Terms of Service
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Surroundings mobile application ("the App"), developed by Otenz ("we", "us"). By installing or using the App, you agree to these Terms.
1. Description of the App
Surroundings is a location-based discovery application that helps you learn about nearby points of interest, their history, and street name etymology. The App uses publicly available data from OpenStreetMap, WikiData, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia Commons.
2. License
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the App on your personal Android device for non-commercial purposes. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the App.
3. Free of Charge
The App is provided free of charge. There are no in-app purchases, subscriptions, or advertisements. We reserve the right to introduce paid features in the future, which would be clearly communicated before any charges apply.
4. User-Provided API Keys
Certain optional features (premium basemaps, walking routes, AI descriptions) require API keys from third-party providers. You are responsible for:
- Obtaining your own API keys directly from each provider.
- Complying with each provider's terms of service and usage limits.
- Any costs incurred through your use of those APIs under your own account.
We are not a party to the agreement between you and any third-party API provider.
5. Informational Purposes Only
All content displayed in the App — including historical descriptions, cultural information, street name etymologies, point-of-interest details, and AI-generated text — is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute professional, academic, historical, or navigational advice. You should independently verify any information before relying on it for any purpose.
6. Third-Party Data & Content
The App displays information sourced from third-party services (OpenStreetMap, WikiData, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons). This content is provided under their respective open licenses:
- OpenStreetMap data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL License
- Wikipedia / WikiData content: CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikimedia Commons images: Various open licenses (attribution shown per image)
- CartoDB basemap tiles: © CARTO, © OpenStreetMap contributors
We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of third-party content. Third-party data (including Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap) is community-edited and may contain errors, omissions, vandalism, or outdated information. We are not responsible for verifying or correcting such content.
7. AI-Generated Content
The App offers optional AI-generated descriptions of points of interest, powered by third-party large language models (Google Gemini, Groq, OpenAI, Anthropic). You acknowledge and agree that:
- AI-generated text may contain inaccuracies, fabrications ("hallucinations"), or misleading information.
- AI descriptions are not verified by Otenz or any human editor and should not be treated as authoritative or factual.
- AI-generated content does not represent the views or opinions of Otenz.
- You use AI-generated content at your own risk and should independently verify any information before relying on it.
- We are not responsible for any decisions or actions taken based on AI-generated content.
8. Location Services
The App requires access to your device's location to function. You can revoke location permission at any time through Android Settings, but core features will not work without it.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
The App is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that:
- The App will be error-free or uninterrupted.
- Third-party data (including Wikipedia, WikiData, and OpenStreetMap) will be accurate, complete, or available.
- AI-generated descriptions will be accurate, truthful, or free from fabricated content.
- Historical, cultural, or etymological information is correct or up to date.
- Walking routes or directions are safe or correct — always use your own judgment when navigating and be aware of your physical surroundings.
- Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons are correctly attributed or appropriate.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law (including Italian Civil Code Art. 1218 et seq.), Otenz and its developers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the App, including but not limited to:
- Reliance on information displayed in the App, including historical, cultural, etymological, or AI-generated content.
- Decisions or actions taken based on AI-generated descriptions or third-party data.
- Costs incurred through third-party API usage under your own API keys.
- Loss of data on your device.
- Navigation or route following — including physical injury, property damage, or any harm resulting from following walking routes or being distracted by the App while moving.
- Inaccurate, incomplete, or vandalised content from third-party open-data sources.
Our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the App shall not exceed the amount you paid for the App (currently: €0, as the App is free).
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Otenz and its developers from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:
- Your use or misuse of the App.
- Your violation of these Terms.
- Your reliance on any information provided by the App.
- Any third-party claims related to your use of API keys or third-party services accessed through the App.
12. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the App.
- Use the App to violate any applicable laws or regulations.
- Abuse third-party API services through the App beyond their stated usage limits.
- Present AI-generated or third-party content from the App as verified fact without independent confirmation.
13. Modifications
We may modify these Terms at any time. The updated version will be posted at this URL with a revised effective date. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
14. Termination
You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it. We reserve the right to discontinue the App at any time without notice.
15. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of Italy and applicable European Union regulations. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of Italy. You may also lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) for data protection matters.
16. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at:
- Email: info@surroundings.otenz.it
- Website: https://surroundings.otenz.it