Terms of use

Child Visibility Initiative

childvisibility.org

1. Introduction

1.1. These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern access to and use of childvisibility.org (the “Website”), published in connection with the Child Visibility Initiative (“The Initiative”). The Website is coordinated by Private Charitable Fund “Spark Programs” (“Spark Programs”, “we”, “us”, “our”), established under the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan under registration number 220740042362 , with its registered address at 22/1 Satpaev St., Bostandyk district, Almaty, 050000, Republic of Kazakhstan ("Spark Programs", "we", "us", "our").

For purposes of these Terms, "the Initiative" refers to the Child Visibility Initiative research program in its entirety. References to "CVI" refer exclusively to the Child Visibility Index. Where reference is made to the broader programme of research and its associated outputs, the terms "the Initiative" or "the Initiative and its research outputs" shall be used.

1.2. Public Platform. The Website is a publicly accessible informational and research platform. No invitation or registration is required. By using the Website, you agree to these Terms.

1.3. Acceptance. If you do not agree, you must not use the Website. Continued use means you accept these Terms.

1.4. Amendments. We may revise these Terms at any time (Section 22). Continued use after an update means you accept the changes.

1.5. Phased Publication. The Website is published in phases and will keep evolving as The methodology matures. Some sections may appear as placeholders or “coming soon.” These Terms apply to the Website as published from time to time.

2. Nature of the Initiative and the Website

2.1. Research Platform. The Website is an informational and research resource. It is not an operational case-management system and does not perform child protection or social work functions. The initiative complements, but does not replace, existing child-protection frameworks or services.

2.2. Not a Registry or Surveillance Tool. The Child Visibility Index and the Website are not a registry of children, a surveillance tool, a substitute for national data systems, or a country ranking. The Initiative evaluates system performance, not individual families. The Child Visibility Index should NOT be used to rank, compare, or evaluate countries relative to each other. Comparisons between countries require full methodology review.

3. Eligibility and Acceptance

3.1. Age and Capacity. You confirm you are at least 18 (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) and have full legal capacity. If acting for an organisation, you confirm you have authority to bind it.

3.2. Intended Audience. The Website is intended for an adult, professional audience — policymakers, practitioners, researchers, journalists, and the public. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

3.3. Open Access. No invitation is needed to browse the Website. The Contact form (Section 6) may ask for your organisation and area of interest to route your enquiry.

4. Access to and Use of the Website

4.1. No Accounts. The Website does not currently require registration or maintain user accounts.

4.2. Availability. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access. We may suspend or restrict access for maintenance, security, or operational reasons (Section 21).

4.3. Language. The Website may be published in more than one language (Section 29).

4.4. Your Equipment. You are responsible for the equipment and internet access needed to use the Website.

5. Acceptable Use

5.1. Permitted Use. You may use the Website for lawful purposes, including research, education, journalism, and exploring collaboration with The Initiative.

5.2. Good Faith. Information you submit (Section 6) must be accurate and not misleading.

5.3. Professional Conduct. You must interact respectfully with The Initiative personnel, Spark Programs, and other users.

6. Collaboration Forms; Submissions and Feedback

6.1. Contact Form. The Website’s Contact form lets you submit your name, email, organisation, area of interest, and a message (a “Submission”).

6.2. Representations. You confirm your Submission is accurate, you are authorised to send it, and it does not include personal data about a specific child or family, or confidential third-party information.

6.3. No Partnership Created. A Submission alone does not create confidentiality, partnership, or data-sharing obligations. These require a separate written agreement (Section 12.3).

6.4. Feedback Licence. Any feedback or Submission you provide becomes the property of the Initiative. You grant us a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, perpetual, and worldwide licence to use, reproduce, modify, and publish your Submission for any purpose related to the Initiative, without compensation to you, and you waive any moral rights in such Submission.

6.5. No Obligation to Respond. We are not obliged to respond to any Submission.

7. Prohibited Conduct

7.1. You must not:

(a) use the Website unlawfully or in breach of third-party rights;

(b) copy or reproduce Content except as allowed under Sections 8 and 10;

(c) use bots or scrapers to bulk-extract Content beyond what the Data Usage & Attribution Policy allows;

(d) bypass security measures or interfere with the Website;

(e) upload viruses or malicious code;

(f) misrepresent your affiliation with The Initiative, Spark Programs, or the Supporting Organisations;

(g) use the Website to identify, locate, or contact a specific child or family;

(h) use Content to sensationalise or stigmatise vulnerable children or families, contrary to our Editorial & Ethics Standards (Section 11);

(i) submit false information, or use the Contact form for unrelated commercial solicitation;

(j) breach sanctions, export control, or anti-corruption laws; or

(k) help anyone else do the above.

7.2. Violating this Section may lead to restriction or termination of your access (Section 20).

8. Intellectual Property; Ownership of Website Content

8.1. Ownership. Unless stated otherwise, the Website and its Content, including text, publications, the Child Visibility concept, research findings, graphics, and software, are owned by us, or are used by us under licence from or with the permission of the respective copyright holders. Nothing in these Terms transfers any ownership rights to you.

8.2. Limited Licence. We grant you a limited, revocable licence to view and download Content for personal, educational, research, or editorial or journalistic use, subject to Sections 10 and 11.

8.3. No Other Rights. You may not otherwise reproduce, modify, or commercially exploit Content without our written consent.

8.4. Research Contributions. Participating in peer review or methodology contributions does not itself grant you ownership or a licence in The Initiative´s Content, unless separately agreed in writing.

8.5. Where you create derivative works (e.g., translations, adaptations, or analyses) based on our Content, you must retain the original copyright notice and credit the Initiative and CVI as the source, in accordance with the CC BY-NC 4.0 license requirements. You must clearly distinguish your own content from our original materials.

9. Trademarks

9.1. “Child Visibility Initiative,” “CVI,” “Child Visibility Index,” and related logos are trademarks of Spark Programs and/or the Supporting Organisations (the “Marks”).

9.2. No licence to use the Marks is granted except for fair editorial or academic reference. Any other use, including in commercial advertising, co-branding, or as an endorsement of any third-party product or service, is strictly prohibited without our prior written consent.

10. Data Usage, Attribution and Citation

10.1. Use of CVI or The Initiative data, indicators, or methodology is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) and is governed by our Privacy Policy [Drafting Note: confirm current URL — see note below], incorporated by reference. Attribution must be provided using a recognised standard (e.g., APA 7) and must include:

> (a) attribution to both The Initiative and CVI;

> (b) labelling preliminary findings as such;

> (c) no framing of country data as competitive rankings; and

> (d) citation of methodology version and date.

10.2. If this Section conflicts with the Privacy Policy, the Policy prevails.

10.3. Underlying datasets are available under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license. Any use of dashboard data in publications, reports, or other work must include attribution: "Data from Child Visibility Initiative Dashboard (Spark Programs, \[year\]). Accessed \[date\] from \[URL\]." Commercial use, such as the sale of data or paid services, is prohibited. Use in media, journalism, education, and research is considered non-commercial and is permitted provided that these attribution requirements are met.

11. Editorial Standards and Sensitive Subject Matter

11.1. Use of Content is also governed by our Editorial & Ethics Standards www.childvisibility.org, covering imagery ethics and avoidance of identifiable images of at-risk children or sensationalised narratives.

11.2. No Identification of Individuals. You must not use the Website to identify, locate, or contact a specific child or family.

11.3. Country Framing. Country-related Content is for general research and policy purposes only, not a comprehensive statement of any government’s policy, nor legal advice for any jurisdiction.

11.4. Media Use. Logos and press materials may be used by media strictly for editorial reporting on The Initiative or CVI, and do not imply our endorsement of the outlet.

12. Third-Party Websites, Content and Data Sources

12.1. The Website cites third-party research (e.g., UNICEF) and may link to third-party sites or events. These references are informational only.

12.2. We do not control or endorse third-party content and are not responsible for its accuracy. Your use of a third-party site is subject to its own terms.

12.3. Data Partnerships. References to data partnerships with governments describe our general approach and do not themselves create a data-sharing arrangement; that requires a separate written agreement.

13. Accuracy of Information; Preliminary and Evolving Content

13.1. We take reasonable care, but Content may be incomplete, preliminary, or under review, and may change without notice.

13.2. We do not warrant that Content is accurate, complete, or current, and are not responsible for decisions made in reliance on it.

13.3. Maps and Territorial References. Maps or boundaries shown on the Website do not reflect any The Initiative or CVI position on the legal status of any territory or its borders. The boundaries and country designations shown on this dashboard represent the current political situation and do not represent the views or policies of Spark Programs, The Initiative or the CVI. Mapping choices reflect data availability, not political endorsement.

13.4. Data Verification. Dashboard data is current as of [DATE]. Individual country assessments may reflect different collection periods. See Methodology for detailed source documentation and quality assurance procedures.

14. No Professional Advice; No Emergency or Reporting Channel

14.1. No Professional Advice. Content is for general informational purposes only and is not legal, medical, or social work advice. It must not be the sole basis for any individual case decision.

14.2. Not an Emergency Channel. The Website is not a channel for reporting suspected child abuse or an emergency. If you are concerned about a child’s immediate safety, contact your local emergency services or child-protection authority directly. We do not monitor Submissions for emergencies.

15. Compliance, Ethics and Anti-Corruption

15.1. You confirm your use of the Website, and any collaboration with The Initiative, will comply with all applicable laws, including data protection, anti-corruption, and sanctions laws.

15.2. Sanctions. You confirm you are not subject to any applicable sanctions list.

15.3. Anti-Bribery. You must not offer or accept bribes in connection with your use of the Website or any collaboration.

15.4. Reporting Concerns. If you suspect a violation of this Section, please contact us (Section 31).

16. Data Protection and Privacy

16.1. Personal data you provide is handled under our Privacy Policy www.childvisibility.org, incorporated by reference.

16.2. These Terms do not themselves govern personal data handling; that is addressed exclusively in the Privacy Policy.

16.3. Child Data Protection. This dashboard contains NO individual-level data on children. All metrics are aggregated at the country and system level to protect privacy and prevent identification. Disaggregated data (where applicable) is published only where sample sizes prevent individual identification.

17. Disclaimers of Warranties

17.1. THE WEBSITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

17.2. Reliance on Content. The Website and its Content are provided for general research and informational purposes only. The Initiative makes no warranty that the Content is fit for any specific decision-making purpose and assumes no liability for any reliance on the Content for decision-making purposes, policy development, or investment decisions.

17.3. Cybersecurity. We do not warrant the Website is free of vulnerabilities. You are responsible for your own systems’ security.

18. Limitation of Liability

18.1. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NEITHER WE NOR THE SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS ARE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE WEBSITE OR ITS CONTENT, INCLUDING TECHNICAL FAILURES, UNAUTHORISED ACCESS, RELIANCE ON CONTENT, OR THIRD-PARTY CONTENT.

18.2. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded by law, including for fraud, wilful misconduct, or gross negligence.

19. Indemnification

19.1. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us, the Supporting Organisations, and our respective personnel from claims arising from your breach of these Terms, misuse of the Website, or any Submission.

20. Suspension, Restriction and Termination of Access

20.1. You may stop using the Website at any time.

20.2. We may restrict or block your access, without notice, for violations of these Terms or for security or operational reasons.

20.3. Survival. Sections 6, 8–11, 14–19, and 23–31 survive termination.

21. Modifications to the Website

21.1. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Website or any feature, at any time, without liability.

22. Changes to these Terms

22.1. We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated date on this page. Continued use after an update means you accept the changes.

Spark Programs reserves the right to correct errors, update interpretations, or revise data based on new evidence.

23. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

23.1. Governing Law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

23.2. Jurisdiction. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Kazakhstan, subject to Section 23.3.

23.3. We may seek injunctive relief in any competent court to protect our intellectual property or confidential information.

24. Severability

24.1. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary, or severed, without affecting the rest of these Terms.

25. Waiver

25.1. Our failure to enforce any right under these Terms is not a waiver of that right.

26. Assignment

26.1. You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms to a Supporting Organisation, affiliate, or successor at any time.

27. Force Majeure

27.1. We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, or infrastructure failures.

28. Electronic Communications

28.1. By using the Website, you consent to receive communications from us electronically, including by email and notices posted on the Website.

29. Language of these Terms

29.1. These Terms are drafted in English. Translations are for convenience only; the English version prevails, except where mandatory local law requires otherwise.

30. Entire Agreement

30.1. These Terms, together with the Data Usage & Attribution Policy, Editorial & Ethics Standards, and Privacy Policy, form the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Website, superseding any prior understanding. A separate written agreement for a specific collaboration will prevail over these Terms for that collaboration.

31. Contact Information

31.1. General Enquiries. Use the Contact form at childvisibility.org/contact, or email [email protected].