Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using SleuthScan.com ("Service," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service. These Terms apply to all users worldwide, including users in the European Union and United Kingdom.

2. Description of Service

SleuthScan provides an AI-powered image forensics analysis service that helps users determine whether images are authentic, AI-generated, or digitally manipulated. Our analysis uses multiple AI models, including pixel-level forensics, reverse image search, web intelligence scanning, and quote/text verification — which cross-references text overlaid on images against internet sources to detect fabricated, misattributed, or out-of-context statements.

Important Disclaimer: SleuthScan's analysis results are indicators, not legal proof or definitive conclusions. No AI detection system is 100% accurate. Do not use our results as the sole basis for legal, medical, journalistic, or other high-stakes decisions. We accept no liability for decisions made based on our analysis.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years of age to use this Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement. If you are under 18, you represent that you have parental or guardian consent.

4. User Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

5. Credits and Payments

• Each image analysis consumes one (1) credit from your account balance.
• Each quote verification analysis also consumes one (1) credit and is charged separately from the image scan.
• Credits are non-refundable once purchased, except as required by applicable law (including EU consumer protection laws).
• Credits do not expire.
• New accounts receive one (1) complimentary credit upon registration.
• Payments are processed by Stripe or PayPal. By making a purchase, you agree to their respective terms and conditions.
• All prices are displayed in USD. Currency conversion is handled by your payment provider.

EU/UK Consumer Rights: If you are an EU or UK consumer, you may have a statutory right to cancel a purchase within 14 days. However, by using a credit immediately after purchase, you acknowledge the service has been fully performed and waive this cancellation right for used credits.

6. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to use the Service to:

• Upload images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any illegal content.
• Violate any applicable local, national, or international laws or regulations.
• Infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other rights of any third party.
• Upload images of individuals without their consent for surveillance or harassment purposes.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or circumvent any security features of the Service.
• Use the Service for automated bulk analysis without prior written approval.
• Spread misinformation using our results out of context.

7. Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of any images you upload. By uploading an image, you grant SleuthScan a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to process that image solely for the purpose of providing the analysis Service.

All content, branding, software, and analysis methodologies of SleuthScan are the exclusive property of SleuthScan and protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our express written consent.

7a. Image Sharing, Watermarks & Copyright Responsibility

SleuthScan allows you to download and share a processed version of your uploaded image with our analysis results embedded directly onto it as a watermark overlay (including verdict, AI score, and tamper score). This composite output constitutes a new derivative work created by you using our Service.

You are solely responsible for ensuring you have the right to upload, process, download, and share any image through SleuthScan. This includes verifying that:

• You own the image, or have obtained all necessary licenses, permissions, or rights from the copyright holder prior to uploading.
• Sharing the watermarked output does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, publicity right, or other intellectual property right held by a third party.
• The image is not subject to usage restrictions that would prohibit its reproduction or distribution in any form.

SleuthScan bears no responsibility for any copyright, trademark, or intellectual property infringement arising from your upload, download, or sharing of images — including watermarked output images generated by the Service. The fact that an image has been processed or overlaid with our analysis watermark does not grant you any new rights to that underlying image, nor does it constitute a transformation sufficient to override the original copyright holder's rights.

Important: If you are unsure whether you have the right to share an image, do not share the watermarked output. SleuthScan will respond to valid copyright takedown notices in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and applicable international law.

7b. Photo Forensics

The "Photo Forensics" feature performs a descriptive inventory of an uploaded image — identifying objects, brands, clothing, food, locations, landmarks, and visible text. It is a separate analysis from our AI/manipulation detection and does not determine whether an image is authentic, AI-generated, or manipulated.

Beta Feature & Accuracy Disclaimer: Photo Forensics is currently in Beta. Brand, location, clothing, and object identifications are AI-generated estimates and may be incorrect or incomplete. They are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as definitive identification, legal proof, or expert opinion.

Brand & Trademark Identification: Any brand, logo, or product name identified by Photo Forensics is referenced for descriptive purposes only. SleuthScan does not endorse, sponsor, or have any affiliation with identified brands, and identification does not confirm authenticity. All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.

Clothing Search & Third-Party Links: The optional Clothing Search returns links to third-party websites (retailers, marketplaces, and image results). We do not control, endorse, or guarantee the availability, pricing, accuracy, or safety of these external sites. You access them at your own risk and are responsible for reviewing their terms and privacy practices.

Your Responsibility: Because Photo Forensics can identify people, places, and products visible in a photo, you represent that you have the right to upload and analyze any image you submit, including any necessary consent from identifiable individuals. You agree not to use Photo Forensics to identify, surveil, investigate, stalk, harass, or dox any private individual, or for any unlawful purpose.

8. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

9. Scan History & Data Retention

• Automatic Deletion: Uploaded images and their associated analysis records are automatically and permanently deleted from your scan history 7 days after the scan was performed. This limit cannot be extended.
• Scan History Cap: Your scan history is limited to a maximum of 30 scans. When this limit is reached, the oldest scan is automatically removed to accommodate new ones.
• Manual Deletion: You may delete any scan result at any time from your History page prior to the 7-day automatic deletion.
• No Recovery: Once deleted — whether automatically or manually — scan records and associated images cannot be recovered. We recommend saving any important results before they expire.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SLEUTHSCAN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 30 DAYS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

Note for EU/UK consumers: Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection law, including rights under the EU Consumer Rights Directive or UK Consumer Rights Act 2015.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SleuthScan and its officers, directors, and employees from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

12. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service at our sole discretion, without notice, for conduct that violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, us, or third parties. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Unused credits are non-refundable upon termination for cause.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States. For users in the EU/EEA, mandatory consumer protection provisions of your country of residence also apply and cannot be overridden by these Terms.

EU consumers may also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

14. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by email or prominent notice on the Service. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at: support@sleuthscan.com