Legal

Terms of Service

The terms governing your use of THE CAREER ASSEMBLY.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using THE CAREER ASSEMBLY ("Platform", "we", "us"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, you must not use the platform.

2. Description of Service

THE CAREER ASSEMBLY is a platform that enables users to:

  • Share experiences with headhunters and executive search firms
  • Access anonymized reviews and ratings
  • Contribute to transparency in the executive search industry

The platform is currently provided as a free service.

3. Platform Role & Intermediary Status

THE CAREER ASSEMBLY operates as a neutral intermediary for user-generated content. By using the platform, you acknowledge that:

  • The platform does not author, endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of user-submitted content
  • Published reviews reflect the personal opinions and experiences of individual users, not the views of the platform
  • The platform exercises editorial discretion solely for the purpose of enforcing its content policies
  • The platform is not a party to any dispute between reviewers and reviewed parties

This intermediary role is consistent with the principles of Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act and applicable EU regulations (Digital Services Act).

4. Eligibility

You must:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Provide accurate and truthful information
  • Complete required verification steps
  • Use the platform in good faith and for its intended purpose

We reserve the right to refuse or terminate access at our discretion.

5. Account Registration & Security

Users must:

  • Provide a valid email address
  • Verify their email
  • Maintain confidentiality of their account credentials
  • Notify the platform immediately of any unauthorized access

You are responsible for all activity under your account.

6. Verification Requirements

To maintain platform integrity:

  • Email verification is mandatory
  • Additional verification (e.g. LinkedIn) may be requested

We may suspend or restrict accounts that cannot be verified.

7. User Content & Responsibility

Users may submit reviews and feedback ("User Content"). By submitting content, you represent and warrant that:

  • Your review is based exclusively on real, first-hand personal experience
  • Your statements are truthful, accurate, and not misleading
  • You do not include speculation, assumptions, or hearsay
  • You do not impersonate others or misrepresent your identity
  • You do not disclose confidential, proprietary, or sensitive third-party information
  • You do not include personal data of third parties without their consent
  • Your content does not constitute defamation under applicable law

You acknowledge that you are solely and legally responsible for all content you submit, regardless of whether it is published anonymously. Anonymity on the platform does not remove your legal accountability.

8. Anonymity of Reviews

Reviews are published anonymously to protect user identity. However:

  • The platform internally links content to verified user accounts for moderation and integrity purposes
  • Anonymity does not exempt users from legal responsibility for their content
  • In response to valid legal process (e.g., court orders, subpoenas), user data may be disclosed as required by law

9. Prohibited Content

Users must not submit content that:

  • Is knowingly false, misleading, or defamatory
  • Contains unverifiable claims presented as established fact
  • Constitutes a personal attack or is intended to cause reputational harm without factual basis
  • Violates applicable laws or third-party rights
  • Contains confidential business information or trade secrets
  • Includes personal data of others without consent
  • Is abusive, discriminatory, threatening, or otherwise harmful
  • Is based on second-hand accounts, rumors, or speculation

Violation of these rules may result in content removal, account restriction, or permanent suspension.

10. Moderation & Content Management

We reserve the right to:

  • Review, edit, or remove content at any time
  • Remove personal data or identifying information from reviews
  • Temporarily restrict content pending investigation
  • Restrict or suspend user accounts
  • Investigate suspicious activity

We are not obligated to publish or retain any content. Content management decisions are made in accordance with our Moderation & Review Policy.

11. Dispute Handling

Users, headhunters, and firms may flag content they believe violates our policies. Disputes are handled through a structured internal process:

  • Content is flagged through the platform's reporting function
  • The moderation team reviews content against the Moderation & Review Policy
  • Context and account history are analyzed
  • A decision is made to keep, edit, or remove the content

THE CAREER ASSEMBLY retains final decision authority on all content disputes. For full details, see our Moderation & Review Policy.

12. Platform Integrity & Anti-Manipulation

Users must not:

  • Create fake accounts or misrepresent identity
  • Submit coordinated, fabricated, or incentivized reviews
  • Attempt to influence ratings unfairly or manipulate platform data
  • Exploit system vulnerabilities or circumvent platform controls
  • Use automated tools to interact with the platform without authorization

Violation may result in immediate and permanent suspension without prior notice.

13. Disclaimer of Content Accuracy

The platform hosts user-generated content and operates as an intermediary. We do not guarantee:

  • The accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any user-submitted review
  • That reviews reflect the full picture of any professional relationship
  • That published content is free from errors or bias

Users and third parties rely on platform content entirely at their own risk. The platform expressly disclaims any responsibility for decisions made based on review content.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law: THE CAREER ASSEMBLY shall not be liable for:

  • Direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from use of the platform
  • Any reliance on user-generated content
  • Loss of data, business opportunities, or reputation
  • Actions taken by third parties based on platform content
  • Temporary unavailability of the platform or its features

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory under which liability is asserted, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or otherwise.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless THE CAREER ASSEMBLY, its operators, affiliates, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

  • Your content submitted to the platform
  • Your use or misuse of the platform
  • Your violation of these Terms or any applicable law
  • Your violation of any third-party rights

16. Intellectual Property

All platform content (excluding user content) is owned by THE CAREER ASSEMBLY. Users may not:

  • Copy, reproduce, or distribute platform content without permission
  • Use platform branding, logos, or design elements without authorization
  • Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the platform

By submitting content, you grant the platform a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and moderate your content in connection with the platform's operation.

17. Termination

We may:

  • Suspend or terminate accounts at any time, with or without notice
  • Remove access to the platform for policy violations
  • Retain anonymized content after account termination in accordance with our Privacy Policy

18. Future Features

The platform may introduce additional features in the future, including:

  • Premium services
  • Analytics capabilities
  • Enhanced access options

These will be subject to updated terms and, where applicable, separate agreements.

19. Governing Law

For users in the United States: These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For EU users: Applicable local consumer protection and data protection laws shall apply in addition to these Terms.

20. Dispute Resolution (US Focus)

For US users:

  • Disputes shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation
  • If negotiation fails, disputes may be resolved through binding arbitration
  • Class action waivers apply to the fullest extent permitted by law
  • Small claims court actions are excluded from the arbitration requirement

EU users retain their rights under applicable consumer protection regulations, including the right to bring claims in their jurisdiction of residence.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving the original intent.

22. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Moderation & Review Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and THE CAREER ASSEMBLY regarding your use of the platform. No waiver of any provision shall be considered a continuing waiver of that or any other provision.

23. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time to reflect changes in legal requirements, platform operations, or business practices. Material changes will be communicated through the platform. Continued use of the platform after updates constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

24. Contact

For legal inquiries: legal@thecareerassembly.com

25. Related Policies

These Terms should be read in conjunction with our other legal documents:

26. Effective Date

These Terms of Service are effective as of April 8, 2026. Last updated: April 12, 2026