Terms of Service

1. Acceptance

By accessing or using vspam.org (the "Platform"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. Description of Service

vspam.org is a collaborative phishing intelligence platform. Users submit, verify, and query indicators of compromise (IOCs) including phishing URLs, domains, IP addresses, and email addresses. Confirmed IOCs are published via API, DNSBL, and data feeds.

3. Accounts

• You must provide a valid email address to register
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and API keys
• One account per person — duplicate accounts may be terminated
• You must be at least 16 years old to create an account
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms

4. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to:

• Submit false reports — deliberately reporting legitimate sites as phishing is grounds for immediate account termination
• Manipulate votes — creating multiple accounts to influence consensus, or coordinating voting to suppress legitimate reports
• Abuse the API — circumventing rate limits, scraping data beyond your tier allowance, or using automated tools to flood the system
• Weaponize the data — using vspam.org data to facilitate attacks, harassment, or any illegal activity
• Impersonate others — using misleading display names or claiming false affiliations

5. Dispute & Delisting

If you believe your domain, URL, IP address, or email address has been incorrectly listed on vspam.org, you may submit a dispute to false-positive@vspam.org. We will review disputes within 5 business days. Confirmed false positives will be delisted and marked accordingly. The dispute process is free.

We may request reasonable evidence of domain ownership or legitimate use to process disputes.

Submitting fraudulent disputes to protect actual phishing infrastructure may result in legal action.

6. Good Faith Operations

vspam.org operates as a good-faith community platform for reporting suspected phishing and security threats. Listings are based on community consensus and automated analysis, and are not intended as definitive legal determinations of wrongdoing. The presence of an IOC in our database does not constitute an accusation of criminal activity by the listed party. We operate in furtherance of the public interest of internet security.

7. Content & Contributions

By submitting reports, votes, evidence, or other content to vspam.org, you:

• Grant vspam.org a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, distribute, display, and sublicense your contributions as part of the Platform and its data feeds
• Affirm that your submissions are made in good faith and based on genuine security concerns
• Understand that submissions are publicly visible and cannot be fully retracted once published in feeds

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless vspam.org, PlatOps Security LLC (its interim operator), their officers, directors, employees, agents, contributors, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from or relating to:

• (a) your use of or access to the Platform
• (b) your submissions, reports, votes, or other content
• (c) your violation of these Terms
• (d) your violation of any third-party rights
• (e) any claim that your submissions caused damage to a third party

9. Data Licensing

Attribution requirement: "Data provided by vspam.org"

For commercial licensing: licensing@vspam.org

10. API Usage

• Free API access is provided for non-commercial use, subject to rate limits
• API keys are non-transferable and must not be shared
• We reserve the right to revoke API access for abuse
• Rate limits vary by trust tier: New (500/hr), Contributor (2,000/hr), Trusted (10,000/hr)
• Commercial API access requires a separate subscription agreement

11. Trust Tiers

Reporter trust is earned through consistent, accurate submissions:

• New — default tier, standard rate limits
• Contributor — earned through accurate reporting history
• Trusted — vetted reporters with high accuracy, single-vote confirmation power

Trust tier promotions are automatic based on reporting accuracy. Tiers may be revoked for submitting false reports.

12. DNSBL Usage

The vspam.org DNSBL is provided for mail server operators to block confirmed phishing domains. By querying the DNSBL, you agree:

• To use it only for email filtering and security purposes
• That false positives may occur — we recommend using the DNSBL alongside other security measures
• Not to redistribute zone data without a commercial license

13. Disclaimer

The Platform and its data are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. vspam.org does not guarantee:

• The accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of IOC data
• That all phishing sites will be detected or reported
• That the Platform will be available without interruption
• That using the DNSBL will prevent all phishing attacks

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vspam.org, PlatOps Security LLC, and their respective contributors, officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to the use or inability to use the Platform, including but not limited to losses arising from false positive listings, missed threats, service interruptions, data inaccuracies, or reliance on threat intelligence data.

In no event shall vspam.org's total aggregate liability exceed the greater of (a) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100 USD) or (b) the total amount paid by you to vspam.org in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitations on liability. In such jurisdictions, the above limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.

15. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising under these Terms shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation for 30 days. If unresolved, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, held in Delaware or remotely.

You agree to waive any right to participate in class-action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration against vspam.org.

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Data License (LICENSE-DATA), constitute the entire agreement between you and vspam.org regarding your use of the Platform, and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

18. Force Majeure

vspam.org shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, DDoS attacks, hosting provider failures, government actions, internet infrastructure failures, or pandemic-related disruptions.

19. Operator

vspam.org is currently operated by PlatOps Security, LLC. The operating entity may change as vspam.org transitions to a registered nonprofit organization. Changes to the operating entity will be announced on the Platform.

20. Changes

We may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance. Material changes will be announced on the Platform.

21. Contact

For questions about these terms: legal@vspam.org

For false positive disputes: false-positive@vspam.org

For commercial licensing: licensing@vspam.org

For privacy concerns: privacy@vspam.org