Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: April 2026

This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) governs your use of the Sensorama™ platform (“Service”) operated by The Origin Institute®. This AUP is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service.

By using the Service, you agree to comply with this AUP. We reserve the right to update this policy at any time, and continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of any changes.

1. General Principles

Sensorama is a professional platform for sensory science. We expect all users to:

Use the Service responsibly, ethically, and in accordance with applicable laws.
Treat panelists and other users with respect and dignity.
Follow accepted standards for human subjects research when conducting sensory evaluations.
Protect the confidentiality of research data and personal information.

2. Prohibited Activities

You must not use the Service to engage in any of the following activities:

2.1 Illegal and Harmful Activities

Any activity that violates applicable local, national, or international law or regulation.
Processing personal data in violation of the GDPR or other applicable data protection laws.
Conducting research involving human subjects without appropriate ethical approval, where such approval is required by your institution or jurisdiction.
Collecting data from minors (under 16) without proper parental consent and legal basis.
Distributing, promoting, or facilitating illegal content or activities.

2.2 Abuse of Panelists

Deceiving panelists about the nature of a study, the data being collected, or how it will be used.
Coercing or pressuring panelists to participate against their will.
Failing to honour a panelist’s right to withdraw from a study at any time.
Exposing panelists to unsafe substances or conditions without proper informed consent and safety measures.
Using panelist data for purposes other than those disclosed to the panelists.
Sharing panelist personal data with third parties without proper authorisation.
Harassing, threatening, or intimidating panelists through the platform.

2.3 Technical Abuse

Attempting to reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or derive the source code of the Service.
Scraping, crawling, or using automated tools to extract data from the Service without written permission.
Attempting to gain unauthorised access to other users’ accounts, data, or systems.
Deliberately introducing viruses, malware, trojans, or other malicious code.
Performing denial-of-service attacks or any action intended to disrupt or degrade the Service.
Exploiting vulnerabilities in the Service rather than reporting them responsibly.
Circumventing or attempting to circumvent access controls, authentication, or security measures.
Using the Service as part of a botnet, cryptomining operation, or other resource-intensive activity unrelated to sensory science.

2.4 Intellectual Property Violations

Uploading content that infringes on any third party’s intellectual property rights.
Using the Sensorama™ or The Origin Institute® trademarks without authorisation.
Copying, reproducing, or redistributing the Service or its components.
Reselling or sublicensing access to the Service without written permission.

2.5 Spam and Misuse of Communication Features

Sending unsolicited bulk communications (spam) through the platform’s email or notification features.
Using the panelist invitation system for marketing, advertising, or any purpose other than legitimate sensory study recruitment.
Sending deceptive, misleading, or fraudulent communications through the Service.
Impersonating another person, organisation, or Sensorama staff member.

2.6 Misrepresentation

Providing false or misleading information during account registration.
Creating multiple accounts to circumvent plan limitations or usage restrictions.
Misrepresenting your affiliation, role, or authority within an organisation.
Using trial or academic plans for commercial purposes not permitted under those plan terms.

3. Data Use Restrictions

You must not use the Service to collect data for advertising, behavioural profiling, or surveillance purposes.
You must not aggregate panelist data across multiple organisations without explicit consent.
You must not use sensory evaluation data to make employment decisions about panelists.
You must comply with the data retention and deletion requirements set out in our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement.

4. Responsible Disclosure

If you discover a security vulnerability in the Service, we ask that you report it to us responsibly:

Email: [email protected]
Do not exploit the vulnerability or access data beyond what is necessary to demonstrate the issue.
Allow us reasonable time (at least 90 days) to address the vulnerability before any public disclosure.
Do not disclose the vulnerability to third parties before we have resolved it.

We appreciate responsible security researchers and will not take legal action against individuals who discover and report vulnerabilities in good faith and in compliance with this policy.

5. Consequences of Violation

Violations of this AUP may result in one or more of the following actions, at our sole discretion:

5.1 Warning

For minor or first-time violations, we may issue a written warning explaining the violation and requesting corrective action.

5.2 Temporary Suspension

For more serious violations, or failure to address a previous warning, we may temporarily suspend your account or specific features. During suspension:

You will not be able to access the Service.
Your data remains intact and is not deleted.
Active panelist sessions may be paused.
You will be notified of the suspension and the reason for it.

5.3 Permanent Termination

For severe violations, repeated violations, or illegal activity, we may permanently terminate your account. In such cases:

You will receive notice of termination and the reason.
You will have 30 days to export your data (unless the data itself is illegal or harmful).
After the export period, your data will be deleted in accordance with our data retention policy.
No refund will be provided for any remaining subscription period.

Immediate termination without notice may occur in cases of: illegal activity, imminent harm to panelists or other users, active security threats, or where required by law enforcement or court order.

5.4 Reporting to Authorities

Where a violation involves illegal activity, we may report the matter to the relevant law enforcement authorities, regulatory bodies, or data protection authorities (including the Dutch Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).

6. Reporting Violations

If you become aware of any violation of this AUP, please report it to us:

Email: [email protected]
General inquiries: [email protected]

When reporting, please include:

A description of the violation.
The identity of the person or account involved (if known).
Any evidence or screenshots supporting your report.
Your contact information so we can follow up if needed.

We will investigate all reports promptly and take appropriate action. Reports can be made anonymously, although providing contact information helps us investigate more effectively.

7. Our Commitment

We are committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and professional platform for all users. We will:

Investigate reports of violations promptly and fairly.
Communicate clearly about any actions taken.
Apply this policy consistently and proportionately.
Provide an opportunity to appeal enforcement decisions (except in cases of immediate termination for safety or legal reasons).

8. Contact

The Origin Institute®
Wageningen, Netherlands
Abuse reports: [email protected]
Security: [email protected]
General: [email protected]
Website: www.sensoramaai.com