These Terms & Conditions form part of the Governance Framework for been. They should be read alongside Our Commitment to You, the Ethical Principles of been, the AI Transparency Statement, the Privacy Policy, and the remaining governance documents. Together, these documents describe the principles, responsibilities, and expectations that govern the use of been.
1. Acceptance of These Terms
By creating an account, accessing, or using been, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.
If you do not agree with these Terms, you should not access or use the Companion.
Your use of been also indicates that you have read and understood the Privacy Policy and the AI Transparency Statement, which explain how the Companion operates and how personal information is handled.
2. Purpose of the Companion
been is an AI-powered reflective companion designed to support the recognition and preservation of personal perception through the methodology of Naming Intact Perception (NIP), developed within the Gentle Emotional Engineering (GEE) framework.
The Companion is intended to provide a space for reflection and recognition. It is not designed to diagnose, treat, or prevent medical or mental health conditions, nor is it intended to replace professional healthcare, psychotherapy, coaching, legal advice, or other professional services.
Participants remain responsible for their own decisions, actions, and interpretations arising from their use of the Companion.
3. Eligibility
You may use been only if you are legally permitted to enter into a binding agreement under the laws applicable to your jurisdiction.
If you are under the age of majority in your jurisdiction, use of the Companion requires the permission and supervision of a parent, legal guardian, or another person legally authorized to provide consent on your behalf.
By using been, you confirm that you meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
4. User Accounts
Some features of been may require the creation of a participant account.
You are responsible for:
- providing accurate information when creating your account;
- maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials;
- safeguarding access to your account; and
- notifying the been team of any suspected unauthorized access or security concerns involving your account.
You remain responsible for activities conducted through your account unless unauthorized access results from circumstances beyond your reasonable control or from failures attributable to the service.
5. Acceptable Use
You agree to use been in a lawful, respectful, and responsible manner.
You agree not to:
- use the Companion for unlawful purposes;
- attempt to interfere with or disrupt the operation or security of the service;
- attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, systems, or data;
- use automated tools to abuse or overload the service;
- upload malicious software or harmful code;
- impersonate another person or organization; or
- use the Companion in ways that violate applicable laws or the rights of others.
The Companion is intended to support respectful personal reflection and should not be used for activities that are inconsistent with its intended purpose.
6. Intellectual Property
The been Companion, including its methodology, conversational design, prompts, documentation, branding, visual identity, software, original text, graphics, logos, and related materials, is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
Unless otherwise stated, all intellectual property rights remain the property of the creators or their licensors.
Use of the Companion does not transfer ownership of any intellectual property.
Participants retain ownership of the original information they voluntarily contribute, subject to the rights, permissions, and limitations described in the Privacy Policy and, where applicable, separate research consent documents.
7. AI-Generated Content
been generates responses using artificial intelligence models guided by the methodology of Naming Intact Perception (NIP) within the Gentle Emotional Engineering (GEE) framework.
Although the Companion is designed to respond thoughtfully and consistently with its governing methodology, AI-generated responses may occasionally be incomplete, inaccurate, contextually inappropriate, or otherwise unsuitable for a participant's particular circumstances.
Participants should use their own judgement when engaging with the Companion and should not rely on AI-generated responses as professional advice or as the sole basis for decisions involving their health, safety, legal rights, finances, or other significant matters.
The Companion is intended to support reflection and recognition rather than provide definitive answers or professional guidance.
8. Availability of the Service
While been aims to provide a reliable and accessible service, uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed.
The Companion may occasionally be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance, technical difficulties, software updates, security measures, third-party service interruptions, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue features where reasonably necessary to maintain the quality, safety, security, or long-term sustainability of the service.
Reasonable efforts will be made to minimize unnecessary disruption whenever practical.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, been and its creators shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or relating to the use of the Companion.
The Companion is provided as a reflective conversational companion. Participants remain responsible for their own decisions, actions, and interpretations arising from its use.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation would be unlawful under applicable legislation.
10. Suspension and Termination
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to been where reasonably necessary to:
- protect the safety or rights of participants;
- maintain the security or integrity of the service;
- investigate suspected misuse or unlawful activity;
- comply with legal obligations; or
- enforce these Terms & Conditions.
Where appropriate and practical, participants will be informed of significant account actions and, where reasonably possible, given an opportunity to resolve issues before permanent termination.
Participants may discontinue their use of the Companion at any time.
11. Changes to the Service
As been continues to develop, features, functionality, and implementation may change.
We may introduce new capabilities, improve existing features, modify the conversational experience, enhance security measures, or discontinue aspects of the service as part of its ongoing development.
Where changes materially affect participant experience or governance commitments, reasonable efforts will be made to communicate those changes transparently.
The ethical principles, methodological commitments, and governance standards described throughout the Governance Framework will continue to guide future development.
12. Changes to These Terms
These Terms & Conditions may be revised from time to time to reflect changes in applicable law, the development of the Companion, operational requirements, or governance practices.
Updated versions will include a revised version number and effective date.
Where changes materially affect participant rights or responsibilities, reasonable efforts will be made to provide advance notice before the revised Terms become effective.
Continued use of been after revised Terms take effect constitutes acceptance of those revisions, except where applicable law or ethical obligations require additional notice, consent, or agreement.
13. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction specified by the operator of been, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms limits any mandatory legal rights that participants may have under the laws of their country or region of residence.
For research conducted under institutional review or ethics approval, additional institutional or jurisdiction-specific requirements may also apply.
14. Contact Information
Questions regarding these Terms & Conditions may be directed to the been team through the official contact information provided on the been website or within the application.
Participants are encouraged to contact the team if they require clarification regarding:
- these Terms & Conditions;
- participant responsibilities;
- governance documents;
- intellectual property matters; or
- other questions relating to the use of the Companion.
We are committed to responding to enquiries respectfully, transparently, and within a reasonable timeframe.
Conclusion
These Terms & Conditions establish the legal framework governing the use of been. They are intended to support a relationship built on clarity, transparency, and mutual responsibility between the Companion and its participants.
The purpose of these Terms is not only to define legal responsibilities but also to reflect the broader ethical commitments of been. Together with the other governance documents, they aim to provide participants with a clear understanding of how the Companion operates, the respective responsibilities of participants and those responsible for the design, governance, and operation of the Companion, and the principles that guide its continued development.