Terms of Service

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TERMS OF SERVICE

PART 1 — Introduction & Definitions

1. Introduction

Welcome to Madeira Community (“Madeira Community”, the “Platform”, “we”, “our”, or “us”).

Madeira Community is an online platform designed for individuals and entities interested in Madeira Island, including residents, visitors, expats, and local businesses. The Platform enables users to participate in discussions, share information, publish content, communicate with other users, and access community-related services and features.

The Platform is provided primarily for informational, social, and community purposes. Madeira Community does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, legality, or completeness of Content published by Users or third parties.

By accessing, browsing, registering for, or using the Platform in any way, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”).

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must immediately stop using the Platform.

These Terms apply to all users of the Platform, including visitors, registered members, advertisers, business representatives, contributors, and any other individuals accessing or interacting with the Platform.

Additional policies, guidelines, and documents apply to specific features or services offered through the Platform, including but not limited to:

  • Privacy, Cookies & Data Protection Policy
  • Community Guidelines
  • Advertising, Promotions & Commercial Use Policy

Such policies form an integral part of these Terms.

We reserve the right to update, modify, or replace these Terms at any time in accordance with applicable laws and platform requirements. Continued use of the Platform after any modifications become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Platform Operator Information

Madeira Community is operated by Denys Kovalenko, a private individual based in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

For legal, moderation, privacy, or support-related inquiries, users may contact the Platform operator via:

Email: admin@madeira.community

Additional administrative and contact information may be provided where legally required.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms, the following definitions apply:

“Platform” refers to the Madeira Community website, forum, services, applications, software, communications systems, and all related functionality operated under the Madeira Community brand.

“User” refers to any person or entity that accesses, browses, registers for, or otherwise uses the Platform.

“Account” refers to a registered user profile created to access certain features or functionality of the Platform.

“Business Account” refers to any Account used for commercial, promotional, professional, or business-related activities on the Platform.

“Content” refers to any material, information, data, text, images, photographs, graphics, audio, video, messages, advertisements, links, comments, files, or other materials made available on or through the Platform.

“User Content” refers to any Content submitted, uploaded, published, transmitted, shared, or otherwise provided by Users through the Platform.

“Advertising” refers to any sponsored, promotional, branded, commercial, affiliate, marketing-related, or paid content displayed or distributed on the Platform.

“Commercial Use” refers to any activity intended to promote, market, advertise, sell, solicit, or generate commercial benefit through the use of the Platform.

“Moderation” refers to any review, investigation, restriction, editing, removal, suspension, enforcement action, or other management activity performed by the Platform regarding Content, Accounts, or User activity.

“Automated Systems” refers to any automated technologies, algorithms, spam-detection systems, security tools, artificial intelligence systems, or other automated processes used by the Platform for moderation, security, analytics, fraud prevention, or operational purposes.

“Policies” refers to all additional rules, guidelines, notices, and legal documents published by Madeira Community and incorporated into these Terms.

“Third-Party Services” refers to external websites, applications, services, platforms, businesses, or resources that are not owned or controlled by Madeira Community.

“Services” refers to all features, tools, systems, functionality, and services made available through the Platform.

PART 2 — Eligibility, Accounts & Registration

1. Eligibility

The Platform is intended solely for individuals who are at least 16 years old.

By accessing or using the Platform, you represent and warrant that:

  • you are at least 16 years of age;
  • you have the full legal capacity to enter into a legally binding agreement;
  • your use of the Platform does not violate any applicable local, national, or international laws or regulations.

We do not knowingly permit individuals under the age of 16 to create Accounts or use the Platform. If we become aware that a User does not meet the minimum age requirement, we reserve the right to suspend, restrict, or permanently remove the associated Account and all related Content immediately and without prior notice.

2. Account Registration

Certain features, tools, or sections of the Platform require the registration of an Account.

When creating an Account, you agree to:

  • provide accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process;
  • maintain and promptly update your Account information to keep it accurate, current, and complete;
  • keep your login credentials, including passwords, strictly confidential and secure;
  • accept full responsibility for all activities, actions, and content submissions occurring under your Account.

Users are strictly prohibited from:

  • creating Accounts using false, inaccurate, or misleading information;
  • impersonating another individual, business, organization, or entity;
  • creating Accounts for fraudulent, deceptive, malicious, or unlawful purposes;
  • selling, leasing, transferring, or sharing Accounts or usernames without explicit written authorization from the Platform;
  • creating multiple Accounts for abusive, manipulative, deceptive, or policy-evading purposes (including bypassing active suspensions or bans).

The Platform reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse registration, reclaim or rename usernames, or restrict Account creation at any time and for any reason.

3. Account Security

Users are solely responsible for maintaining the security, integrity, and confidentiality of their Account credentials.

Madeira Community is not liable for any loss, unauthorized access, data breach, damage, or unauthorized activity resulting from:

  • a User’s failure to maintain Account security;
  • the unauthorized use of login credentials due to User negligence, disclosure, or weak passwords;
  • access obtained through misconduct, phishing, or compromised third-party devices.

You must immediately notify the Platform if you suspect or become aware of any unauthorized access, security breaches, or misuse of your Account.

The Platform may implement additional security measures, including multi-factor authentication, automated fraud detection, spam prevention systems, or temporary access restrictions to protect the network.

4. Business Accounts & Commercial Presence

Users engaging in commercial, promotional, advertising, professional, or entrepreneurial activities through the Platform (including promoting local services, real estate, community events, or retail products) will be classified as Business Accounts.

If you register or use a Business Account on behalf of a company, partnership, or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have the legal authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

Business Accounts are subject to additional rules, identity verification requirements, advertising policies, promotional restrictions, specific fees, or separate commercial terms determined by the Platform.

The Platform reserves the right to identify, label (e.g., with “Business”, “Professional”, or similar badges), restrict, suspend, or remove Business Accounts that violate these Terms, or that fail to meet the platform’s professional standards and related commercial policies.

5. Inactive Accounts

The Platform reserves the right to deactivate, terminate, reclaim, or rename inactive Accounts, usernames, or profiles after extended periods of inactivity (typically exceeding 12 consecutive months). Where practicable and at the Platform’s sole discretion, reasonable efforts may be made to notify the User via the registered email address before any permanent action is taken.

6. Account Ownership & Access

Users do not own their Accounts, usernames, profiles, or data infrastructure on the Platform.

The Platform grants Users a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal right to access and use the Services strictly in accordance with these Terms. All rights, titles, and interests relating to the operation, administration, code, database, and management of the Platform remain exclusively with Madeira Community.

7. Automated Systems & Platform Protection

The Platform utilizes Automated Systems, algorithms, artificial intelligence tools, spam filters, fraud detection systems, and other advanced technologies to:

  • protect the Platform, its infrastructure, and its Users from harm;
  • detect, flag, and filter suspicious, abusive, malicious, or non-compliant behavior;
  • enforce these Terms and related Policies;
  • optimize security, moderation efficiency, and overall operational performance.

Users explicitly agree not to interfere with, bypass, disable, reverse engineer, exploit, or misuse such Automated Systems.

Unauthorized automated access, data harvesting, web scraping, bot activity, data extraction, crawling, or any attempts to disrupt, overload, or stress Platform operations or infrastructure are strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

8. Username, Branding & Official Entity Protection

The Platform reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reserve, reclaim, rename, restrict, verify, suspend, or otherwise manage usernames, profile names, business names, account identifiers, profile URLs, and similar account elements where reasonably necessary to:

  • prevent confusion, impersonation, or misleading representations;
  • protect trademarks, trade names, brand identities, public institutions, organizations, businesses, or official entities;
  • resolve intellectual property disputes or legitimate ownership claims;
  • accommodate verified rights holders, official representatives, public authorities, or legitimate trademark owners.

Users do not acquire ownership rights to usernames, profile names, account identifiers, or similar Platform-designated account elements.

The Platform may require Users to modify, remove, or replace profile photos, avatars, logos, business identifiers, branding materials, or other account content that may falsely imply affiliation, authorization, endorsement, ownership, representation, or official status in relation to any third party, business, organization, public authority, or the Platform itself.

Official Platform branding, logos, badges, verification marks, icons, visual assets, and related identifiers remain the exclusive property of Madeira Community and may not be used without prior authorization.

PART 3 — User Content & Intellectual Property

1. Ownership of User Content & License Grant

Users retain ownership of any intellectual property rights they hold in the Content they create, submit, upload, publish, transmit, or share through the Platform (“User Content”). Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of your User Content to Madeira Community.

However, by submitting, posting, or making User Content available on the Platform, you grant Madeira Community a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully paid-up, transferable, and sublicensable license to:

  • host, store, reproduce, display, publish, distribute, adapt, cache, process, index, archive, reformat, translate, modify for technical purposes, and otherwise use such User Content;
  • operate, maintain, improve, secure, promote, market, and provide the Platform and its Services;
  • display User Content in connection with Platform functionality, community features, moderation systems, search results, promotional materials, social media channels, system backups, and technical operations.

This license exists solely for the purpose of operating, developing, protecting, promoting, and expanding the Platform. This license continues for as long as reasonably necessary to operate, protect, maintain, archive, moderate, or promote the Platform, preserve discussion integrity, comply with legal obligations, or exercise legitimate interests, subject to applicable data protection laws and the technical limitations of data removal.

2. User Responsibility & Ownership Disputes

Users are solely and fully responsible for all User Content they submit, publish, upload, share, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Platform.

By posting User Content, you represent and warrant that:

  • you own the User Content or possess all necessary rights, permissions, consents, licenses, and authorizations required to publish and share it;
  • your User Content does not violate any applicable local, national, or international laws, regulations, contracts, or third-party rights;
  • your User Content does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity, confidentiality, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third party;
  • your User Content is not fraudulent, deceptive, defamatory, libelous, unlawful, malicious, abusive, or misleading.

The Platform is not responsible for independently verifying the ownership, legality, authenticity, or licensing status of User Content submitted by Users. Madeira Community will not act as an arbitrator in intellectual property or ownership disputes between Users. Users remain legally responsible and liable for their User Content even after its deletion, or after Account suspension or termination.

3. Platform Rights Regarding User Content

Madeira Community does not claim ownership over User Content and has no general obligation to monitor or pre-screen Content.

However, to protect the community and ensure compliance with these Terms, the Platform reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without prior notice, to:

  • review, monitor, moderate, restrict, edit, remove, refuse to post, disable access to, archive, or preserve any User Content at any time and for any reason;
  • remove or restrict Content that violates these Terms, related Policies, applicable laws, or legitimate community standards;
  • preserve Content where necessary for compliance with applicable laws, lawful governmental requests, court orders, regulatory obligations, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, security investigations, moderation enforcement, or protection of the Platform and its Users;
  • retain backup copies, cached versions, server logs, moderation records, or archived materials for operational, compliance, legal, or security purposes.

Certain User Content may be retained in anonymized, aggregated, archived, or technically necessary forms where permitted or required by applicable laws, legitimate interests, security needs, or operational requirements. The Platform is under no obligation to publish, maintain, restore, or permanently store any User Content.

4. Intellectual Property Rights of the Platform & AI Training Protection

Unless otherwise explicitly stated, all rights, title, and interest relating to the Platform — including its design, software, source code, databases, algorithms, trademarks, logos, branding, domain names, visual identity, text, graphics, systems, structure, features, and proprietary functionality — are owned by or licensed to Madeira Community and are protected by applicable Portuguese, European, and international intellectual property laws.

Users are strictly prohibited from performing the following actions without prior written authorization from Madeira Community:

  • copying, reproducing, distributing, republishing, scraping, mirroring, framing, exploiting, or commercially using Platform materials;
  • reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling, or attempting to extract source code or proprietary systems of the Platform;
  • using Madeira Community trademarks, branding, logos, or visual identity in a misleading, unauthorized, or competitive manner;
  • creating derivative works based on the Platform or its proprietary components.

Users and third parties are strictly prohibited from using any Content, data, or materials obtained from the Platform for the purpose of training, developing, fine-tuning, or operating artificial intelligence systems, machine learning models, large language models, or similar technologies without the prior explicit written authorization of Madeira Community.

All rights not expressly granted to Users under these Terms are reserved by Madeira Community.

5. Intellectual Property Infringement & Reporting

Madeira Community respects intellectual property rights and expects its Users to do the same. If you believe that any Content available on the Platform infringes your copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights, you may submit a notice containing:

  • a clear identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the Platform (e.g., URL link);
  • identification of the original copyrighted work or trademark allegedly infringed;
  • your sufficient contact information (name, address, email, phone number);
  • a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
  • a statement that the information in the notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner.

Notices must be submitted to:

Email: admin@madeira.community

The Platform reserves the right to remove, restrict, or disable access to allegedly infringing Content immediately and without prior notice. Repeated or serious intellectual property violations will result in Account suspension or permanent termination.

6. Public Nature of the Platform

Users acknowledge and understand that Content published on public areas of the Platform is accessible to the general public. Such Content may be:

  • viewed, read, and collected by other Users and visitors;
  • indexed, crawled, and cached by external search engines (e.g., Google, Bing);
  • cached by internet browsers, internet service providers, or third-party web archives;
  • referenced, reshared, quoted, or copied by other Users or external websites.

Users should avoid publishing confidential, sensitive, private, financial, or legally protected information on public sections of the Platform. The Platform cannot guarantee the complete removal or deletion of User Content from external systems, caches, archives, search engines, or third-party services once it has been publicly disclosed.

Business and contact details — such as a business name, telephone number, messaging contact (e.g., WhatsApp), email address, physical or business address, and opening hours — may be published where a User intends them to be publicly visible, as this is a core purpose of the Platform. By publishing such details, the User understands and agrees that they will be publicly accessible and may be indexed by search engines. Users should not, however, publish sensitive data that is not necessary for this purpose, including tax identification numbers (NIF/NIPC), identity or document numbers, banking or payment credentials, or the personal data of other individuals without their consent. The Platform is not responsible for any information that a User voluntarily chooses to make public.

7. Feedback & Suggestions

If you voluntarily submit suggestions, ideas, recommendations, feature requests, feedback, or other proposals regarding the Platform (“Feedback”), you grant Madeira Community a worldwide, unrestricted, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, and sublicensable right to use, modify, implement, and commercialize such Feedback without any restriction, financial compensation, attribution, or obligation to you.

PART 4 — Community Rules & Related Policies

1. Community Standards

Madeira Community is intended to foster respectful, constructive, informative, and community-oriented interactions. By using the Platform, Users agree to interact with others in a lawful, respectful, and responsible manner.

Users are expected to contribute positively to the Platform and avoid behavior that may harm other Users, the Platform, local communities, businesses, or the overall integrity of discussions. The Platform encourages open discussion and diverse opinions. However, freedom of expression does not permit abusive, unlawful, deceptive, harmful, toxic, or disruptive behavior.

2. Prohibited Conduct

Users are strictly prohibited from engaging in activities that violate these Terms, related Policies, applicable laws, or legitimate community standards. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • harassment, bullying, intimidation, threats, stalking, or targeted abuse;
  • hate speech, discrimination, extremist content, or incitement of violence or illegal acts;
  • defamatory, libelous, fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, or manipulative behavior;
  • impersonation of any individual, business, organization, public entity, or Platform representative;
  • spam, mass unsolicited communications, repetitive posting, or artificial engagement manipulation;
  • coordinated attempts to manipulate discussions, public perception, ratings, reviews, moderation systems, or Platform visibility through fake accounts, organized campaigns, or deceptive activity;
  • scams, phishing attempts, fraudulent offers, pyramid schemes, or deceptive commercial practices;
  • publication of unlawful, sexually explicit, exploitative, violent, or otherwise inappropriate Content;
  • unauthorized disclosure of confidential, personal, or sensitive information belonging to others (including “doxing”);
  • malicious distribution of malware, viruses, harmful code, or disruptive technologies;
  • unauthorized data collection, scraping, automated extraction, or abusive bot activity;
  • interference with Platform operations, moderation systems, infrastructure, or security measures;
  • attempts to bypass moderation actions, suspensions, bans, restrictions, or enforcement systems;
  • use of the Platform for any unlawful, harmful, or abusive purposes.

The Platform reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, whether specific conduct violates these Terms or negatively affects the safety, stability, integrity, or reputation of the Platform or its Users.

3. Commercial Activity & Self-Promotion

Commercial activity, advertising, promotional activity, affiliate marketing, lead generation, and business-related use of the Platform are strictly subject to additional restrictions, requirements, approvals, and Policies.

Users are explicitly prohibited from performing the following actions without prior authorization:

  • engaging in unauthorized advertising or commercial solicitation in public forums, threads, or comments;
  • distributing spam, unsolicited promotional materials, or referral links;
  • artificially promoting services, products, events, or businesses through deceptive behavior or coordinated networks;
  • using misleading claims, fake reviews, false testimonials, or manipulated engagement to boost a commercial presence;
  • abusing private messaging systems for unsolicited commercial outreach or direct sales pitches.

The Platform reserves the right to restrict, label (e.g., as “Sponsored” or “Ad”), remove, deprioritize, or moderate commercial Content at its sole discretion. Additional requirements for commercial activity are described in the Advertising, Promotions & Commercial Use Policy.

4. User Interactions & Third-Party Relationships

Users are solely and exclusively responsible for their interactions, communications, agreements, transactions, or relationships with other Users, businesses, advertisers, or third parties encountered through the Platform.

Madeira Community is not a party to, and disclaims all liability for, any contracts, agreements, financial transactions, service bookings, or disputes that may arise between Users, including between ordinary Users and Business Accounts.

Madeira Community does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse:

  • the accuracy, safety, or legality of User statements, business listings, or classified advertisements;
  • the identity, qualifications, licensing, reliability, or legitimacy of Users or businesses;
  • the quality, legality, safety, suitability, or delivery of any services or products promoted through the Platform.

Users are encouraged to exercise caution, independent judgment, and appropriate due diligence when interacting with others or making financial transactions through the Platform.

5. Reporting Violations & Good Faith

Users may report suspected violations of these Terms, Community Guidelines, applicable laws, or other harmful activity through the reporting tools or contact channels provided by the Platform.

Reports must be made in good faith. Misusing reporting tools to harass, silence, intimidate, or maliciously target other Users is strictly prohibited and constitutes a violation of these Terms.

The Platform reserves the right to investigate reports, request additional information, take enforcement actions, or decline action at its sole discretion, in accordance with platform requirements and applicable EU regulations.

6. Related Policies

Additional rules, standards, restrictions, procedures, or guidance are described in separate Policies, which include but are not limited to:

  • Community Guidelines;
  • Advertising, Promotions & Commercial Use Policy;
  • Privacy, Cookies & Data Protection Policy.

Such Policies are fully incorporated into and form an integral part of these Terms. Users are independently responsible for reviewing and complying with all applicable Policies published by the Platform.

7. Prohibited Goods, Services & Listings

In addition to the general prohibitions set out above, and given that the Platform may host classifieds, listings, offers, and service advertisements, Users may not offer, advertise, promote, sell, solicit, or facilitate the exchange of the following goods or services through the Platform:

  • weapons, firearms, ammunition, explosives, or other regulated or dangerous items;
  • illegal drugs, controlled substances, or related paraphernalia;
  • prescription medication or pharmaceuticals offered without lawful authorization;
  • forged, falsified, or fraudulent documents (including identity documents, permits, diplomas, or certificates);
  • illegal employment, undeclared work, or unlawful immigration or residency services;
  • sexual services, prostitution, or escort services;
  • counterfeit, replica, or trademark-infringing goods;
  • stolen goods or items obtained unlawfully;
  • protected, endangered, or otherwise restricted animals, plants, or species, or any goods whose sale is prohibited by law;
  • financial pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, or deceptive investment opportunities;
  • misleading guarantees of official or regulated outcomes (for example, “guaranteed visa”, “guaranteed AIMA approval”, “guaranteed residency”, or “guaranteed tax result”), or any service falsely implying official authorization or a guaranteed result from a public authority;
  • any other goods or services that are unlawful under applicable Portuguese, European Union, or international law.

The Platform reserves the right to remove any such listing or Content and to suspend or permanently terminate any Account involved, immediately and without prior notice, and to report unlawful activity to the competent authorities where appropriate.

PART 5 — Moderation, Enforcement & Content Removal

1. Platform Moderation Authority

Madeira Community reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without prior notice, to monitor, review, moderate, restrict, edit, remove, disable access to, archive, preserve, or otherwise manage any Content, Account, activity, interaction, or use of the Platform where deemed necessary to:

  • enforce these Terms and related Policies;
  • comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, lawful governmental requests, or regulatory obligations;
  • protect the safety, integrity, security, functionality, reputation, or operational stability of the Platform;
  • protect Users, businesses, moderators, administrators, or third parties from harmful, abusive, deceptive, unlawful, manipulative, or disruptive conduct;
  • prevent fraud, spam, abuse, manipulation, harassment, coordinated inauthentic behavior, or security threats.

Users acknowledge and agree that moderation decisions may involve human review, Automated Systems, artificial intelligence tools, algorithmic detection systems, or internal enforcement procedures. The Platform is under no general obligation to actively monitor or pre-screen all Content, communications, or User activity, and does not guarantee the detection, prevention, removal, or correction of unlawful or inappropriate Content.

2. Enforcement Measures

Where the Platform determines, at its sole discretion, that a User, Account, or Content violates these Terms, related Policies, applicable laws, or legitimate community standards, the Platform may take any enforcement action it considers appropriate, including but not limited to:

  • issuing formal warnings or notices;
  • restricting the visibility, reach, functionality, distribution, or discoverability of Content or Accounts, by reducing visibility, limiting distribution, or applying other proportionate safety or moderation measures where permitted by applicable law;
  • removing, editing, disabling, filtering, or limiting Content;
  • temporarily or permanently suspending Accounts;
  • restricting access to specific features, sections, forums, or Services;
  • preventing future Account creation or re-registration;
  • removing or reclaiming usernames, profile information, listings, advertisements, or commercial Content;
  • blocking IP addresses, devices, automated systems, or network activity;
  • reporting unlawful or criminal conduct to competent law enforcement authorities or affected third parties;
  • preserving evidence, logs, records, communications, or metadata for legal, regulatory, operational, or security purposes.

Enforcement actions may be applied immediately, automatically, temporarily, permanently, partially, or globally across the Platform.

3. Content Removal & Access Restrictions

The Platform reserves the right to remove, restrict, disable access to, or refuse publication of any Content at any time, including where the Platform believes that such Content:

  • violates these Terms or related Policies;
  • may expose the Platform, its operator, or its Users to legal, financial, reputational, operational, or security risks;
  • is deceptive, abusive, misleading, manipulative, harmful, unlawful, or inappropriate;
  • interferes with community integrity, moderation systems, or Platform operations;
  • may create liability, conflict, disruption, or harm to Users, businesses, moderators, or third parties.

Users acknowledge that Content removal, filtering, restriction, or moderation may occur without prior notice. The Platform is under no obligation to restore removed Content, maintain archived Content, or preserve any Content indefinitely on its active systems, servers, backups, or infrastructure.

4. Account Suspensions & Permanent Bans

The Platform reserves the right to temporarily suspend, indefinitely restrict, or permanently terminate any Account or User access at its sole discretion. Suspensions or bans may occur for reasons including, but not limited to:

  • repeated, serious, or material violations of these Terms or related Policies;
  • abusive, harmful, manipulative, unlawful, or deceptive behavior;
  • spam, scams, fraud, fake engagement, coordinated manipulation, or commercial abuse;
  • attempts to evade prior enforcement measures, suspensions, bans, restrictions, or enforcement systems;
  • threats to Platform security, infrastructure, operations, Users, moderators, or third parties;
  • conduct that may expose the Platform to legal, reputational, operational, or regulatory risk.

The Platform reserves the right to apply enforcement measures across associated Accounts, devices, IP addresses, business entities, or related network activity where necessary to protect the Platform or its Users.

5. Protection of Moderation Methodology & Security Systems

While the Platform may provide notifications or basic reasons regarding enforcement actions where appropriate or strictly required by applicable European laws (such as the Digital Services Act), Madeira Community is under no obligation to disclose its internal moderation logic, enforcement methodologies, security practices, detection algorithms, or internal decision-making processes.

Users acknowledge and agree that the disclosure of internal moderation systems, enforcement practices, security tools, automated detection methods, or internal procedures would compromise the safety, integrity, effectiveness, and network security of the Platform by allowing malicious actors to bypass platform protections.

6. Appeals & Reconsideration

Users may request reconsideration or submit an appeal regarding certain moderation or enforcement actions through the specific contact methods or internal appeal procedures made available by the Platform.

The submission of an appeal does not guarantee a reversal, restoration, reinstatement, compensation, or further communication. The Platform may establish reasonable procedural limitations, timeframes, eligibility requirements, or communication restrictions regarding appeals and reconsideration requests.

The Platform reserves the right to uphold, modify, partially reverse, or permanently maintain any moderation or enforcement decision at its sole discretion. Abusive, repetitive, manipulative, automated, or bad-faith appeals will be ignored, restricted, or treated as a separate violation of these Terms.

7. Emergency & Legal Cooperation

The Platform reserves the right to take immediate, unannounced action where reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws, court orders, lawful governmental requests, or regulatory obligations.

The Platform may cooperate with law enforcement authorities, regulators, courts, governmental bodies, cybersecurity organizations, or affected third-party rights holders where permitted or required by applicable law, including disclosing User data or content metadata in accordance with the Platform’s Privacy Policy.

8. Moderation Independence & Platform Integrity

Users acknowledge and agree that moderation, enforcement, ranking, visibility, discoverability, recommendation systems, filtering systems, search systems, and overall Platform operations are determined exclusively by Madeira Community.

Users have no inherent, contractual, or vested right to:

  • continued, uninterrupted access to the Platform or its Services;
  • specific levels of visibility, reach, engagement, ranking, promotion, or discoverability;
  • the publication, restoration, or preservation of any specific Content;
  • access internal moderation systems, algorithms, operational procedures, or enforcement methodologies.

All moderation and operational decisions are made independently to protect the integrity, security, legal compliance, sustainability, and long-term operation of the Platform and its community.

9. Automated Moderation & Translation

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and agree that certain Content may be subject to automated processing, including:

Automated Moderation: To maintain Platform safety, prevent unlawful activity, detect spam, fraud, abuse, security threats, or violations of these Terms, certain Content may be analyzed by Automated Systems, including AI-assisted tools. Certain private communications may be subject to automated safety, security, abuse-prevention, spam-detection, fraud-detection, or unlawful-content detection systems.

Automated Translation: The Platform may offer automated translation features to improve accessibility and communication within the community. Automated translations are provided for convenience only and may contain errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or unintended interpretations. Madeira Community does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of automated translations.

10. Illegal Content Notices & Moderation Appeals

Reporting illegal content or violations. Any User or third party may notify the Platform of Content they consider illegal or in breach of these Terms or related Policies, either by using the in-forum “Report”/“Flag” function on the relevant post, or by email to admin@madeira.community. To allow the Platform to assess the report, the notice should include: the location of the Content (URL or link to the post), the reason for the report, and a brief description of the issue. Where the report concerns allegedly illegal content, the Platform may, where required by applicable law, acknowledge receipt and inform the reporting party of the action taken.

Action on reports. The Platform reviews reports and may remove or restrict Content, take enforcement action, request further information, or decline to act, in accordance with these Terms, related Policies, and applicable law. The Platform is not obligated to act on reports that are unfounded, abusive, or made in bad faith.

Statement of reasons. Where required by applicable European Union law (including the Digital Services Act), the Platform will provide affected Users with a statement of reasons for moderation decisions that significantly affect them, such as the removal or restriction of their Content or Account.

Appeals. A User affected by a moderation or enforcement decision may request a review by contacting admin@madeira.community, explaining the decision being contested and the grounds for reconsideration. The Platform will review eligible appeals and may uphold, modify, or reverse the original decision. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee restoration or a specific outcome.

Misuse of reporting and appeals. Misusing the reporting or appeals process to harass, silence, intimidate, or maliciously target others, or submitting repeated bad-faith or automated requests, is prohibited and may itself result in enforcement action.

PART 6 — Advertising, Promotions & Commercial Use

1. Commercial Use of the Platform

Madeira Community may permit commercial activity, advertising, promotional campaigns, sponsored content, business listings, affiliate content, commercial partnerships, or other monetization features through the Platform. All commercial use of the Platform is subject to these Terms, related Policies, applicable European Union laws, the Portuguese Advertising Code (Código da Publicidade), consumer protection requirements, and any additional commercial terms established by the Platform.

The Platform reserves the right to approve, reject, restrict, moderate, remove, label, prioritize, deprioritize, or otherwise manage any commercial activity or commercial Content at its sole discretion, at any time and for any reason.

2. Advertising & Sponsored Content Disclosures

Users, advertisers, businesses, agencies, promoters, affiliates, influencers, or other commercial participants may not publish or distribute advertising, sponsored content, or promotional materials through the Platform without explicit authorization from the Platform.

In compliance with EU and Portuguese consumer protection transparency standards, the Platform reserves the right to:

  • require immediate and unambiguous disclosure of sponsored, paid, affiliated, incentivized, or promotional Content;
  • dynamically label commercial Content using identifiers such as “Sponsored”, “Advertisement”, “Ad”, “Partner”, or similar prominent disclosures;
  • remove, restrict, or delete hidden advertising, undisclosed sponsorships, deceptive recommendations, fake reviews, manipulated testimonials, or misleading promotional activity;
  • limit, throttle, or reduce the visibility, reach, algorithmic distribution, or discoverability of commercial Content;
  • establish separate mandatory rules, pricing structures, verification systems, or professional approval processes for advertisers and Business Accounts.

Commercial participants are solely and exclusively responsible for ensuring that their advertising, promotions, endorsements, affiliate activity, and commercial communications comply with all applicable local and international laws, including strict consumer disclosure requirements.

3. Prohibited Commercial Practices

The following activities are strictly prohibited on the Platform and constitute a material breach of these Terms:

  • hidden advertising, astroturfing, or undisclosed sponsored content (including disguised commercial posts in lifestyle or community discussion threads);
  • fake reviews, fabricated testimonials, manipulated ratings, or deceptive endorsements of one’s own business or a competitor’s business;
  • misleading, exaggerated, or false claims regarding products, services, qualifications, professional licenses, pricing, availability, or business legitimacy;
  • impersonation of consumers, reviewers, clients, independent third parties, or competing business entities;
  • coordinated commercial manipulation campaigns, including organized review inflation or deflation (“review bombing”);
  • unauthorized mass solicitation, direct-message (DM) spam marketing, or aggressive, unsolicited commercial outreach to Users;
  • the promotion, sale, or distribution of unlawful, fraudulent, counterfeit, unlicensed, or deceptive products or services;
  • the abuse of Platform systems, features, or vulnerabilities to artificially increase visibility, rankings, engagement, reviews, or commercial reputation.

The Platform reserves the right to immediately investigate, restrict, suspend, remove, report to regulatory authorities, or permanently ban commercial actors engaging in deceptive or abusive practices.

4. Business Listings & Third-Party Services

The Platform may allow businesses, service providers, freelancers, advertisers, or third parties to publish listings, promotional offers, professional profiles, directories, classified advertisements, or promotional information.

Madeira Community does not act as an agent, broker, or intermediary, and does not guarantee, verify, certify, endorse, monitor, or assume any civil or criminal responsibility for:

  • the legality, accuracy, quality, safety, reliability, licensing, or legitimacy of any business, freelancer, or service;
  • the technical qualifications, credentials, mandatory professional insurance, government permits, NIF/NIPC registration, or official status of advertisers or businesses;
  • the performance, execution, delivery, pricing, availability, safety, or eventual outcomes of products or services promoted or transacted through the Platform.

Users are solely and independently responsible for conducting their own rigorous due diligence, background checks, and verification before entering into any transaction, agreement, booking, financial transfer, purchase, or commercial relationship with any other User or Business Account.

5. Affiliate Links & Platform Monetization

The Platform may display affiliate links, referral codes, sponsored placements, paid partnerships, promoted listings, banner advertisements, or other monetized content infrastructure. Madeira Community may receive commissions, referral compensation, advertising revenue, partnership benefits, or other financial and commercial consideration from certain commercial activities conducted on or through the Platform.

Users explicitly acknowledge and agree that:

  • monetization activities and commercial partnerships may influence the visibility, placement, promotion, ordering, or prioritization of Content;
  • commercial relationships may exist between the Platform and certain preferred advertisers, partners, or local businesses;
  • the existence of an advertisement, business listing, or commercial placement does not constitute an endorsement, warranty, or guarantee by the Platform unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing.

6. Commercial Enforcement, Removal Rights & No-Refund Policy

The Platform reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without prior notice or liability, to remove or restrict commercial Content, suspend or terminate Business Accounts, and reject or cancel advertisements, listings, promotions, or sponsored campaigns.

The Platform may require verification, official corporate documentation, professional licenses, tax identification numbers, or compliance declarations from commercial participants at any time.

If a Business Account, advertisement, or commercial campaign is restricted, suspended, or permanently removed due to a violation of these Terms, fraud, deceptive practices, or unlawful conduct, the Platform is under no obligation to refund any pre-paid advertising fees, subscription balances, or commercial credits associated with the violating commercial activity.

7. No Commercial Guarantee

The Platform does not guarantee, warrant, or represent advertising performance, audience reach, lead generation, customer acquisition, click-through rates, engagement levels, search engine rankings, business visibility, revenue generation, or commercial outcomes of any kind.

All commercial use of the Platform occurs strictly at the sole risk and financial responsibility of the advertiser, business, or commercial participant.

8. Additional Commercial Policies

Additional rules, operational guidelines, verification procedures, advertising quality standards, disclosure obligations, prohibited industries, payment terms, or monetization requirements may be detailed in separate commercial Policies, media kits, or separate advertising agreements. Commercial participants are independently responsible for reviewing and complying with all applicable commercial Policies published by Madeira Community.

9. No Refunds — All Sales Final

All payments for paid placements, promotional posts, advertisements, featured topics, banner placements, or any other paid commercial service on the Platform are final and non-refundable. Paid commercial services are deemed fully rendered immediately upon publication of the relevant content. By submitting payment, the User expressly requests and consents to the immediate performance of the service and acknowledges that, once the paid content is published, no refund will be issued under any circumstances, including but not limited to voluntary withdrawal, dissatisfaction, change of mind, or removal of the content for violation of these Terms or related Policies. This provision applies to all Users, whether acting as businesses or as private individuals.

Nothing in this Section affects any mandatory consumer rights that cannot be waived under applicable European Union or Portuguese law. Where a User qualifies as a consumer and a mandatory right of withdrawal applies, that right will be honored to the extent required by law; however, where the User has expressly requested the immediate performance of the service and the service has been fully performed (for example, once the paid content has been published), the right of withdrawal may no longer apply in accordance with applicable law.

PART 7 — Privacy, Cookies & Data Protection Policy

Note: This Platform is governed by our separate Privacy, Cookies & Data Protection Policy, which forms an integral part of these Terms and details how we collect, process, and protect user data.

PART 8 — Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

1. Platform Provided “As Is” and “As Available”

The Platform, its Services, Content, features, systems, infrastructure, functionality, and all related components are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law.

Madeira Community makes no representations, warranties, guarantees, or assurances of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, regarding:

  • the availability, reliability, continuity, accessibility, security, stability, or uninterrupted operation of the Platform;
  • the accuracy, completeness, legality, usefulness, quality, reliability, or suitability of any Content, User Content, business listings, advertisements, or third-party information;
  • the absence of errors, bugs, interruptions, malware, vulnerabilities, defects, or harmful components;
  • the compatibility of the Platform with specific devices, browsers, operating systems, software, or external services;
  • the results, outcomes, visibility, commercial success, engagement, discoverability, or effectiveness of using the Platform or its Services.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all implied warranties — including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, title, accuracy, availability, or satisfactory quality — are expressly disclaimed.

2. No Professional Advice

Content made available through the Platform, including discussions, comments, recommendations, business listings, advertisements, reviews, rankings, guides, opinions, translations, AI-generated outputs, or User interactions, is provided solely for general informational and community purposes.

Madeira Community does not provide legal, medical, financial, immigration, tax, customs, accounting, investment, engineering, real-estate, transportation, insurance, construction, psychological, or other regulated professional advice.

Users acknowledge and agree that:

  • they are solely responsible for independently evaluating information obtained through the Platform;
  • they should seek qualified professional advice before relying on information related to regulated, legal, medical, financial, safety-critical, or high-risk matters;
  • any reliance on Platform Content, User statements, AI-generated outputs, or third-party information occurs entirely at their own risk.

3. Third-Party Content & External Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, businesses, products, advertisements, services, software, integrations, payment providers, messaging groups (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram channels), external platforms, or other resources not owned, operated, or controlled by Madeira Community.

Madeira Community does not control and is not responsible for:

  • third-party websites, infrastructure, or services;
  • external business practices, contracts, pricing, availability, licensing, legality, or safety;
  • third-party software, APIs, AI systems, payment processors, analytics providers, or cloud infrastructure;
  • the accuracy, legality, reliability, or security of external Content, external systems, or unmoderated external messaging groups.

Accessing or interacting with third-party services occurs entirely at the User’s own risk and may be subject to separate third-party terms, privacy policies, and legal obligations.

4. User Conduct & Community Risks

Madeira Community does not endorse, guarantee, monitor in real time, or assume responsibility for the conduct, statements, actions, omissions, legality, reliability, qualifications, or behavior of Users, businesses, advertisers, or third parties using the Platform.

Users acknowledge that:

  • online communities may contain inaccurate, misleading, offensive, unlawful, manipulative, harmful, or inappropriate Content;
  • moderation systems may not detect or remove all violations immediately;
  • interactions with other Users or businesses may involve risks, disputes, misunderstandings, fraud, or harmful conduct.

Users interact with the Platform and its community entirely at their own discretion and risk.

5. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Madeira Community, its operator, administrators, moderators, contractors, service providers, affiliates, infrastructure providers, licensors, technology partners, or representatives shall not be liable for any:

  • direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, punitive, or economic damages;
  • loss of profits, business opportunities, revenue, reputation, goodwill, audience reach, visibility, data, contracts, or commercial relationships;
  • service interruptions, downtime, technical failures, infrastructure outages, cyberattacks, security breaches, malware incidents, or data loss;
  • inaccurate Content, moderation actions, account restrictions, algorithmic decisions, ranking changes, visibility reductions, or enforcement measures;
  • third-party misconduct, scams, fraud, deceptive commercial activity, or unlawful conduct;
  • reliance on User Content, AI-generated outputs, automated systems, translations, recommendations, or third-party information;
  • damages arising from unauthorized access, Account compromise, credential theft, or security failures outside the reasonable control of the Platform.

This limitation of liability applies regardless of the legal theory asserted, including contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, statutory claims, or otherwise, even where Madeira Community has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

6. Jurisdictional Limitations

Certain jurisdictions may not permit the exclusion or limitation of certain warranties, liabilities, remedies, or statutory rights. In such cases, certain portions of these disclaimers and limitations may not apply to specific Users to the extent prohibited by applicable mandatory law.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury, fraud, willful misconduct (dolo), gross negligence (negligência grave), or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable Portuguese or European Union law.

7. Force Majeure

Madeira Community shall not be liable for any delay, disruption, interruption, failure, loss, or inability to perform resulting from events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to:

  • natural disasters;
  • fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemics, or severe weather events;
  • cyberattacks, infrastructure failures, internet outages, DNS failures, or telecommunications disruptions;
  • governmental actions, sanctions, regulatory restrictions, or court orders;
  • labor disputes, strikes, civil unrest, armed conflicts, terrorism, or force majeure events;
  • failures of third-party infrastructure providers, hosting providers, cloud systems, AI systems, payment processors, or utility services.

8. No Guarantee of Platform Continuity

The Platform reserves the right, at any time and without liability, to:

  • modify, suspend, discontinue, restrict, replace, or remove any feature, functionality, Service, section, or aspect of the Platform;
  • change operational models, monetization systems, moderation systems, algorithms, technologies, infrastructure providers, or business practices;
  • permanently discontinue the Platform or portions of the Services without guaranteeing continued availability, preservation, exportability, or accessibility of Content or Accounts.

Users are independently responsible for maintaining backups of any Content, information, communications, or materials they consider important.

PART 9 — Account Suspension, Termination & Service Discontinuation

1. Right to Suspend or Terminate Access

Madeira Community reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without prior notice where reasonably necessary, to suspend, restrict, limit, disable, or permanently terminate any Account, User access, functionality, Content visibility, commercial activity, or use of the Platform where the Platform determines that:

  • a User has violated these Terms, related Policies, applicable laws, or legitimate community standards;
  • a User has engaged in abusive, deceptive, manipulative, unlawful, harmful, fraudulent, or disruptive conduct;
  • continued access may expose the Platform, its Users, moderators, administrators, infrastructure, or third parties to legal, operational, reputational, financial, or security risks;
  • the Platform is required to act in response to legal obligations, court orders, regulatory requests, law enforcement actions, or security incidents;
  • an Account appears compromised, automated, fraudulent, abandoned, duplicated, or otherwise inconsistent with legitimate Platform use.

The Platform may apply enforcement measures temporarily or permanently and may do so across associated Accounts, devices, IP addresses, business entities, or related network activity where reasonably necessary to protect the Platform and its Users.

2. User-Initiated Account Deletion

Users may request deletion or deactivation of their Accounts through available Platform functionality or designated contact methods, in accordance with the “Right to Erasure” (Article 17 of the GDPR).

Users acknowledge and agree that:

  • Account deletion does not automatically guarantee the immediate or complete removal of all associated Content, metadata, backups, logs, moderation records, or archived materials;
  • certain information may be retained where reasonably necessary for legal compliance, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, enforcement purposes, security protection, operational continuity, historical archiving, or legitimate Platform interests;
  • anonymized, aggregated, cached, quoted, indexed, archived, or technically preserved Content may continue to be retained in limited forms following Account deletion where reasonably necessary and permitted under applicable law, in accordance with these Terms.

Where reasonably practicable, and to protect freedom of expression and information, deleted Accounts may be anonymized or pseudonymized rather than fully erased in order to preserve discussion continuity, thread integrity, moderation history, and technical consistency across the Platform.

3. Effects of Suspension or Termination

Upon suspension, restriction, or termination of an Account:

  • access to some or all Services, features, Content, communications, or Platform functionality may be restricted or disabled;
  • usernames, profile identifiers, business listings, advertisements, commercial privileges, or visibility settings may be removed, reclaimed, anonymized, restricted, or modified;
  • Content associated with the Account may remain visible, archived, cached, anonymized, restricted, or preserved in accordance with these Terms, applicable laws, and legitimate operational requirements;
  • Users may lose access to messages, uploads, preferences, account history, commercial tools, or Platform-related data.

Madeira Community is under no obligation to restore suspended Accounts, recover deleted data, maintain inactive Content indefinitely, or provide backup exports except where strictly required by applicable law.

4. Termination of Commercial Access

The Platform reserves the right to suspend, restrict, terminate, refuse, or discontinue access to commercial features, advertising functionality, monetization systems, affiliate programs, Business Accounts, sponsored placements, listings, or promotional tools at any time and for any reason consistent with these Terms and applicable law.

Commercial participants acknowledge and agree that:

  • commercial access to the Platform is not guaranteed;
  • monetization systems, algorithms, rankings, advertising visibility, promotional placement, audience reach, or commercial tools may change at any time;
  • the Platform may discontinue or modify commercial offerings, pricing models, advertising systems, verification programs, or monetization features without guaranteeing continued availability or commercial outcomes.

In the event that commercial access or a Business Account is terminated due to a violation of these Terms or unlawful conduct, the No-Refund Policy established in Part 6, Section 9 shall fully apply.

5. No Compensation or Liability for Enforcement Actions

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Madeira Community shall not be liable for compensation, reimbursement, damages, business losses, loss of audience, reputational harm, commercial disruption, or other consequences arising from:

  • moderation actions;
  • Content removal;
  • Account suspension or termination;
  • algorithmic visibility restrictions;
  • demonetization or commercial enforcement measures;
  • Platform security actions;
  • service interruptions or Platform discontinuation.

Nothing in this Section limits any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable Portuguese or European Union law.

6. Abandoned, Inactive & Legacy Accounts

In compliance with GDPR data minimization and storage limitation principles, the Platform reserves the right to deactivate, anonymize, rename, archive, reclaim, or remove inactive, abandoned, unverified, legacy, or unused Accounts after extended periods of inactivity or where reasonably necessary for operational, technical, legal, security, or community-management purposes.

Reasonable efforts may be made to notify Users through registered contact information where practicable, but the Platform does not guarantee prior notice in all cases.

7. Service Discontinuation

Madeira Community reserves the right, at any time and without liability, to partially or permanently discontinue the Platform, its Services, infrastructure, commercial systems, features, integrations, or operations.

In the event of full or partial discontinuation:

  • the Platform may remove, archive, anonymize, export, restrict, or permanently delete Content, Accounts, or operational systems;
  • continued access to stored Content, backups, messages, uploads, or historical data is not guaranteed;
  • Users remain independently responsible for maintaining their own backups of important information or Content.

The Platform may provide notices, transition periods, export tools, or migration options where reasonably practicable, but is under no obligation to maintain indefinite access to discontinued Services or infrastructure.

8. Survival of Certain Provisions

Any provisions of these Terms which by their nature should reasonably survive suspension, termination, Account deletion, or Service discontinuation shall remain fully valid and enforceable following such events, including but not limited to provisions relating to:

  • intellectual property;
  • licenses;
  • moderation;
  • liability limitations;
  • dispute resolution;
  • data retention;
  • privacy obligations;
  • commercial restrictions;
  • enforcement rights;
  • indemnification;
  • legal compliance obligations.

PART 10 — General Legal Provisions

1. Governing Law

These Terms, the Platform, all related Policies, and any dispute, claim, controversy, or legal matter arising out of or relating to the Platform, its Services, or these Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Portugal and applicable European Union law, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Where mandatory consumer protection laws of a User’s country of habitual residence provide greater protection than Portuguese law, such mandatory protections shall remain applicable to the extent required under applicable European Union legislation.

2. Jurisdiction & Venue

To the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, Users agree that any disputes, claims, legal proceedings, or controversies arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Platform, or the Services shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Where applicable European Union consumer protection laws grant Users the right to bring claims before courts located in their country of residence, nothing in these Terms limits such statutory rights.

Users further agree that Madeira Community may seek injunctive relief, interim measures, or enforcement actions in any competent jurisdiction where reasonably necessary to protect the Platform, its infrastructure, intellectual property, security systems, moderators, Users, or legal interests.

3. Informal Resolution & Good-Faith Communication

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, Users are strongly encouraged to contact the Platform and attempt to resolve disputes informally and in good faith through reasonable communication channels.

Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief, reporting unlawful conduct to competent authorities, or exercising non-waivable statutory rights under applicable law.

4. Severability

If any provision, clause, limitation, disclaimer, or portion of these Terms is determined by a competent court or authority to be unlawful, invalid, unenforceable, or incompatible with applicable law, such provision shall be interpreted and enforced to the maximum extent permissible under applicable law.

Any invalid or unenforceable provision shall not affect the legality, enforceability, or validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms, which shall remain in full force and effect.

5. No Waiver

Failure, delay, or omission by Madeira Community to exercise or enforce any right, remedy, provision, enforcement measure, or legal protection under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or prevent future enforcement.

Any waiver of rights or provisions shall be effective only if expressly made in writing by an authorized representative of the Platform.

6. Assignment & Transfer

Madeira Community reserves the right to assign, transfer, delegate, subcontract, restructure, or otherwise transfer its rights, obligations, operations, assets, infrastructure, or contractual relationships under these Terms without prior notice where reasonably necessary for operational, legal, technical, commercial, or corporate purposes.

Users may not assign, transfer, sublicense, or delegate their rights or obligations under these Terms without prior written authorization from Madeira Community.

7. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with all related Policies, guidelines, disclosures, notices, and additional legal documents published by the Platform, constitute the entire agreement between the User and Madeira Community regarding access to and use of the Platform.

These Terms supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, understandings, representations, negotiations, or agreements relating to the Platform unless expressly stated otherwise in writing.

8. Modifications & Future Updates

Madeira Community reserves the right to modify, amend, update, expand, replace, or discontinue these Terms, related Policies, Platform functionality, monetization systems, operational rules, moderation procedures, technologies, or Services at any time where reasonably necessary for legal, regulatory, operational, security, commercial, or technological reasons.

Where required under applicable law, the Platform may provide reasonable notice regarding material changes through the Platform, email notifications, or other appropriate communication methods.

Continued access to or use of the Platform following the effective date of updated Terms constitutes acceptance of such modifications to the extent permitted under applicable law. If a User does not agree to updated Terms, they must discontinue use of the Platform and may request deletion of their Account.

9. Language & Interpretation

These Terms may be translated into multiple languages for informational or accessibility purposes.

In the event of any conflict, inconsistency, ambiguity, or discrepancy between translated versions and the official English-language version, the English-language version shall prevail to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law.

Headings, titles, formatting, examples, explanatory wording, or descriptive labels are provided solely for convenience and shall not affect the interpretation of these Terms.

10. Survival

Any provisions of these Terms which by their nature should reasonably survive suspension, termination, deletion of Accounts, discontinuation of Services, or the end of the contractual relationship shall remain fully enforceable after such events.

This includes, but is not limited to, provisions relating to:

  • intellectual property;
  • licenses;
  • moderation and enforcement;
  • limitation of liability;
  • indemnification;
  • dispute resolution;
  • privacy and data retention;
  • commercial restrictions;
  • payment obligations;
  • legal compliance;
  • enforcement rights and remedies.

ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONS & COMMERCIAL USE POLICYstrong text

1. Purpose

This Policy outlines how businesses, service providers, and entrepreneurs can engage with the Madeira Community. Our goal is to connect local providers with the community while maintaining high standards of transparency, quality, and trust. By using the Platform for commercial purposes, you agree to comply with this Policy and our Terms of Service.

2. Beta / Test Mode

Madeira Community is currently operating in a testing and early community-building phase. During this phase, business listings, classifieds, promotional posts, or other commercial placements may be offered free of charge at the Platform’s discretion.

Free test placements are provided for trial, testing, and community-building purposes only. They do not create any entitlement to continued free placement, permanent visibility, priority ranking, or future promotional benefits.

Madeira Community may modify, limit, suspend, remove, archive, or discontinue free test placements at any time, including when introducing paid advertising, paid business listings, sponsored placements, or other monetization features.

Users and businesses participating during the test phase acknowledge that the Platform may later introduce paid plans, fixed placement periods, renewal requirements, visibility rules, sponsored labels, or other commercial terms.

3. Business Accounts

Users should register as a Business Account where engaging in ongoing commercial, promotional, or professional activities. This ensures that users can distinguish between community members sharing personal experiences and professionals offering services.

4. Local Service Providers

We actively support local professionals, including beauty experts, real estate agents, tour guides, construction services, legal/accounting professionals, healthcare providers (where legally authorized to provide such services), and automotive services.

  • Accuracy: All information regarding services, pricing, availability, and professional qualifications must be truthful and current.

  • Professionalism: You are expected to represent your business professionally. Misrepresenting your expertise or credentials is a violation of these terms.

5. Sponsored Content & Advertising

  • Transparency: All paid promotions, sponsored posts, and advertisements must be clearly labeled as such. This may be done by clearly marking the relevant post as “Sponsored”, “Ad”, or “Partner”, or by otherwise making the commercial nature of the content obvious to readers.

  • Content Quality: Advertisements must be relevant to the Madeira community and provide genuine value to our members.

  • Approval: Madeira Community reserves the right to review, approve, reject, restrict, or remove promotional campaigns at its sole discretion to ensure they align with community interests.

6. Reviews & Testimonials

  • Authenticity: Reviews must be based on actual client experiences.

  • Prohibition: Fabricating testimonials, buying reviews, or engaging in coordinated campaigns to inflate ratings is strictly prohibited and may lead to removal, restrictions, suspension, or account termination.

7. Prohibited Commercial Practices

We strictly prohibit deceptive practices, including:

  • Astroturfing (pretending to be a satisfied customer for your own business);

  • Spamming private messages or unrelated discussion threads;

  • Impersonating competitors;

  • Promoting unlawful or unlicensed services.

8. Business & Professional Verification

For certain listings, advertisements, or professional claims — in particular where a User presents themselves as a licensed or regulated professional (such as a lawyer, accountant, healthcare provider, or similar) or as a registered business — the Platform may, at its discretion, ask the User to provide reasonable evidence supporting their claim, such as proof of professional registration, a license number, or business registration details.

The Platform may decline to publish, restrict, or remove a listing or claim that cannot be reasonably substantiated, or that appears misleading regarding professional status, qualifications, or business legitimacy. Providing such evidence is voluntary, but the Platform is not obliged to publish unverified professional or business claims.

9. Classifieds & Marketplace Listings

  • Commercial offers should be posted in dedicated sections (Classifieds).

  • Descriptions must be clear, honest, and include necessary disclosures regarding costs or service terms.

10. Prohibited Goods & Services

Advertising, promotion, or listing of illegal or restricted goods and services is not permitted. This includes, without limitation: weapons, drugs, prescription medication offered without lawful authorization, counterfeit or stolen goods, fake or fraudulent documents, illegal employment or unlawful immigration services, sexual services, adult or pornographic content, financial pyramid or deceptive investment schemes, and misleading guarantees of official outcomes (such as guaranteed visas, residency, AIMA approvals, or tax results). A fuller list is set out in our Terms of Service.

11. Enforcement & Removal

Failure to comply with this Policy, or any deceptive behavior, may result in:

  • Restricted visibility for your Business Account;

  • Removal of commercial posts;

  • Suspension or permanent termination of your Business Account.

12. Future Paid Placements, Duration & No-Refund Policy

The Platform may introduce paid placements in the future, including business listings, promoted posts, featured topics, pinned topics, banner placements, category sponsorships, or other promotional services.

If paid placements are introduced, each paid placement will be offered for a fixed period agreed at the time of purchase, such as 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, paid visibility or promotional status will apply only during the paid placement period.

When the paid period expires, Madeira Community may remove the placement from public view, move it to a private or archived section, remove any pinned or featured status, remove banner visibility, or otherwise disable its promotional visibility unless the placement is renewed.

Paid placements provide visibility only. Madeira Community does not guarantee impressions, clicks, leads, bookings, sales, search rankings, customer acquisition, revenue, or any commercial outcome.

All payments for paid placements, once introduced, are final and non-refundable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. A paid placement is considered fully delivered as soon as the relevant content is published. By paying for a placement, the advertiser requests its immediate publication and acknowledges that no refund will be issued once it is published, including in cases of voluntary withdrawal, dissatisfaction, change of mind, or removal of the content for breach of this Policy or our Terms of Service.

Nothing in this section affects any mandatory consumer rights that cannot be waived under applicable European Union or Portuguese law.

Contact Information & Digital Services Act (DSA) Compliance

Users, regulatory authorities, and designated entities may contact Madeira Community regarding legal notices, Terms-related questions, moderation issues, privacy requests, copyright notices, or other legal matters through the official contact channels published on the Platform.

The Platform may designate specific contact channels as its official Single Point of Contact for purposes of applicable European Union digital-services, consumer-protection, or regulatory communication requirements.

Official legal notices may be sent to:

  • Email: admin@madeira.community
  • Website: https://madeira.community
  • Operator: Denys Kovalenko
  • Address: Impasse 1 do Caminho da Igreja, nº 6, 9020-381 Funchal, Freguesia de Santo António, Madeira, Portugal

Effective Date: June 1, 2026
Last Updated: June 1, 2026
Version: 1.0

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