1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms

1.1. These Terms of Service (“Terms“) govern your access to and use of the services, including our website and software (collectively, the “Service“), provided by Ringier AG, a company incorporated in Switzerland with its registered office at Brühlstrasse 5, 4800 Zofingen (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our“).
The Service is marketed under the name “EqualVoice-Assistant”, an AI-powered writing assistant designed to identify and suggest alternatives to biased, stereotypical, or non-inclusive language. The EqualVoice-Assistant can be accessed via web application and browser extension and is available to both organizational and individual users.

1.2. By registering for, accessing, or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Notice, and our Acceptable Use Policy, which are incorporated herein by reference. If you use EqualVoice-Assistant on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

1.3. You must be at least 16 years of age to use the Service. By agreeing to these Terms, you represent and warrant to us that you are at least 16 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

2. Account Registration and Security

2.1. To use the Service, you must register for an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process, including your email address, first and last name, and, where applicable, your organization. We do not require you to provide gender or date of birth unless necessary for specific account verification or legal compliance purposes.

2.2. You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials, including your password or passkeys. You are solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account at input@equalvoice.ch or any other breach of security that you become aware of.

2.3. The Service provides for a main user role. Administrative functions are managed by our internal team. Depending on your subscription type, we may offer different access roles or permissions (e.g., admin, editor, viewer) in the future. These will be communicated in the applicable plan documentation.

2.4. If you create or use an account on behalf of an organization, you are responsible for ensuring that all users under that account comply with these Terms. We may require verification of your authorization to act on behalf of that organization.

3. The Service

3.1. The Service uses artificial intelligence to generate text and other content (“Output“) based on the information you provide (“Input“). EqualVoice-Assistant analyses your text and provides suggestions to identify, flag, and reduce biased, stereotypical, or non-inclusive language. The Service may also propose stylistic or linguistic improvements. The Service includes an internal model “EqualVoice-Factor” to additionally calculate male and female representation in the input provided by the user. 

3.2. AI Transparency and Output Disclaimer: You acknowledge that the Output is generated by artificial intelligence. AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, errors, or material that may be offensive or inappropriate. You must independently evaluate the accuracy, suitability, and completeness of all Outputs. You should not rely on the Output as a sole source of truth or as a substitute for professional advice. You remain fully responsible for reviewing, editing, and approving any Output before using or publishing it.

3.3. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service, or any part thereof, at any time with or without notice. We may introduce updates, new features, or improvements from time to time. Temporary interruptions may occur due to maintenance, system upgrades, dependencies on external services and servers or security reasons.

3.4. We do not guarantee that any specific Output will be unique or free from third-party rights. You must ensure that your use of the Output complies with all applicable laws, including intellectual property, privacy, and personality rights of third parties, as well as editorial standards, and internal policies of your organization.

4. Fees, Payment, and Trials

4.1. The Service is offered under a standard paid plan. We may also offer a test mode or limited demo (“Trial“) at our discretion. Details on current plans, pricing, and functionalities are provided on our website or within the Service interface. All prices are stated in Swiss francs (CHF) and include applicable taxes unless otherwise indicated.

4.2. Subscription and Auto-Renewal: Paid plans are billed on a subscription basis. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle unless you cancel it in accordance with the cancellation procedures. By providing your payment information, you authorize us and our payment processor to securely store a payment token and to automatically charge the applicable subscription fees to your selected payment method for each renewal term.

4.3. Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time by sending an e-mail to input@equalvoice.ch 30 days prior to the end of the current billing period. The cancellation will take effect at the end of the current billing period. Except where required by applicable law, we do not provide refunds or credits for partial subscription periods, unused time, or unused features.

4.4. Fee Changes: We may change the fees for the Service at any time, but we will provide you with reasonable prior notice of any such changes. If you do not agree to the new fees, you may cancel your subscription before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new fees.

4.5. We use Datatrans as our technical payment gateway and Worldline as our acquiring partner to process transactions securely. The Service supports payments via Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. You are responsible for ensuring that your payment information is accurate and up to date. The processing of your payments is subject to the terms, conditions, and privacy policies of our payment partners. Failed or rejected payments may result in temporary suspension of your access to the Service.

4.6. Right of Withdrawal for EU Consumers: If you are a consumer residing in the European Union, you have a statutory right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. However, by purchasing a subscription and requesting immediate access to the Service, you explicitly consent to the immediate performance of the contract and acknowledge that you lose your right of withdrawal once the digital content or service has been made available to you.

5. Intellectual Property Rights

5.1. Our IP: We and our licensors own all right, title, and interest in and to the Service, including all associated intellectual property rights. You may not use our branding or trademarks without our prior written consent. All rights not expressly granted to you under these Terms are reserved.

5.2. Your Content: You retain all ownership rights in your Input. You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, process, store, and transmit your Input and Output to the extent necessary to provide, maintain and improve the Service.

5.3. Ownership of Output: You are the owner of the Output you generate through the Service. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Output complies with all applicable laws and does not infringe on the rights of any third party.

5.4. If you provide us with feedback, suggestions, or improvement ideas (“Feedback”), you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, and royalty-free right to use such Feedback for any purpose, without obligation to you.

6. Use of Content for Service Improvement

6.1. We may use your Input and Output internally to develop and improve our models and the Service. This data will be stored in secure databases on AWS. Such processing is carried out solely for the purpose of improving the Service and, where technically feasible, in aggregated or pseudonymized form in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you use the Service on behalf of an organization, or if you are on a specific enterprise plan, your Input and Output will not be used to train our AI models unless explicitly agreed otherwise. All other users will have the option to opt-out of having their data used for model improvement via their account settings. 

6.2. All processing of Input, Output, and account data is subject to our Privacy Notice, which explains in detail how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

7. Acceptable Use

7.1. Your use of the Service is subject to our Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”). You agree not to misuse the Service or help anyone else to do so.

7.2. We may implement rate limits or other fair-use restrictions as described in the AUP.

7.3.If we reasonably believe that your use of the Service violates these Terms or the AUP, we may suspend or restrict your access with immediate effect, and may remove or disable any content that breaches the AUP.

7.4. We reserve the right to investigate suspected violations and to cooperate with competent authorities where required by law.

8. Term and Termination

8.1. These Terms will remain in effect until terminated by either you or us.

8.2. You may terminate these Terms at any time by closing your account and ceasing to use the Service. Account deletion will permanently remove your personal data, except where retention is required by law.

8.3. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, for any reason, including for a violation of these Terms or our Acceptable Use Policy. Where reasonable, we will provide prior notice; however, we may act immediately in case of serious breach, security risk, or legal requirement.

8.4. Upon termination, your right to access and use the Service will immediately cease. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including but not limited to Sections 5, 6, 9, and 10) shall remain in effect.

9. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

9.1. THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, AVAILABILITY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE SERVICE OR ANY OUTPUT WILL BE ERROR-FREE, RELIABLE, OR SUITABLE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

9.2. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY, ITS AFFILIATES, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS SHALL EXCLUDE OR LIMIT LIABILITY FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR PERSONAL INJURY WHERE SUCH LIMITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

9.3. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE EXCLUDE ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE, EXCEPT WHERE CAUSED BY GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILFUL MISCONDUCT. FURTHERMORE, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY LIABILITY FOR OUR AUXILIARY PERSONS (HILFSPERSONEN, ART. 101 OF THE SWISS CODE OF OBLIGATIONS) IS ENTIRELY EXCLUDED. IN PARTICULAR, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM ERRORS, OMISSIONS, INTERRUPTIONS, DELAYS, OR INACCURACIES IN THE SERVICE OR ANY OUTPUT.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or in connection with (a) your breach of these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy; (b) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (c) your violation of any rights of any third party, including intellectual property rights; (d) any use of the Service or Output by your organization’s users.

11. General Provisions

11.1. Governing Law and Jurisdiction: These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of Switzerland, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. To the extent permitted by applicable law, any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Zofingen, Switzerland. 

11.2. Changes to Terms: We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will provide you with notice of any material changes. Your continued use of the Service after such notice constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

11.3. Compliance with Laws: You agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your use of the Service, including applicable trade sanctions and export control laws.

11.4. Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remainder of these Terms shall remain in full force and effect.

11.5. Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Notice, the Data Processing Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company with respect to the Service and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether oral or written, relating to the Service.

11.6. Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. The Company may assign or transfer these Terms in connection with a merger, sale of assets, or change of control without your consent.

July 2026