Terms of Service

Version: 1.0
Last Updated: March 22, 2026
Effective Date: March 22, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the LearningNuggets platform ("Service"), available at [learningnuggets.com] ("Website"), you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.

If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization (such as a school, school district, or employer), you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms, and "you" refers to both you individually and the organization.

For users under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must review and agree to these Terms on your behalf. See Section 11 for additional requirements regarding minors.

2. Description of Service

LearningNuggets is a cybersecurity education platform that provides:

1. AI-Powered Socratic Tutoring -- An AI tutor ("Nugget") that teaches cybersecurity concepts through guided, conversational learning sessions.
2. Browser-Based Simulations -- Terminal simulations (WASM-based), Python sandbox environments (Pyodide), and social engineering training exercises, all running locally in your browser.
3. Docker Lab Environments -- Real Linux virtual machines provisioned on-demand for hands-on offensive and defensive security training. These environments run on remote infrastructure (Fly.io) and are subject to the additional terms in Section 6.
4. Progress Tracking -- Proficiency assessments, learning history, and knowledge state tracking across sessions.
5. Subscription Management -- Tiered access plans with varying feature availability.

3. Account Registration

3.1 Eligibility

To create an account, you must:

1. Be at least 13 years of age (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher).
2. If under 18, have verifiable parental or guardian consent as described in Section 11.
3. Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information.
4. Maintain the accuracy of your account information.

3.2 Account Types

LearningNuggets supports the following account types:

• Student (Minor) -- Users under 18 years of age. Subject to enhanced privacy protections (COPPA/FERPA).
• Student (Adult) -- Users 18 or older using the platform for personal learning.
• Professional -- Users accessing the platform for professional development.
• Teacher -- Educators managing classroom accounts and student progress.

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for:

1. Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
2. All activity that occurs under your account.
3. Notifying us immediately at support@learningnuggets.com if you suspect unauthorized access.

4. Subscription and Billing

4.1 Subscription Tiers

LearningNuggets offers the following subscription tiers:

Feature availability, topic counts, and usage limits are subject to change. Current tier details are always available on the pricing page of the Website.

4.2 Billing and Payment

1. Payments are processed securely through Stripe. LearningNuggets does not store your full credit card number or payment credentials.
2. Subscriptions are billed on a recurring monthly or annual basis, depending on your selection.
3. All prices are listed in US Dollars (USD) unless otherwise specified.
4. Applicable taxes may be added to the listed price based on your jurisdiction.

4.3 Auto-Renewal

Paid subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless canceled before the renewal date. You will be charged the then-current rate for your tier at each renewal.

4.4 Cancellation

1. You may cancel your subscription at any time through the billing management portal.
2. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You retain access to paid features until that date.
3. No partial refunds are provided for unused portions of a billing period.

4.5 Refunds

1. LearningNuggets offers a 7-day refund for first-time subscribers who have not exceeded 10 learning sessions. To request a refund, contact support@learningnuggets.com within 7 days of your initial subscription purchase.
2. Refunds are not available for renewal charges. Cancel before the renewal date to avoid being charged.
3. School tier billing and refund terms may be governed by a separate institutional agreement.

4.6 Free Tier

The Free tier is provided at no cost with limited functionality. LearningNuggets reserves the right to modify Free tier features, limits, or availability at any time without prior notice.

5. Acceptable Use

5.1 Permitted Use

You may use the Service to:

1. Learn cybersecurity concepts through AI-guided sessions.
2. Practice skills in provided simulation and lab environments.
3. Track your educational progress and proficiency.
4. Access educational content within your subscription tier.

5.2 Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

1. Use the Service to plan, prepare for, or execute any unauthorized access to systems, networks, or data you do not own or have explicit authorization to test.
2. Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or extract the source code of any part of the Service.
3. Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, scripts) to access the Service or extract content.
4. Share, resell, or redistribute account access or platform content.
5. Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation.
6. Upload or transmit malicious code, malware, or any content designed to disrupt the Service.
7. Harass, threaten, or abuse other users, staff, or the AI tutor.
8. Use the Service in any manner that violates applicable local, state, national, or international law.
9. Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any access controls, rate limits, usage limits, or security measures.
10. Use the educational content or techniques learned on the platform to conduct unauthorized or illegal activities.

5.3 Content Standards

Any content you submit, including chat messages and feedback, must not contain:

1. Personally identifiable information of third parties without their consent.
2. Content that is illegal, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.
3. Real credentials, passwords, API keys, or access tokens.

6. Docker Lab Environment

This section contains critical terms governing your use of Docker lab environments. By using Docker labs, you agree to these additional terms.

6.1 Purpose and Nature of Labs

Docker lab environments are sandboxed training environments provided exclusively for educational purposes. These labs provision real Linux virtual machines with cybersecurity tools (such as nmap, tcpdump, and similar utilities) to enable hands-on learning.

6.2 Network and Security Controls

1. Network Isolation -- Lab environments operate under strict network lockdown. Outbound access to external networks and the internet is blocked by design.
2. Security Profiles -- Labs run with seccomp profiles and runtime security controls that restrict dangerous system operations.
3. Monitoring -- All lab activity, including terminal commands, is logged and monitored for educational and security purposes.
4. Auto-Termination -- Labs are automatically terminated upon detection of suspicious behavior, timeout thresholds, or usage budget exhaustion.

6.3 Prohibited Lab Activities

In addition to the general prohibited conduct in Section 5, you specifically must not:

1. Attempt to circumvent security controls -- including network restrictions, seccomp profiles, resource limits, or any other sandboxing mechanism.
2. Attempt to attack external systems -- Any attempt to use lab environments to access, scan, probe, or attack systems outside the lab is strictly prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate account termination and may be reported to law enforcement.
3. Attempt to escape the sandbox -- including container escape techniques, privilege escalation beyond the lab environment, or accessing the host infrastructure.
4. Use labs as proxies or VPNs -- Labs must not be used to route traffic, mask identity, or act as intermediary access points.
5. Store sensitive personal data -- Do not store real passwords, credentials, financial information, or personally identifiable information in lab environments.
6. Mine cryptocurrency or use lab resources for any purpose other than educational exercises.

6.4 User Responsibility

You accept full responsibility for all actions taken within your lab environment. LearningNuggets provides cybersecurity tools for educational purposes only. The availability of these tools does not constitute authorization, encouragement, or permission to use them against any system, network, or entity outside the lab environment.

6.5 Usage Limits

Docker lab usage is subject to tier-based time budgets:

• Pro tier: 75 minutes per month
• School tier: Unlimited (subject to institutional agreement)

6.6 Data in Lab Environments

Lab environments are ephemeral. Data stored within a lab may be lost when the lab is paused, terminated, or times out. LearningNuggets is not responsible for any data loss within lab environments. Terminal session logs are captured for educational purposes and automatically deleted after 30 days.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Platform Content

All content on the Service -- including but not limited to educational materials, AI-generated tutoring content, simulation scenarios, lab configurations, user interface design, and software code -- is the property of LearningNuggets or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service content for your personal, non-commercial educational purposes in accordance with your subscription tier.

7.2 AI-Generated Content

Content generated by the AI tutor during your learning sessions is provided for your educational use. You may retain notes and learnings from your sessions. You may not systematically extract, reproduce, or redistribute AI-generated content from the platform.

7.3 User-Generated Content

By submitting content to the Service (such as feedback, bug reports, or suggestions), you grant LearningNuggets a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, modify, and incorporate that content into the Service.

7.4 Trademarks

"LearningNuggets," "Nugget," the LearningNuggets logo, and related marks are trademarks of LearningNuggets. You may not use these marks without prior written permission.

8. Limitation of Liability

8.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

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

LearningNuggets does not warrant that:

1. The Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.
2. The educational content is complete, accurate, or current for all purposes.
3. Any skills learned through the Service will result in employment, certification, or professional qualification.

8.2 Limitation of Damages

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, LEARNINGNUGGETS AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

LEARNINGNUGGETS' TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO LEARNINGNUGGETS IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

8.3 Lab Environment Specific Limitations

LearningNuggets is not responsible for:

1. Any consequences resulting from skills, techniques, or knowledge gained through the Service being applied outside the platform.
2. Any actions you take within or outside of lab environments that violate applicable law.
3. Data loss within lab environments due to termination, timeout, or infrastructure changes.
4. Temporary unavailability of lab environments due to infrastructure provider outages.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless LearningNuggets and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:

1. Your use of the Service, including but not limited to Docker lab environments.
2. Your violation of these Terms.
3. Your violation of any applicable law or regulation.
4. Any unauthorized or illegal use of cybersecurity techniques learned through the Service.
5. Any content you submit to the Service.

10. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at [learningnuggets.com/privacy]. The Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in the Privacy Policy.

11. COPPA and FERPA Compliance

11.1 Children Under 13 (COPPA)

LearningNuggets complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

1. Users under 13 years of age may only use the Service with verifiable parental or guardian consent.
2. We collect only the minimum information necessary to provide the Service to child users.
3. Personally identifiable information (PII) is automatically redacted in AI tutoring sessions for users identified as minors.
4. Parents or guardians may review, request deletion of, or refuse further collection of their child's information by contacting privacy@learningnuggets.com.
5. We do not engage in behavioral advertising or profiling targeted at children.

11.2 Student Education Records (FERPA)

LearningNuggets complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for School tier accounts.

1. Student data collected through School accounts is treated as education records.
2. Schools (through authorized teachers and administrators) act as the consenting party for student data collection under FERPA.
3. LearningNuggets acts as a "school official" with a legitimate educational interest and will not use student education records for any purpose other than providing the Service.
4. Student data is never mined for advertising or sold to third parties.
5. PII redaction is automatically enforced for all users associated with a school account, regardless of age.
6. Parents may exercise their FERPA rights by contacting their school, which can relay requests to LearningNuggets, or by contacting us directly at privacy@learningnuggets.com.

11.3 School Tier Agreements

Institutional use under the School tier may be subject to a separate Data Processing Agreement (DPA) or Student Data Privacy Agreement. Contact legal@learningnuggets.com for institutional agreements.

12. Termination

12.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting support@learningnuggets.com or using the account settings in the Service. Termination of your account does not automatically cancel an active subscription -- you must cancel your subscription separately.

12.2 Termination by LearningNuggets

LearningNuggets may suspend or terminate your account, without prior notice, if:

1. You violate these Terms, including the Acceptable Use and Docker Lab provisions.
2. You engage in activity that poses a security risk to the Service or other users.
3. You fail to pay subscription fees when due.
4. We are required to do so by law.
5. We discontinue the Service or any material part of it.

12.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

1. Your right to access the Service ceases immediately.
2. We may delete your account data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data retention obligations.
3. Any provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 7, 8, 9, and 13) will survive.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

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

13.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating formal dispute resolution, you agree to contact us at legal@learningnuggets.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

13.3 Binding Arbitration

If the dispute is not resolved informally, you and LearningNuggets agree to resolve it through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be conducted in English and take place in the State of Delaware or remotely, at the arbitrator's discretion.

13.4 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND LEARNINGNUGGETS AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

13.5 Exceptions

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for matters relating to intellectual property rights or unauthorized access to the Service.

14. Changes to Terms

LearningNuggets reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes:

1. We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document.
2. We will notify registered users via email or an in-platform notification at least 14 days before the changes take effect.
3. For School tier accounts, we will provide at least 30 days' notice to the institutional administrator.

15. General Provisions

15.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any applicable institutional agreements, constitute the entire agreement between you and LearningNuggets regarding the Service.

15.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

15.3 Waiver

The failure of LearningNuggets to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

15.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms. LearningNuggets may assign its rights and obligations without restriction.

16. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• General Support: support@learningnuggets.com
• Legal Inquiries: legal@learningnuggets.com
• Privacy Concerns: privacy@learningnuggets.com
• Security Reports: security@learningnuggets.com

These Terms of Service are effective as of March 22, 2026.