Privacy &
Terms

The following English text is provided as a reference translation for readability. In the event of any discrepancy, the Japanese original governs.

Liquitous Inc. (the "Company") places the highest importance on protecting the personal information and privacy of Liqlid participants as it advances participatory initiatives. For that reason, the Company actively seeks certification from independent third parties.

This Privacy Policy is the document referred to in Article 35 of the Company's articles of incorporation regarding matters necessary for personal information protection and in Article 17 of the Company's Terms of Use regarding the privacy policy.

Article 1 (Personal information)

"Personal information" in this policy means personal information as defined under Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information. It includes information about a living individual that can identify a specific person, such as name, date of birth, address, telephone number, contact details, and other descriptions, as well as data such as facial image, fingerprints, voiceprints, and insurer numbers on health insurance cards that can identify a specific individual by themselves.

Article 2 (Collection of personal information)

When users register to use Liqlid and other online platforms provided by the Company, the Company may ask for personal information such as name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and email address.

The Company may also collect transaction and payment records containing personal information of Liqlid participants from the Company's business partners, including information providers, advertisers, and ad distribution partners.

The Website collects cookies and access logs to understand and analyze site usage. The Company does not combine access logs and similar data with personal information.

Article 3 (Purpose of collection and use)

The Company collects and uses personal information for the following purposes:

• To operate services provided by the Company
• To verify the identity of Liqlid participants
• To respond to inquiries from Liqlid participants
• To contact users as necessary regarding maintenance, important notices, and similar matters
• To identify users who violate the Terms of Use or guidelines, or who attempt to use the service improperly, and to issue warnings or refuse use
• To allow users to review, change, or delete their registration information and view their usage status
• To bill fees to users of paid services provided by the Company
• To provide information to local governments by the methods described in this policy
• For purposes incidental to the above

Article 4 (Provision of personal information to third parties)

Except in the following cases, the Company does not provide personal information to third parties without the participant's prior consent:

• When necessary to protect life, body, or property and it is difficult to obtain the participant's consent
• When particularly necessary for improving public health or promoting sound child development and it is difficult to obtain the participant's consent
• When requested by the national government, local governments, courts, or international law-enforcement bodies pursuant to law
• When cooperation is required for a national or local governmental body, or a party entrusted by such body, to carry out legally prescribed duties, and obtaining the participant's consent may interfere with such duties
• When otherwise permitted by the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other laws

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the recipient is not treated as a "third party" under this policy in the following cases:

• When information is provided to municipalities, companies, or other organizations that commission the Company to carry out work using Liqlid, including work involving the collection of data containing personal information, after confirming that such organizations provide sufficient protection of personal information and maintain information management equivalent to the Company's. This also applies where the Company works with local governments under cooperation agreements or pilot projects.
• When the Company outsources all or part of the handling of personal information within the scope necessary to achieve the purpose of use, after confirming sufficient protection and imposing contractual obligations for equivalent information management
• When personal information is provided in connection with succession of the Company's business due to merger or other reasons
• When personal information is used jointly with specific persons and the Company has informed the participant in advance of that fact, the items of personal information used jointly, the scope of joint users, the purposes of use, and the name of the person responsible for management of the information

Even apart from the above, the Company may provide personal information and other handled information to local governments in order to help make participants' opinions useful for public administration.

Article 5 (Disclosure of personal information)

If a participant requests disclosure of the personal information the Company has collected from that participant, the Company will disclose it without undue delay. However, the Company may decide not to disclose all or part of the requested information if disclosure is likely to harm the life, body, property, or other rights or interests of the participant or a third party, materially interfere with proper business operations, or otherwise violate law. If the Company decides not to disclose information, it will notify the participant without undue delay. The Company may charge a separately prescribed fee for disclosure requests. As a rule, information that is not personal information, such as history information and attribute information, is not disclosed.

Article 6 (Correction and deletion of personal information)

Participants may request correction, addition, or deletion of their personal information through the contact point described in this policy. The Company confirms that the requester is the person concerned and then notifies the participant without undue delay whether the requested correction or deletion has been made, together with the reason where applicable.

Article 7 (Suspension of use, deletion, etc.)

If a participant requests suspension of use or deletion of personal information because they no longer wish the Company to use the service, the Company will act without undue delay. The Company will also investigate without undue delay where suspension is requested on the ground that personal information has been handled beyond the stated purpose of use or acquired by improper means. If, based on that investigation, the Company determines the request should be honored, it will suspend use or delete the personal information without undue delay. The Company will notify the participant of its decision in all cases. Where suspension or deletion would involve excessive cost or is otherwise difficult, the Company may take an alternative measure necessary to protect the participant's rights and interests.

Article 8 (Consent to the Privacy Policy)

Users are asked to agree to this policy when registering for Liqlid, and registration is deemed to constitute such agreement. Minors and persons under legal guardianship may register only with any consent required from a parent or legal representative after carefully reviewing this policy.

Article 9 (Changes to the Privacy Policy)

If the Company changes this policy, it will post the revised policy on the Website and notify users in advance that a change will be made before the change takes effect. The revised policy becomes effective on the date stated in that notice. The Company uses personal information in accordance with the version of this policy in effect when the information was collected, but where it intends to use personal information for a different purpose, it will do so only after obtaining the participant's prior consent. If any part of this policy is found invalid or unenforceable under law, the remaining provisions and the remaining valid portions continue in full force.

Article 10 (Security control measures)

The Company keeps participants' personal information accurate and up to date and takes reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized access, loss, destruction, alteration, and leakage. The Company appoints a person responsible for handling personal information, establishes an appropriate management structure under that person's direction, and conducts regular education and training for all related personnel so that they understand the importance of personal information protection and put it into practice.

Article 11 (Links)

The Website may contain links to other websites, but this policy applies only to the handling of personal information collected through this Website. For linked websites, please review the privacy statement of the respective site.

Article 12 (Continuous improvement)

The Company continuously reviews and improves its handling of personal information.

Article 13 (Contact point)

For inquiries regarding this policy, please contact:

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy statement or the handling of personal information, please first contact the Company directly at legal@liquitous.com.

Updates

First edition published April 26, 2021

Second edition published April 1, 2023

Third edition published June 25, 2024

The following English text is provided as a reference translation for readability. In the event of any discrepancy, the Japanese original governs.

Chapter 1: Purpose and Definitions

Article 1: Purpose

The online platforms provided by Liquitous Inc. (the "Company") are intended to create opportunities for as many people as possible to participate, think, express opinions, and engage in dialogue about the future of the municipalities and organizations that build these platforms with us, or about other designated themes. To preserve open participation and constructive dialogue, the Company establishes certain rules governing conduct on the platform.

These Terms of Use set out the conditions for providing the platform, the rights and obligations between the Company and platform participants, and the responsibilities the Company undertakes in providing the service. Use of the platform requires agreement to these Terms.

Article 2: Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms, "Use Agreement" means the agreement for use of the platform concluded between the Company and a participant under these Terms. "Intellectual property rights" include copyrights, patent rights, utility model rights, design rights, trademark rights, and similar rights, including the right to obtain or apply for such rights. "Posted Data" means content such as text, images, video, and other data posted or transmitted by registered participants through the service. "Participant" means an individual who has completed the account registration required under Article 6. "Platforms provided by the Company" means Liqlid itself and all online platforms that the Company builds and operates based on Liqlid. "Data posted by participants" means data entered and sent by participants on the platform, excluding information entered during account signup, including questionnaire responses, or login.

Article 3: Scope of application

These Terms apply to all relations concerning the use of the platform between participants and the Company. Guidelines and similar materials posted on the platform form part of these Terms. If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and separate explanations of the service, the guidelines prevail.

Chapter 2: What participants may expect from the Company

Article 4: Service content

On the platform, participants may receive appropriate information, post ideas on specific themes, engage in dialogue about projects, and provide feedback. Through these actions, participants can take part in idea generation and dialogue regarding the future of the municipalities and organizations operating the platform with the Company, or regarding other designated themes.

Chapter 3: Registration, Account Management, and Withdrawal

Article 5: Account registration

An account issued by the Company to one individual or organization is called a "Liqlid account." In principle, one person or one organization may register one Liqlid account, and the Company generally requires one account per person. When registering, participants are asked to agree to these Terms, the Liquitous Privacy Policy, and the applicable guidelines, and registration is deemed to constitute that agreement. Minors and persons under legal guardianship may register only with any consent required from a parent or legal representative.

Article 6: Registration procedure

A participant applies for registration by providing the information specified by the Company ("Registration Information") using the method designated by the Company. The application must be made by the person who will use the platform, or by an organization to which that person belongs if applicable. Registration Information must be true, accurate, and up to date, and a participant may not hold multiple accounts personally.

Article 7: Refusal of registration

The Company may refuse registration if it determines that the applicant is likely to violate these Terms, has provided false or incomplete Registration Information, has previously had an account deleted, is connected with antisocial forces or otherwise significantly contrary to accepted social norms, or if the Company otherwise determines registration to be inappropriate.

Article 8: Management of passwords and Liqlid accounts

Participants are responsible for appropriately managing and storing their passwords and Liqlid accounts. They may not allow third parties to use them, or lend, transfer, rename, sell, or otherwise dispose of them. Participants are responsible for losses arising from insufficient management, misuse, or third-party use.

Article 9: Changes to registration information

If Registration Information changes, the participant must promptly notify the Company by the designated method and complete any required update procedures.

Article 10: Deletion of registration

The Company may, without prior notice, temporarily suspend use of the platform or delete a participant's registration if the participant violates these Terms, has provided false information, is found by the Company to have engaged in conduct contrary to the Terms or guidelines as pointed out by a municipality or organization operating the platform with us, fails to respond to inquiries from the Company for 60 days or more, or if the Company or the relevant municipality or organization otherwise determines continued use or registration to be inappropriate. When deleting a registration, the Company will notify the participant of the reason in writing or by another appropriate method in advance.

Article 11: Withdrawal

A participant may withdraw from the platform and delete their registration by completing the procedures designated by the Company. The handling of user information after withdrawal is governed by Article 17, paragraph 2.

Article 12: Changes to account requirements

The Company may change the requirements for Liqlid accounts or discontinue issuing them at its discretion.

Chapter 4: Provision of the Service

Article 13: Provision of the platform

The Company provides the services described in Article 4 to participants.

Article 14: Ownership of rights

All intellectual property rights related to the platform belong to the Company or the parties that license such rights to the Company. Participants represent that they have the legal right to post or transmit the data they submit and that such Posted Data does not infringe third-party rights. The Company appropriately stores and manages Posted Data, and the Company or the municipalities and organizations operating the platform with us may quote or otherwise use Posted Data through appropriate methods. Participants agree not to exercise moral rights against the Company or those municipalities and organizations in relation to such Posted Data.

Article 15: Paid services

Participants will not be charged usage fees or similar charges for using the platform unless they agree in advance.

Article 16: Suspension or interruption of the service

The Company may suspend or interrupt all or part of the service without prior notice if urgent maintenance is necessary, if the servers, backend services, or communication lines needed for operation stop due to an accident, if external systems required for the platform become unavailable, if operation becomes impossible due to force majeure such as earthquakes, lightning, fire, flood, power outages, disease outbreaks, or other natural disasters, or if the Company otherwise determines suspension or interruption to be necessary. The Company is not liable for damage resulting from measures taken under this article.

Chapter 5: Privacy and Information Security

Article 17

The Company places the highest importance on respecting participants' privacy. The Company establishes and discloses a privacy policy governing the management and proper handling of personal information and other privacy-related information. The Company handles such information in accordance with the Liquitous Privacy Policy.

Article 18

The Company makes every effort to protect participant information. Information provided during account registration is managed using technical measures such as encryption and with external certifications where appropriate. The Company also concludes confidentiality agreements with its personnel and partners engaged in development or operation work, provides necessary privacy and security training, and maintains infrastructure to manage registration information and Posted Data safely and stably.

Chapter 6: What the Company expects from participants

Article 19: Basic values

The Company strongly believes in the importance of freedom of speech and expression. For that reason, it expects participants to respect the dignity of other participants and to engage in constructive expression and dialogue. At the same time, the Company believes that freedom should be exercised without infringing the rights and freedoms of others. The Company, or the municipality or organization operating the platform with us, may therefore establish separate guidelines regarding conduct on the platform. The Company also expects participants to review these Terms, the privacy policy, and the accompanying guidelines before starting to use the platform. When taking measures that limit participant conduct on the platform, the Company aims to act with restraint and with constant awareness of the difficulty of balancing moderation with freedom of expression.

Article 20: Prohibited acts

Participants must not engage in conduct that violates the applicable guidelines, violates laws or is related to criminal acts, involves fraud or threats toward the Company, other users, or third parties, is contrary to public order or morals, infringes intellectual property rights, portrait rights, privacy rights, reputation, or other rights or interests of the Company, other users, or third parties, or otherwise clearly conflicts with the purpose of these Terms or the guidelines. If such conduct occurs, the Company may, without prior notice, remove or hide Posted Data or take other measures that invalidate the participant's actions on the platform.

Article 21: Confidentiality

Participants must keep confidential any non-public information related to the platform that the Company discloses to them on a confidential basis, unless the Company gives prior written consent.

Article 22: No warranty

The Company does not guarantee, whether expressly or implicitly, that the platform is suitable for a participant's specific purpose, has the functions, accuracy, usefulness, or performance expected by the participant, complies with laws or internal rules applicable to the participant, will remain continuously available, or will be free from defects. At the same time, the Company endeavors to communicate actively with participants and understand their goals and expectations. Contact: contact@liquitous.com

Article 23: Limitation of liability

As a general rule, the Company is not liable for damages suffered by participants in connection with the platform, including incidental, indirect, special, future, or lost-profit damages. Transactions, communications, or disputes between participants and other participants or third parties in connection with the service or the Company's website must, as a rule, be resolved by the participants at their own responsibility.

Chapter 7: The Company's Social Responsibility

Article 24: Basic stance of the Company

The Company complies with applicable laws and faithfully carries out the policies it has established, including these Terms. In resolving disputes with participants or others, the Company seeks peaceful resolution as far as possible with sincerity and a strong emphasis on dialogue.

Article 25: Exclusion of antisocial forces

Participants represent that they are not and will not become members of antisocial forces, including organized crime groups and related entities, and undertake not to engage in violent demands, improper demands beyond legal responsibility, threatening conduct, use of violence, dissemination of false rumors, fraudulent tactics, interference with business, or similar conduct now or in the future.

Chapter 8: Important Matters for Enforcement of these Terms

Article 26: Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the remaining provisions, and the remaining part of any partially invalid provision, remain fully effective.

Article 27: Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms and the service use agreement are governed by Japanese law. Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the service use agreement are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Yokohama District Court as the court of first instance.

Article 28: Communications

Inquiries from participants regarding the platform, notices from participants to the Company, notices from the Company regarding changes to these Terms, and communications to registered participants are made using the methods designated by the Company. A notice sent by the Company to the email address or other contact information included in the participant's registration information, or through notification functions built into the platform, is deemed received by the participant. Notices from participants to the Company may be sent to legal@liquitous.com and will be deemed received by the Company upon such contact.

Article 29: Changes to these Terms

The Company may change these Terms when it considers doing so necessary. When making changes, the Company will notify participants of the effective date and the revised content through the method provided under these Terms. If a participant continues using the platform after a change, the participant is deemed to have accepted the revised Terms, except where applicable law requires specific consent.

Supplementary provision: These Terms took effect or were revised on the dates below.

Effective May 1, 2021

Revised April 1, 2023

Revised June 25, 2024

Digital Civic Participation Platform
Usage Guidelines

Thank you for participating in this online platform. We have established these guidelines so that everyone can post and share with confidence in a safe and constructive environment.

If a post falls under any of the prohibited acts described in these guidelines, Liquitous Inc. (the "Company") or the municipality or organization operating the platform with us may ask for revisions or remove the post.

What we ask of everyone using the platform

• Do not keep your observations to yourself. Put your thoughts into words honestly.
• Respect the views of others, including government officials and fellow citizens, without dismissing them, and help build constructive relationships.
• Please refrain from defamatory or abusive expressions toward others.
• Please avoid posts that are substantially unrelated to the topic or purpose.
• Please review the information posted on the platform before participating.
• Be careful not to post personal information, whether your own or someone else's, or language that could identify a specific person.
• Recognize that this is a public space and do not use the platform for commercial activities.
• Please consider carefully whether the content should be shared publicly.

Measures in response to violations when posting on Liqlid

1) If a participant falls under any of the prohibited acts below, the Company or the municipality or organization operating the platform with us may, under Articles 10 and 20 of the Terms of Use, take one or more of the following measures:

• Hide an "Idea" post
• Hide a "Chat" post
• Hide a "Revision Proposal"
• Suspend the account

2) When the Company or the municipality or organization operating the platform exercises such authority, it will notify the participant of the reason in writing or by another appropriate method.

Prohibited acts

Participants must not engage in any of the following acts when using the services provided by the Company.

• Item 1: Sending information through the service that falls under, or that the Company judges may fall under, any of the following:
  • Excessively violent or cruel expressions
  • Information containing computer viruses or other harmful computer programs
  • Expressions that defame or damage the reputation or credibility of the Company, other users, or third parties
  • Excessively obscene expressions
  • Expressions that encourage discrimination
  • Expressions that encourage suicide or self-harm
  • Expressions that encourage improper drug use
  • Expressions that cause discomfort to others
  • Personal information such as a third party's address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, or credit card information without the person's explicit permission to disclose it
  • Content that infringes a third party's intellectual property rights, portrait rights, privacy rights, reputation, or other rights or interests
• Item 2: Impersonating a third party
• Item 3: Causing disadvantage, damage, or discomfort to the Company, other users, or third parties
• Item 4: Directly or indirectly causing or facilitating any of the acts listed above

Changes to these guidelines

The Company may change the content of these guidelines without prior notice to participants. When changes are made, the Company will notify users on the platform and, if the changes are likely to have a significant impact, will provide a reasonable advance notice period.

Supplementary provision: These guidelines took effect or were revised on the dates below.

Effective July 3, 2023

For Liquitous Inc. (the "Company"), protecting privacy and security is always one of our highest priorities.

Based on that understanding, we define the following three principles as our approach to privacy and security:

• "Liquitous always makes this promise." We are committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who uses the products and services we provide. We establish policies, keep them public, and update them as appropriate.
• "Liquitous takes responsibility." To secure privacy and security, we proactively disclose necessary information and maintain transparency. We also communicate quickly and consistently so that we can fulfill our accountability.
• "Liquitous continues to explore." As we develop products and services, we continue exploring concepts and technologies that can further strengthen privacy and security. We recognize that properly managing personal information obtained through our various operations, including customer information and employee information, is an important social responsibility.

We have established this personal information protection policy, share it thoroughly with our team, and work to protect personal information appropriately.

Established: July 14, 2024

Hiroyuki Kurimoto, Representative Director & CEO, Liquitous Inc.