other than we have outlined here, they will have to ask your permission before they do so. Read carefully before you agree!  
• We might occasionally email you about the incredible work happening here at roots, we will strive to keep the communications interesting and important when we do.  
• If you delete your content in our application, the information will be removed immediately. Be aware that for a while after our backups may contain data from prior to when you removed it.  
• We won’t share any data with government or law enforcement unless required to by law.  
• Inevitably we will need to change this policy. There will probably be a few changes in the near future as we are just getting started and adding new features all the time. These additions will require changes to this privacy policy. We will have to send emails to notify you of the changes, and apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused by doing so.  
  

All users must agree to the terms of service before using the platform.

Data Privacy: The roots Foundation is committed to protecting user data from commercial exploitation and unauthorized access or disclosure. Users retain ownership of their content, but grant the roots Foundation a license to use, distribute, and display the content for scholarly activity.

Content Guidelines: Users are responsible for the content they upload and share on the platform. This content should not be illegal, hateful, or offensive in any way. The Free roots Foundation reserves the right to remove any content that violates these guidelines.

User Conduct: Users are expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner, and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Any form of discrimination, harassment or other unwanted behavior will not be tolerated and will result in account termination.

Account Termination: The platform reserves the right to terminate the account of any user who violates the terms of service or engages in any behavior that is inconsistent with the values of the roots Foundation.

Disclaimer of Warranties: The roots Foundation does not guarantee the availability or reliability of its service. Users use the platform at their own risk.

Liability for Loss of Data: The roots Foundation will take reasonable measures to protect user data from unauthorized access or disclosure. However, users understand and agree that the roots Foundation will not be liable for any loss or damage of data due to technical malfunctions, unauthorized access, or other unforeseen events. Users are encouraged to regularly backup their data and to keep copies of important information stored on the platform. The roots Foundation will not be held responsible for any loss of data or related damages that occur due to the user's failure to backup their data or to keep copies of important information stored on the platform.

Changes to the Terms: The platform reserves the right to modify the terms of service at any time, and will notify users of any material changes.

Jurisdiction and Governing Law: The terms of service and use of the platform will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of New York State.