Terms of Service

Terms of Service if you sign up for formr

Terms of Service for rforms.org

Last Updated: December 9th, 2025


1. Acceptance of Terms

By registering for and using rforms.org (hereinafter referred to as "the Service"), you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service.

2. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

"Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, as defined in Article 4(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"). This includes, but is not limited to: names, email addresses, IP addresses, location data, device identifiers, and any combination of data points that could reasonably be used to identify an individual, whether directly or indirectly. Data is not considered anonymous merely because direct identifiers have been removed; if re-identification remains reasonably possible using additional information, the data constitutes Personal Data.

"Anonymous Data" means data that cannot be attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person, even when combined with other information reasonably likely to be available. Truly anonymous data falls outside the scope of GDPR.

"Free User" means a user of the Service who has not entered into a Data Processing Agreement with us.

"DPA User" means a user of the Service who has entered into a valid Data Processing Agreement with us.

"Study Materials" means survey instruments, questionnaires, experimental stimuli, and configuration files (including run.json files) used to conduct research via the Service.

"Study Conclusion" means the earlier of: (a) one year after the date of the last data point collected in a study, or (b) two years after the date of the first data point collected in a study.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.

4. User Tiers and Data Collection

4.1 Free Users

Free Users may use the Service only to collect Anonymous Data. Free Users agree that they will not, under any circumstances, collect Personal Data using the Service. This prohibition applies regardless of whether consent has been obtained from research participants.

By using the Service as a Free User, you represent and warrant that:

  • Your surveys and studies are designed to collect only Anonymous Data;
  • You will not request, store, or process any Personal Data through the Service;
  • You have reviewed your study design to ensure no combination of collected data points could reasonably enable identification of individuals.

If you require the ability to collect Personal Data, you must enter into a Data Processing Agreement with us and become a DPA User.

4.2 DPA Users

Users who have entered into a valid Data Processing Agreement with Rform Research Mixtapes UG (haftungsbeschränkt) may collect Personal Data using the Service, subject to the terms of that agreement and applicable law. DPA Users are responsible for ensuring their own GDPR compliance, including but not limited to: establishing a lawful basis for processing, providing appropriate privacy notices to data subjects, and responding to data subject rights requests.

5. Data Protection Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 Free Users — Infrastructure Provider Model

For Free Users, the Service operates solely as a technical infrastructure provider. Because Free Users are prohibited from collecting Personal Data, no controller-processor relationship under GDPR exists between us and Free Users with respect to survey response data. We provide computing resources and software tools; we do not determine the purposes or means of any data processing conducted by Free Users.

Free Users bear sole responsibility for:

  • Ensuring their studies collect only Anonymous Data;
  • Compliance with all applicable laws, ethical guidelines, and institutional requirements;
  • Any consequences arising from the collection of Personal Data in violation of these Terms.

We expressly disclaim any liability arising from a Free User's collection of Personal Data in violation of Section 4.1.

5.2 DPA Users — Processor Role

For DPA Users, we act as a Data Processor within the meaning of Article 4(8) GDPR. The DPA User acts as the Data Controller. The specific terms of this relationship, including our obligations regarding security measures, subprocessors, data subject requests, and data breach notification, are set forth in the Data Processing Agreement.

5.3 Subprocessors

The Service is hosted on infrastructure provided by Hetzner Online GmbH, located in Germany. By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree to the use of this subprocessor. A current list of subprocessors is available upon request.

6. GDPR Compliance

All users, regardless of tier, are responsible for ensuring that their use of the Service complies with GDPR and any other applicable data protection laws. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Conducting data protection impact assessments where required;
  • Obtaining necessary ethical approvals from institutional review boards or ethics committees;
  • Providing appropriate information to research participants;
  • Implementing appropriate technical and organisational measures for any data collected.

We do not monitor the content of surveys or responses for GDPR compliance. Compliance is solely your responsibility.

7. Open Science Requirement for Free Users

7.1 Transparency Obligation

In exchange for free access to the Service, Free Users agree to make their research materials publicly available as transparent research materials. This requirement reflects our commitment to open science and ensures that publicly-funded and freely-supported research benefits the broader scientific community.

7.2 Materials to Be Shared

Within 12 months of Study Conclusion, Free Users must make the following publicly available in a recognized open repository (e.g., OSF, Zenodo, or a suitable institutional repository):

  • All raw response data collected via the Service;
  • The complete run.json file or equivalent study configuration;
  • Sufficient documentation to enable understanding and reuse of the materials.

7.3 Exceptions

Free Users may apply for an exception to the transparency obligation by contacting us at the address provided in Section 20. Exceptions may be granted in cases where:

  • The research involves sensitive topics where even anonymized data could pose risks to participants (e.g., studies of stigmatized behaviors, vulnerable populations, or illegal activities);
  • Institutional or funder requirements prohibit open sharing;
  • Other compelling circumstances exist.

Exception requests must be submitted before Study Conclusion and include a justification. We will respond to exception requests within 30 days. Approval of exceptions is at our sole discretion.

7.4 Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with the transparency obligation without an approved exception constitutes a material breach of these Terms and will result in termination of your account. We reserve the right to verify compliance.

7.5 DPA Users

DPA Users are not subject to the transparency obligation set forth in this Section 7.

8. User Conduct and Acceptable Use

8.1 Prohibited Content

You agree not to upload, post, or otherwise transmit any content that is illegal, infringing, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted materials for which you lack appropriate rights, images of minors without proper consent, and any content that violates applicable laws.

8.2 Prohibited Activities

You shall not use the Service for computationally intensive tasks unrelated to survey research, including but not limited to cryptocurrency mining, machine learning model training, or other activities that place excessive load on shared resources. Limited computations using R are permitted strictly for the purposes of creating and administering surveys and analyzing resulting data.

9. Intellectual Property Rights

9.1 Your Content

You retain all rights to the content you create using the Service, subject to the transparency obligations in Section 7 where applicable. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and display your content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Service.

9.2 Our Content

All materials provided by us, including but not limited to software, design, text, and graphics, are owned by us or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. The underlying survey software is open source and subject to its respective license terms.

10. Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Please review our Privacy Policy for details on how we collect, use, and disclose information related to your use of the Service (as distinct from data you collect through surveys).

11. Data Backup and Retention

11.1 User Responsibility

Users are responsible for maintaining copies of all content and data they submit to the Service. While we may perform routine backups for operational purposes, we do not guarantee the availability or integrity of any content or data. We are not liable for any loss or corruption of data, and you agree not to rely on the Service as your sole storage or backup solution.

11.2 Data Retention

Users may configure automatic deletion of survey response data by setting a retention period. Data will be automatically deleted after the specified date. You are responsible for setting retention periods that are appropriate for your research and that comply with applicable legal, ethical, and institutional requirements.

Free Users: You must ensure that your retention settings allow sufficient time to fulfill the transparency obligation under Section 7. Data deleted before you have made required materials publicly available does not excuse non-compliance with the transparency requirement.

DPA Users: Your retention settings must be consistent with the terms of your Data Processing Agreement and any applicable legal retention requirements.

Upon account termination, any remaining data will be deleted within 90 days, unless retention is required by law or (for DPA Users) otherwise specified in the Data Processing Agreement.

12. Cookies and Tracking

The Service does not use cookies or tracking technologies to collect personal information about you. Necessary session cookies may be used solely for the functionality of the Service.

13. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

13.1 Service Provided "As Is"

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the reliability, availability, accuracy, or suitability of the Service for any particular purpose.

13.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Rform Research Mixtapes UG (haftungsbeschränkt) shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including but not limited to damages arising from:

  • Loss or corruption of data;
  • Unauthorized access to your surveys or data;
  • Violations of data protection law resulting from your study design or conduct;
  • Any use of the Service in violation of these Terms.

Our total liability for any claims arising under these Terms shall not exceed the amounts paid by you to us in the twelve months preceding the claim, or €100, whichever is greater.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Rform Research Mixtapes UG (haftungsbeschränkt), its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with:

  • Your access to or use of the Service;
  • Your violation of these Terms;
  • Your violation of any applicable law, including GDPR;
  • Any claim by a third party (including research participants) related to data you collected or processed using the Service.

15. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these Terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections 5, 13, 14, and 16 survive termination.

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Berlin, Germany.

17. Modifications

17.1 Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users at least 30 days before taking effect. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

17.2 Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time. This includes the introduction of fees for currently free services. If we introduce fees for previously free features, we will provide at least 60 days' notice, and you will have the opportunity to export your data and terminate your account before such charges apply.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining Terms remain in full force and effect.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and (where applicable) any Data Processing Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and Rform Research Mixtapes UG (haftungsbeschränkt) regarding the use of the Service.

20. Contact Information

For any questions about these Terms, to request a Data Processing Agreement, or to apply for an exception to the transparency requirement, please contact us at:

Rform Research Mixtapes UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Turmstr. 10
10559 Berlin
Email: rform@researchmixtapes.com


By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.