Terms of Service

Thank you for your interest in The Listening Project. The Listening Project is a service provided by PulseIQ Labs, Inc. ("PulseIQ Labs," "The Listening Project," "we," "us," or "our"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") explain your rights and responsibilities when you use listening-project.org or apply to take part ("Services").

By using this site or submitting an application, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not apply.

1. Who can apply

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of giving informed consent. You agree to give us honest, accurate information and not to impersonate anyone else.

2. What applying does and does not mean

Applying tells us you would be open to taking part in a conversation. It is not a commitment on your side and it is not an offer on ours.

• We may not invite you. We invite a limited number of people, chosen so that the group as a whole reflects the country. Not being invited says nothing about you.
• You are never obligated. If we do invite you, you are free to decline, to skip any question, and to stop at any point.
• Applying does not enroll you in anything. No conversation, no recording, and no data collection beyond what is described in our Privacy Policy happens as a result of applying alone.

If we invite you to a conversation, we will give you the specific terms for that conversation, including how it is recorded and how your words will be used, before it begins.

3. Contacting you by email and text message

By giving us your email address or phone number, you agree that we may contact you about The Listening Project, including to acknowledge your application, to invite you to take part, to schedule or remind you about a conversation, and to follow up afterward.

Please read the following carefully:

• Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of applying or of taking part. You can give us an email address instead, and we will use that. If you give us both, you can ask us to use only one.
• Message frequency varies. We expect to send few messages, and only messages related to your participation.
• Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile plan. We do not charge you anything.
• To stop text messages, reply STOP to any message from us. You may receive a single confirmation that you have been unsubscribed.
• For help, reply HELP to any message, or write to contact@listening-project.org.
• To stop emails, use the unsubscribe link in any message or write to contact@listening-project.org.

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

4. What you submit and who owns it

What you send us belongs to us. When you submit an application, ask us a question, or otherwise send us content through this site, you assign to PulseIQ Labs, Inc. all rights, title, and interest in that content, including any intellectual property rights in it. We can use it to operate, evaluate, and improve The Listening Project.

You keep what you already owned. If you mention or describe something you created before applying, such as your own work or ideas, that remains yours. Applying does not change that.

You are waiving certain attribution rights. In some places you have a legal right to be credited for things you create. To the extent permitted by law, you waive that right as it relates to content you submit to us.

None of this changes our privacy commitments. Owning the content you send us does not let us do whatever we like with your personal information. How we handle that is governed by our Privacy Policy, including our commitments that we do not sell your personal information, that we do not share identifiable information with any party, campaign, candidate, or advocacy group, and that we will delete your information if you ask.

5. How we use AI

The Listening Project uses artificial intelligence, and we would rather you hear that from us plainly than discover it later.

AI plays no part in reviewing applications. Applications are reviewed by people.

When conversations begin, they will be led by an AI moderator rather than a human interviewer, and AI will be used to transcribe what is said, to identify themes and patterns across many conversations, and to summarize findings. We will tell you exactly what that involves and get your consent before any conversation is recorded.

AI is never used to make decisions that significantly affect your rights or opportunities. Our moderator does not debate you, correct you, fact-check you, or try to change your mind. It is there to listen.

6. Incentives

We may offer an incentive for taking part in a conversation. If we do, we will tell you the amount, the format, and the timing before the conversation begins.

Incentives, where offered, are for genuine, good-faith participation. We reserve the right to withhold one where a session is completed but the responses are clearly disengaged or do not meet what was described to you in advance. If that ever happens, we will tell you why.

Applying does not, by itself, entitle you to an incentive. If you have a question about a payment, write to contact@listening-project.org.

7. Respectful conduct

You agree not to:

• Submit anything harmful, illegal, offensive, or deliberately misleading.
• Infringe anyone's intellectual property or privacy.
• Attempt to disrupt or misuse the site or our systems.
• Submit applications on behalf of someone else without their knowledge, or submit repeated or automated applications.

We may decline or withdraw an invitation, or block access, if these guidelines are violated.

8. Data handling and privacy

We take your privacy seriously. For details on how your information is collected, used, shared, and protected, please read our Privacy Policy. Your information is stored and processed in the United States in accordance with applicable U.S. data laws.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, PulseIQ Labs, Inc. and its affiliates, employees, partners, and service providers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of this site, your application, or your participation.

This includes, without limitation, damages related to:

• loss of data
• loss of opportunities
• loss of earnings or incentives
• interruptions in service
• technical issues

In no event will our total liability arising out of or relating to your application, your participation, or your use of the site exceed $100 USD or the amount of incentives you received from us, whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so some of the above may not apply to you.

10. Disclaimers

The site and the experience are provided "as-is." We cannot guarantee outcomes or technical perfection. If something goes wrong, such as a technical fault, we will do our best to put it right, but we are not liable for indirect damages.

11. Dispute resolution and arbitration

If you have a dispute with PulseIQ Labs, Inc., you agree to contact us first at legal@listening-project.org and to try to resolve it informally within 30 days.

If it cannot be resolved informally, it will be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. Arbitration will be conducted by a single neutral arbitrator, and the arbitrator may award the same relief available in court.

You and PulseIQ Labs agree that any claims will be brought only on an individual basis, and not as part of a class action or representative proceeding.

Nothing in this section prevents either party from bringing a claim in small claims court where permitted by law.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.

12. Updates to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will post the change here and update the effective date above. Continuing to use the site or take part means you accept the updated Terms.

13. Contact us

If you have questions about these Terms or your participation, write to us.

The Listening Project
PulseIQ Labs, Inc.
contact@listening-project.org

Privacy questions: privacy@listening-project.org
Legal notices: legal@listening-project.org