These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of the SelfStartGlobal mobile application (the "App"), operated by SelfStartGlobal, a sole proprietorship (Eenmanszaak) registered in the Netherlands with its business address at Kennemerplein 6, 2011MJ Haarlem ("we," "us," or "our"). By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the App.

1. Introduction

The App provides users with access to communication tools that facilitate interaction between students and their assigned SelfStartGlobal advisors. At present, the App is focused primarily on chat-based communication, including text, voice, and file exchange functionality. Additional features may be introduced in future updates, including service management, billing, and educational tracking.

The App uses the Matrix communication protocol and operates through a self-hosted Matrix homeserver. Please note that messages exchanged via the App are not end-to-end encrypted, and may be stored in readable form on our infrastructure. Authorized administrators may access this data when necessary to ensure operational security or respond to abuse reports.


2. Eligibility

The App is primarily intended for students aged 15 and older who are engaged in the university application process. If you are under 18 years of age, you may only use the App with the consent and under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian, who must accept these Terms on your behalf.

Users under the age of 13 are not permitted to use the App unless verifiable parental consent is provided in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In practice, our services are not directed to users under the age of 13.


3. User Accounts

To use the App, you must have an active user account. At present, accounts are created for you by SelfStartGlobal as part of the onboarding process, based on the information you or your legal representative provide. In the future, we may allow users to register independently through the App interface.

Regardless of how your account is created, you are responsible for ensuring that the information associated with your account is accurate, complete, and kept up to date. You are also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

If you suspect any unauthorized access or misuse of your account, you must notify us immediately at hello@selfstartglobal.com.


4. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the App only for lawful, proper, and respectful purposes and in full compliance with these Terms, all applicable laws, and the rights of others. Specifically, you must not:

• Use the App in any way that violates applicable local, national, or international laws or regulations;
• Infringe upon or violate the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights of others;
• Upload, post, transmit, or otherwise distribute any viruses, malware, spyware, ransomware, or other malicious or technologically harmful material;
• Use the App to bully, harass, threaten, defame, discriminate against, or otherwise cause harm to other users, consultants, staff members, or any third party;
• Misrepresent your identity, impersonate any person or entity, or submit false or misleading information through the App;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the App, other user accounts, our servers, or any related systems or networks, or circumvent any security or authentication measures;
• Interfere with, disrupt, or compromise the integrity or performance of the App or its underlying infrastructure;
• Use any automated systems, bots, or scripts to interact with the App without our prior written consent.

We reserve the right to investigate any suspected breaches of this Acceptable Use Policy and to suspend or terminate your access to the App without prior notice if we reasonably believe that you have violated these Terms or engaged in abusive, illegal, or harmful behavior.


5. Parental Consent and Responsibility

If you are a parent or legal guardian of a minor using the App, you are responsible for supervising their use and ensuring their compliance with these Terms. By allowing a minor to use the App, you accept responsibility for monitoring their communications and ensuring they engage respectfully and lawfully with others on the platform.


6. Intellectual Property

All content and materials available through the App – including but not limited to text, images, graphics, audio, video, user interface elements, design layouts, code, trademarks, logos, service marks, databases, and software – are the exclusive property of SelfStartGlobal or its respective licensors and are protected under applicable intellectual property and copyright laws, unless otherwise specified.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to access and use the App solely for its intended purposes and in accordance with these Terms. This license does not grant you any rights to:

• Copy, reproduce, or distribute content from the App in any form;
• Modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or create derivative works based on the App or its content;
• Use our branding, logos, or other proprietary identifiers without prior written authorization;
• Remove, obscure, or alter any proprietary notices embedded in the App.

Any unauthorized use of the App’s content or features constitutes a breach of these Terms and may result in termination of access, as well as legal action.


7. Fees and Payments (Future Functionality)

As of the effective date of these Terms, the App does not include any paid features or services. However, we may introduce paid services or subscription-based functionalities in the future.

If and when such features are introduced, the Terms will be updated accordingly to include clear information regarding applicable fees, pricing models, billing cycles, cancellation options, and refund policies. You will be informed of any material changes in advance, and your use of the new paid features will require separate consent or agreement to updated terms.

All payments will be processed through trusted third-party providers, and will be subject to the terms, conditions, and privacy policies of those providers. Payments, when introduced, will be processed through trusted third-party providers in accordance with PCI-DSS standards. All prices will be displayed in EUR unless otherwise specified. By opting into any future paid services, you agree to the applicable pricing, authorize any associated charges, and acknowledge that additional terms may apply.


8. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time, without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms or any applicable law. You may also delete your account at any time by contacting us at hello@selfstartglobal.com.


9. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

The App is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the reliability, accuracy, or availability of the App. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all liability for damages resulting from your use of or inability to use the App.

While we take reasonable steps to protect data integrity and access controls, we do not guarantee that communications stored on our servers will be free from unauthorized access or interception, and you acknowledge that the App does not use end-to-end encryption.


10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SelfStartGlobal, its affiliates, and its personnel from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the App, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.


11. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, functionality, or business practices. The most current version will be made available within the App and on our website. Continued use of the App after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.


12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in the Netherlands.


13. Contact Us

If you have questions or complaints about this Terms of Use, please contact us at hello@selfstartglobal.com