Acceptable Use Policy

Last Updated: November 28, 2025

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") outlines the rules and guidelines for appropriate use of the Ekogni computer-based testing (CBT) platform (the "Service"). This AUP is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service.

By using the Service, you agree to comply with this AUP. Violations of this policy may result in warnings, account suspension, or permanent termination without refund.

1. Prohibited Uses

1.1 Academic Integrity Violations

You may NOT use the Service to:

• Cheat on exams: Use unauthorized materials, collaboration, or external assistance during exams
• Share exam content: Distribute or share exam questions, answers, or content with others who will take the same exam
• Impersonate others: Take an exam on behalf of another person or allow someone else to take an exam for you
• Circumvent anti-cheating measures: Attempt to disable blur detection, screen monitoring, or other security features
• Use multiple accounts: Create multiple accounts to bypass exam restrictions or access content improperly
• Exploit system vulnerabilities: Take advantage of bugs, glitches, or errors to gain unfair advantages

1.2 Illegal and Harmful Content

You may NOT upload, create, or distribute content that is:

• Illegal: Content that violates Nigerian law or international laws (e.g., child exploitation material, terrorist content, illegal drug promotion)
• Obscene or pornographic: Sexually explicit material, nudity, or content of a sexual nature
• Violent or graphic: Content depicting extreme violence, gore, or animal cruelty
• Hateful or discriminatory: Content that promotes hate speech, racism, sexism, religious intolerance, or discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
• Harassing or threatening: Content that threatens, intimidates, bullies, or harasses individuals or groups
• Defamatory or libelous: False statements that damage someone's reputation
• Spam or misleading: Repetitive, unsolicited, or deceptive content

1.3 Intellectual Property Violations

You may NOT:

• Infringe copyrights: Upload exam questions, images, or content that you do not own or have permission to use
• Violate trademarks: Use logos, brand names, or trademarks without authorization
• Plagiarize: Present others' work as your own without proper attribution
• Distribute pirated content: Share illegal copies of copyrighted materials (textbooks, study guides, etc.)

Note: When importing questions from Word, PDF, or CSV files, you are solely responsible for ensuring you have the legal right to use that content. Ekogni is not responsible for copyright infringement by users.

1.4 Unauthorized Access and Security Violations

You may NOT:

• Access others' accounts: Attempt to access, use, or view another user's account, exams, or personal information without authorization
• Share account credentials: Share your username, password, or account access with others (each user must have their own account)
• Hack or exploit: Attempt to hack, penetration test, or reverse engineer the Service without written permission
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): Launch attacks that disrupt or overwhelm the Service
• Inject malicious code: Upload viruses, malware, spyware, ransomware, or other harmful code
• Scrape or harvest data: Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to extract data from the Service
• Bypass rate limits: Circumvent security measures, access controls, or usage restrictions

1.5 Account Abuse

You may NOT:

• Create fake accounts: Register accounts using false, misleading, or stolen identities
• Impersonate others: Pretend to be another person, teacher, school official, or Ekogni staff member
• Farm accounts: Create multiple accounts for fraudulent purposes or to circumvent restrictions
• Sell or transfer accounts: Sell, rent, or transfer your account to another person

1.6 Platform Misuse

You may NOT:

• Use for non-educational purposes: Use the Service for commercial purposes unrelated to education (e.g., marketing, advertising)
• Create competing services: Use the Service to develop or operate a competing CBT platform
• Overload the system: Engage in activities that place excessive load on our servers or infrastructure
• Distribute malware: Use the Service to distribute or promote malicious software

2. Responsibilities for Institutional Accounts

2.1 School Responsibilities

Schools and educational institutions using Ekogni are responsible for:

• Verifying teacher eligibility: Ensure that only authorized teachers and staff members are approved to join your organization
• Monitoring usage: Regularly review organizational activity logs and audit trails for suspicious behavior
• Removing ex-staff: Promptly remove teachers and staff members who leave the institution
• Managing join requests: Review and verify the identity of users requesting to join your organization before approving them
• Enforcing policies: Ensure that your teachers and students comply with this AUP and your institution's own academic integrity policies
• Obtaining consent: Obtain necessary parental consent for students under 18 years of age
• Domain verification: Maintain ownership and control of your institution's email domain

2.2 Teacher Responsibilities

Teachers using the Service under an institutional license are responsible for:

• Creating appropriate content: Ensure exam questions are educationally appropriate and do not contain prohibited content
• Respecting copyrights: Only import or use content that you have the legal right to use
• Proctoring exams: Implement appropriate supervision and proctoring measures during exams
• Maintaining security: Keep exam content secure and confidential until students are authorized to access it
• Reporting violations: Report suspected cheating, abuse, or policy violations to school administrators

2.3 Student Responsibilities

Students using the Service are responsible for:

• Academic honesty: Complete exams independently without unauthorized assistance
• Following exam rules: Comply with instructions provided by teachers and exam proctors
• Reporting issues: Report technical problems, glitches, or suspected security issues to teachers or administrators
• Protecting credentials: Keep your account password secure and do not share it with others

3. Enforcement and Consequences

3.1 Violation Reporting

If you become aware of violations of this AUP, please report them to:

• Email: support@ekogni.com
• Subject line: "AUP Violation Report"
• Include: Description of the violation, usernames involved (if known), and any supporting evidence

3.2 Investigation Process

When we receive a report of a violation:

1. We will investigate the reported activity within 3-5 business days
2. We may temporarily suspend access during the investigation if necessary to protect the platform
3. We will review audit logs, activity history, and any evidence provided
4. We will contact the reported user(s) for their side of the story (unless doing so would compromise the investigation)
5. We will make a determination based on the evidence and take appropriate action

3.3 Enforcement Actions

Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, we may take the following actions:

Level 1: Warning (Minor Violations)

• Email warning explaining the violation
• Requirement to acknowledge and agree to comply with this AUP
• No account suspension
• Examples: First-time account sharing, minor inappropriate content, unintentional rule violations

Level 2: Temporary Suspension (Moderate Violations)

• Account suspended for 7-30 days
• Loss of access to exams and platform features during suspension
• Required review of AUP before reinstatement
• Examples: Repeated account sharing, attempting to circumvent anti-cheating measures, uploading copyrighted content without permission, harassment

Level 3: Permanent Ban (Serious Violations)

• Immediate and permanent termination of account
• No access to exams, data, or platform features
• No refund of subscription fees
• Potential referral to law enforcement (for illegal activities)
• Examples: Hacking attempts, uploading illegal content (child exploitation, terrorism), systematic cheating rings, distributing malware, serious harassment or threats, repeated violations after prior suspensions

3.4 Appeals Process

If you believe you have been wrongly suspended or banned:

1. Submit an appeal: Email support@ekogni.com with the subject line "Account Suspension Appeal"
2. Include information: Your username, description of the situation, and any evidence supporting your case
3. Review timeline: We will review your appeal within 5-7 business days
4. Decision: Our decision on appeals is final

Note: Appeals are only accepted for Level 2 (temporary suspension) and Level 3 (permanent ban) actions. We do not accept appeals for warnings.

3.5 Organizational Consequences

For institutional accounts, repeated violations by multiple members may result in:

• Warnings to the Organization Owner and Admins
• Requirement for the school to implement additional oversight measures
• Suspension of the entire organizational account (in extreme cases)
• Termination of institutional license without refund

4. Content Moderation

4.1 Our Right to Remove Content

Ekogni reserves the right to remove any content that violates this AUP, including:

• Exam questions or materials that infringe copyrights
• Inappropriate, illegal, or harmful content
• Content reported by other users or copyright holders
• Content that poses security or legal risks

We will make reasonable efforts to notify you before removing content, unless immediate removal is necessary to protect the platform or comply with legal requirements.

4.2 Copyright Takedown Requests

If you are a copyright holder and believe your content has been uploaded to Ekogni without permission:

1. Email us: support@ekogni.com
2. Subject line: "Copyright Infringement Report"
3. Include:
   • Your contact information and proof of copyright ownership
   • Description of the copyrighted work
   • Location of the infringing content on Ekogni (if known)
   • Statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorized
   • Statement that the information in your notice is accurate

We will investigate and remove infringing content within 7 business days.

4.3 Counter-Notification (for Users)

If your content was removed due to a copyright claim and you believe the removal was in error:

1. Email us: support@ekogni.com
2. Subject line: "Copyright Counter-Notification"
3. Include:
   • Your contact information
   • Description of the removed content
   • Statement explaining why the content should not have been removed (e.g., you own the copyright, you have permission, fair use)
   • Supporting evidence (license, permission letter, etc.)

5. Exceptions and Special Cases

5.1 Authorized Security Research

If you are a security researcher and wish to test Ekogni's security:

• Contact us at support@ekogni.com before conducting any testing
• Wait for written authorization before proceeding
• Follow responsible disclosure practices
• Do not access, modify, or delete other users' data

Unauthorized security testing is a violation of this AUP and may result in legal action.

5.2 Educational Use of Content

Teachers may use copyrighted materials (textbook questions, past exam papers) under Nigerian copyright law's fair use/fair dealing provisions for educational purposes, provided:

• Use is strictly for educational purposes within your institution
• Use is limited in scope (a few questions, not entire textbooks)
• Use does not harm the market for the original work
• Proper attribution is provided where possible

However, we recommend obtaining explicit permission from copyright holders whenever possible.

6. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you via:

• Email notification to your registered email address
• In-app notification when you next log in
• Notice posted on our website

Your continued use of the Service after such notification constitutes acceptance of the updated AUP.

7. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, please contact us:

Ekogni Support
Email: support@ekogni.com
Phone: +234 810 248 6199
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM WAT

Policy Violations: support@ekogni.com (Subject: "AUP Violation Report")
Copyright Issues: support@ekogni.com (Subject: "Copyright Inquiry")
Security Research: support@ekogni.com (Subject: "Security Research Request")

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By using the Ekogni Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy.