Terms of Service

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old to create a Maren account.

Customers authenticate through Google OAuth or email sign-in. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

Each account is associated with a workspace. Workspaces may have multiple members, subject to the limits of your current plan. You are responsible for managing access to your workspace and ensuring that all members comply with these Terms.

Participants access interviews through a unique link and do not create a Maren account.

3. Acceptable use

When using the service, you agree to:

• Use the service only for lawful purposes.
• Not use the service to deceive, mislead, or harm participants.
• Not misrepresent research activities to participants.
• Not collect sensitive personal data (as defined under GDPR Article 9) from participants without explicit consent and a lawful basis.
• Not attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or extract source code from the service.
• Not try to bypass security, rate limits, or workspace isolation.
• Not create, use, or coordinate multiple accounts or workspaces to evade Solo plan limits, plan eligibility rules, or fees that would otherwise apply to a paid plan.
• Not use the service to send spam or unsolicited communications through invitation emails.
• Not share your account credentials or allow unauthorized access to your workspace.
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including data protection laws.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Participant consent and research ethics

Maren displays a consent screen to participants before each interview. The consent screen discloses that the interview is conducted by AI, explains what data is collected and how it will be used, and links to our Privacy Policy. You may not disable or modify this consent screen.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of Maren complies with applicable research ethics and data protection requirements. This includes having a lawful basis for processing participant data under the GDPR where applicable, and not collecting personal data beyond what is necessary for your research objective.

If you conduct research involving minors (under 18), you are responsible for obtaining appropriate parental or guardian consent as required by applicable law.

5. Subscriptions and billing

The service is offered under tiered subscription plans, including a free tier with limited usage. Paid plans are billed on a recurring monthly basis. Current pricing and plan details are available on our website.

The Solo plan is offered as a limited free tier. You may not create or use multiple accounts, workspaces, identities, or payment methods primarily to avoid Solo plan limits or delay moving to a paid plan when your usage requires one.

Payments are processed through Stripe. By subscribing to a paid plan, you agree to Stripe’s terms of service. You are responsible for keeping billing details current.

Taxes

For customers within the European Union, Value Added Tax (VAT) is applied at the rate of your country of residence. Business customers with a valid EU VAT identification number are eligible for reverse charge (0% VAT). For customers outside the EU, local tax rules apply where applicable. Taxes are calculated automatically through our payment processor.

Overages

Certain plans allow additional interviews beyond the monthly allocation at a per-interview rate. Overages are billed at the end of each billing cycle.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or the Stripe customer portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you retain access to the service, but your usage limits will revert to the free tier. We do not provide prorated refunds for partial billing periods. If you believe you are entitled to a refund due to a service issue, contact support@maren.so.

Price changes

We may change pricing with at least 30 days’ advance notice to existing subscribers. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

6. Data ownership and intellectual property

Your data

You retain full ownership of all content you create through the service, including discussion guides, project configurations, and any data you upload. You also retain ownership of all interview data collected through your projects: transcripts, participant responses, AI-generated summaries, and synthesis reports.

Your research data is private to your workspace. We do not share your transcripts, summaries, or analysis with other customers or make them publicly accessible. We may use aggregated, de-identified data derived from service usage to improve interview quality and the service overall. We do not share identifiable research content with other customers or make it publicly accessible. Our staff may access workspace data when necessary to operate, maintain, or support the service.

Our service

The service itself — including its design, code, AI prompts, interview methodology, and branding — is owned by us and protected by intellectual property laws. These Terms do not grant you any rights to our intellectual property beyond the right to use the service as intended.

Feedback

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the service, we may use them without obligation or compensation.

7. AI-generated content

The service uses AI to generate discussion guides, conduct interviews, produce summaries, and create synthesis reports. AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies or errors.

You are responsible for reviewing AI-generated content before relying on it for decisions. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for purpose of any AI-generated content.

8. Data processing and privacy

Our collection and processing of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy. Our security practices and sub-processor list are described on our Security & Compliance page.

If you use the service in a manner that makes you a data controller under the GDPR, and Maren acts as your data processor, we will enter into a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) upon request. Contact privacy@maren.so for DPA inquiries.

9. Availability and liability

We aim to keep the service available and reliable, but it is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

We may perform maintenance, updates, or changes that temporarily affect availability. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you in advance of planned downtime.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the service. Our total aggregate liability for any claims arising from these Terms shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, including liability for fraud or gross negligence.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third party’s rights, including participants’ data protection rights.

11. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms, if payment is overdue, or if we are required to do so by law.

If we reasonably believe that multiple accounts or workspaces are being used together to circumvent Solo plan limits, pricing, or other billing rules, we may suspend or terminate any associated accounts or workspaces.

You may stop using the service and close your account at any time. Upon termination, you may request an export of your data within 30 days. After 30 days, we may delete your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and data retention schedule.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through the service at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with the changes, you may cancel your subscription before the new Terms take effect.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Finland. Disputes will be handled in the courts of Helsinki, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

For consumers within the European Union, this does not affect your rights under mandatory consumer protection laws of your country of residence, including the right to bring proceedings in the courts of the Member State where you are domiciled.

You may also use the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution platform for alternative dispute resolution.

14. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact:

• General: hello@maren.so
• Privacy & DPA: privacy@maren.so

Tuhkunen Oy
Kontiontie 3 D 32, 20110 Espoo