Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use ofBeacon— theiOS appand ourpublic websiteat getbeacon.uk (informational pages and legal documents; the product experience is delivered in the app, not as a web application). Beacon helps you find and understand UK government services, including optional tools such as a street crime map (Police UK open data) alongside the chat experience. By using Beacon you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

1. The service

Beacon provides:

• A chat interface where you can ask questions about UK government services (e.g. housing, work, healthcare, education), including optionalphoto and PDFuploads where the app allows, and optionallonger-running researchflows where available.
• Answers generated from aGOV.UK-first source pipelineand AI. We aim to be accurate and helpful but we are not the government and we do not give official legal, immigration, tax, or professional advice.
• When yousign in: profile (bio, Case Vault, document-type preferences),saved chat history, reminders, and optional push alerts for long-running tasks (e.g. research jobs) where you opt in.Guest modecannot send chat messages and does not have the same account-backed history and features — see ourPrivacy Policy.
• Map-based exploration of Police UK street crime data (UK open data), with on-screen disclaimers.

We may change, suspend, or discontinue features with reasonable notice where possible. We do not guarantee uninterrupted access.

2. Not official advice

• Beacon is guidance, not official advice

  We use GOV.UK and similar official sources to help you find information. Our answers are summaries and explanations, not legal, immigration, tax, or professional advice. For important decisions you should always check the official GOV.UK pages and, where needed, consult a qualified professional.

• We are not the government

  Beacon is operated in the United Kingdom by anindependent developer(the same operator identified in ourPrivacy Policy), trading under the nameBeacon. Contact:info@getbeacon.uk. See also the Apple App Store listing. We are not part of HM Government or any government body. We do not speak for them and they do not endorse us.

• Use at your own risk

  You use the information from Beacon at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage that results from relying on the app instead of checking official sources or getting professional advice.

3. Your use of the service

You agree to:

• Use Beacon only for lawful purposes and in line with these Terms.
• Not use the service to harass, abuse, or harm others, or to distribute illegal, offensive, or misleading content.
• Not attempt to break or bypass our systems, scrape data at scale, or use bots in a way we have not allowed.
• Not resell or commercially exploit the service without our written permission.
• Provide accurate information where you choose to sign in or use profile features.

We may suspend or terminate your access if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms or misused the service.

4. Account and data

Account— You may open Beacon inguestmode (without signing in) or sign in (e.g. with Google or Apple). Guest mode islimited/read-only: sending chat messages (including starter prompt sends) requires sign-in. If you attempt to send while signed out, the app shows a login bottom sheet and requires authentication before the message can be sent. Other account features may also require sign-in. We maychange, restrict, or withdrawguest access and require sign-in. You are responsible for keeping your device and account access secure.

Your data— OurPrivacy Policyexplains what we collect and how we use it. This includes operational/safety telemetry needed to run and protect the service (for example response type, policy/error codes, timing, and retrieval/tool traces). Profile personalisation controls are available in app settings (including turning bio/Case Vault use in chat on or off). By using Beacon you confirm you have read and accept the Privacy Policy.

Deletion— You can delete your account in the app (Profile) to disable access. This action cannot be undone in the app. You can contactinfo@getbeacon.ukto request data erasure where applicable under law (see our Privacy Policy). Signing out only ends the session on your device. Deleting a chat in the app currently removes it from your active chat list, but does not guarantee immediate physical deletion of underlying records used for safety, abuse prevention, analytics, and product improvement. Our current target retention windows after deletion are up to 90 days for deleted chats and up to 180 days for deleted-account content and related feedback/safety records, after which data is deleted or irreversibly anonymised unless law requires longer retention.

5. Intellectual property

Our rights— The Beacon app (software, UI, and branding we create), marketing materials, and otheroriginalcontent we own are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or use those for your own commercial purposes without permission. This doesnotclaim ownership of GOV.UK text, Police UK open data, or other third-party or licensed public-sector material we display or process under the licences described below.

GOV.UK and other UK public-sector sources— Beacon chat is designed to rely on GOV.UK as the primary source base. Official government content is subject to their terms. Much public-sector information is licensed under theOpen Government Licence v3.0(OGL). We do not claim ownership of that content. Use of official information does not imply endorsement by HM Government or any department (see the licence).

Police UK— Map and archive features may use open data fromdata.police.ukunder the OGL. In-app text explains limitations. Beacon isnotan official police product.

Your content— You keep ownership of what you submit. You give us the rights we need to run the service (e.g. to store, process, and show your messages and to use AI to answer you).

6. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Beacon and its owners, operators, and suppliers are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss or damage arising from your use of the service or your reliance on it.

Where we cannot exclude liability, our total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim (or, if you paid nothing, zero). The service is currently offeredwithout charge; that cap reflects that you are not paying a subscription or fee for access.

We do not exclude or limit our liability in any way where it would beunlawfulfor us to do so. You keep the protections given to you by applicable law.

7. Age and eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Beacon. If you are under 18 you should have a parent or guardian’s permission. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13; see ourPrivacy Policy.

8. Termination

• You may stop using Beacon at any time and delete your account from Profile, or contact us as described in our Privacy Policy.
• We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, misuse the service, or for operational or legal reasons. We will try to give notice where reasonable.
• On termination, your right to use the service ends. Provisions that by their nature should survive (e.g. liability, intellectual property) will continue to apply.

9. General

Governing law— These Terms are governed by the laws ofEngland and Wales. Beacon is aimed at users in theUK; contract and non-consumer rules commonly use England and Wales as the jurisdiction. If you are a consumer resident inScotlandorNorthern Ireland, mandatory consumer protections in your country may still apply where the law requires, and you may bring proceedings in your local courts where applicable.

Entire agreement— These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us about the service.

Changes— We may update these Terms. We will post the new version with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of Beacon after changes means you accept the new Terms. If you do not agree, you must stop using the service.