Version: 2025.04.11
We’re excited to have you join our platform. Before you start using Peira, please read these Researchers Terms and Conditions ("Terms") carefully. They outline your legal rights and obligations (and ours) when you use our platform.
We are Peira Network Limited ("Peira", "we", "us");
Peira is the platform we provide to connect researchers with participants and enable researchers to conduct Studies;
Researchers are individuals who use Peira to conduct Studies and/or recruit participants for Studies;
Participants are individuals who participate in Studies listed on Peira, and their submissions in participating in Studies are Submissions;
Studies are research studies, questionnaires or experiments created and managed by Researchers. Studies encompass: (i) those created by Researchers on third-party platforms and listed on Peira; and (ii) those created by Researchers using Studies Creation Service and hosted on Peira;
Points are benefits that Peira may offer Participants for their Submissions under Crowdsourcing Service, which are not designed to bear any financial value;
Paid Rewards are rewards that contains financial value that Researchers or Peira may offer Participants for their Submissions under Crowdsourcing Service. They can be in the form of fiat currency or cryptocurrency;
Mobile Sensing is the collection of data (including biometric data including heart rate, activity levels) from Participants’ wearable devices or mobile applications during Studies, typically on a continuous basis until the Study concludes;
Wearable Devices are devices worn by Participants (e.g., smartwatches, fitness trackers) capable of collecting and transmitting Mobile Sensing data to Peira or Researchers.
Peira offers two services:
When you register as a Researcher, you enter into an agreement with us under these Terms.
When Participants agree to take part in your Surveys, a separate agreement is formed between you and the Participant based on your Study listing and any additional terms you specify (such as consent forms) (collectively, "Study Terms"). We are not a party to that agreement.
To use Peira as a Researcher, you must:
By registering to use Peira you confirm that you authorise the electronic transfer of fiat currency and/or cryptocurrency, including to and from us (or any payment service provider on behalf of us), in accordance with these Terms.
When you register to use Peira as a Researcher, you are offering to enter into a binding agreement with us under these Terms. If we accept your registration, then you will be legally bound by these Terms.
Upon registration, we’ll create a Researcher Account for you. You’re responsible for keeping your login details secure and must not allow others to use your account. Notify us if you suspect unauthorized access.
You agree:
Principally two types of Studies may be listed on Peira by Researchers:
In respect of each Study that you list on Peira, whether it is an External Study or a Peira-native Study:
You must:
Each Researcher Account is subject to a periodic quota on the number of Studies you may list on Peira (the "Study Listing Quota").
The Study Listing Quota will be determined by us at our sole discretion and may vary based on factors such as your subscription plan (if applicable), account activity, or platform capacity.
We reserve the right to set, adjust, or suspend your Study Listing Quota at any time, with or without prior notice, to ensure the effective operation of Peira and fairness among users.
Your current Study Listing Quota will be visible in your Researcher Account, and we will endeavor to notify you of significant adjustments via service messages or email where practicable.
If you reach or exceed your Study Listing Quota in a given period, you may be eligible to pay a Launching Fee to list additional Studies, subject to availability and our approval.
To access enhanced features on Peira, such as increased Study Listing Quota or advanced research tools, you may opt into a subscription plan by paying a subscription fee (“Subscription Fee”).
The Subscription Fee will be detailed on the pricing page of our platform. Any Subscription Fee paid is non-refundable, and will grant you access to the specified additional features for the duration of your subscription period. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your Researcher Account settings, but no refunds will be issued for the unused portion of the current billing cycle. The Subscription Fee is exclusive of VAT or any equivalent tax, which will be added where applicable.
If you exceed your Study Listing Quota in a given period, you may pay a one-time fee (the "Launching Fee") to publish additional Studies beyond your allocated limit.
The Launching Fee will be specified on the pricing page of our platform. Any Launching Fee paid is non-refundable. The Launching Fee is exclusive of VAT or any equivalent tax, which will be added where applicable.
In respect of a Study listed by you, you may offer Paid Rewards for Submissions made by Participants approved by you. The offer of Paid Rewards is on an entirely discretionary basis. If you choose to offer Paid Rewards, you must specify the conditions and details in the relevant Study listing.
For any Study for which you offer Paid Rewards, you must review Submissions within two (2) working days of receipt and approve or reject them reasonably based on Study requirements.
Unreasonable rejections may lead us to suspend your account, terminate your access, or allocate Paid Rewards at our discretion.
Withdrawing a Study does not affect completed Submissions; Participants remain entitled to Paid Rewards.
If you elect to use Peira to distribute Paid Rewards to eligible Participants, we charge a processing fee (the “Processing Fee”), deducted at distribution.
The Processing Fee will be specified on the pricing page of our platform. Any Processing Fee paid is non-refundable. The Processing Fee is exclusive of VAT or any equivalent tax, which will be added where applicable.
You fund the Paid Rewards via your Researcher Account, and we facilitate transfers after your approval of Submissions, subject to offsets for liabilities owed to us.
Peira is not obligated to process or pay Paid Rewards to Participants if you fail to provide adequate funds upfront or if your Researcher Account balance is insufficient at the time payment is due. In such cases:
If you elect to pay Paid Rewards to eligible Participants directly and without any assistance from Peira, you do not have to pay any Processing Fee.
To boost Study visibility, you may pay a spotlighting fee (the “Spotlighting Fee”) for us to promote your Study on Peira.
The Spotlighting Fee will be specified on the pricing page of our platform. Any Spotlighting Fee paid is non-refundable. The Spotlighting Fee is exclusive of VAT or any equivalent tax, which will be added where applicable.
We have discretion to determine the promotion’s scope and duration. We may refuse or halt promotion at our discretion. No specific outcomes are guaranteed.
Study Costs (the “Study Costs”) include:
You may fund Study Costs in the manner we may prescribe from time to time. Funds are held by us or our payment provider in a segregated account on your behalf, less our fee.
Peira Content: Peira retains ownership of the platform and its content. You may not copy or use it without our permission, except as allowed by law.
Study Content: You retain ownership of your Study materials, warranting you have all rights to use them.
Submissions: Participants waive proprietary rights in Submissions to you under the Study Terms. You may require direct assignments via Study listings.
Licence to Peira: You hereby grant Peira a fully paid-up, non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable licence to use your name, logos and/or trademarks for the purposes of: (a) providing Peira to both Researchers and Participants; (b) reporting to authorised agents of Peira, advisers and investors; and (c) promotional marketing, which may include, but is not limited to, use in or on brochures, websites, press releases, advertising in periodicals, pitches, investor decks, billboards, social media platforms, radio and television.
Personal data related to you, like your account registration information, contact details and any correspondence with us, will be held by us and used in accordance with our Researchers Privacy Notice. We are a data controller in relation to that personal data.
For any personal data contained in Submissions, whether in respect of External Studies or Peira-native Studies, you are the data controller. For Peira-native Studies, we act as a data processor on your behalf with respect to Submissions containing personal data, subject to the Data Processing Addendum (Appendix A).
You must comply with applicable data protection laws. It is your responsibility to ensure that your collection and use of the personal data collected in the Submissions are compliant to all applicable data protection laws.
You must ensure that in any Study listing your identity is clear and the Participant is provided with or directed to a privacy notice meeting the requirements of any laws applicable to you, explaining to them the personal data you will receive and the uses to which you will put it.
You shall not attempt to re-identify any Participant through any data available to you (and note this may be a criminal offence in certain jurisdictions).
For Studies involving Mobile Sensing, you must ensure that your privacy notice explicitly addresses the collection of health-related or other sensitive data via Wearable Devices, including the legal basis, retention periods, and Participant rights. You must not use Mobile Sensing data to re-identify Participants beyond the scope of the Study’s stated purpose.
For Peira-native Studies, our processing of Submissions containing personal data is governed by the Data Processing Addendum (Appendix A), which forms an integral part of these Terms. You agree to comply with its terms when conducting Peira-native Studies.
Peira is provided "as is." We do not guarantee uninterrupted access or freedom from errors.
As mentioned above, in respect of any personal data Participants provide in connection with a Study, the Researcher conducting that Study is the data controller, and is responsible for complying with applicable law in collecting and using that personal data. We are not responsible for any use, or misuse, of that personal data by Researchers.
Communications networks are not always stable, and we may need to take down or maintain Peira from time to time. Accordingly, we will not be liable if it is unavailable for any reason.
We are not responsible or liable for the actions of third parties (including other users of Peira, third party service providers who are linked from our website, social media service providers or the providers of any device or software which you use to access Peira).
We will not be liable for any indirect or consequential loss, damage, costs or expenses incurred or suffered by you in connection with your use of Peira. We are not liable for losses, damages, costs and expenses that are not foreseeable to both you and us at the time you open your account with us, or which are not caused by our breach of these Terms.
We will not be liable for any loss of sales or business, loss of revenue, loss of agreements or contract, loss of anticipated savings, loss of use or corruption of software, data or information, loss of reputation or damage to goodwill, loss of profit, or indirect or consequential loss.
We are not providing a backup service, and you should ensure that you have your own backups for whatever data of yours is stored in, or generated through, Peira.
Our total aggregate liability to you in connection with your use of Peira, however arising, is capped at HK$100, excluding liability for death, personal injury, or fraud where prohibited by law.
This clause shall continue in force on termination or expiry of our agreement with you.
If we, our shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, or assigns (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") are subject to any third-party claim as a result of your breach of these Terms, or as a result of your negligence, misrepresentation, failure to comply with applicable law, or other wrongful act, then you will indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Parties against that claim. This means you will compensate the Indemnified Parties against all costs, expenses, losses, damages, or liabilities suffered or incurred in connection with that third-party claim, including any legal and professional fees. You will also provide all reasonable assistance and information requested from you in order to enable the Indemnified Parties to defend and settle the claim and mitigate any liability. We will not settle any claim against which you are required to indemnify the Indemnified Parties without your prior written consent, provided that your consent is not unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed.
In addition to the above, you will indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Parties against any claims, demands, actions, fines, penalties, costs, expenses, losses, damages, or liabilities (including legal and professional fees) arising from or in connection with any infringement or alleged infringement of applicable data protection laws relating to Peira’s provision of services to you under these Terms. This indemnity applies, without limitation, to: (i) your failure to provide lawful instructions or adequate privacy notices for Peira-native Studies; (ii) your unlawful collection, use, or processing of personal data through External Studies or Peira-native Studies; (iii) any breach of your obligations under these Terms; or (iv) any data subject claims or regulatory actions resulting from your actions or omissions, even if Peira processes personal data on your behalf in accordance with your instructions. You will promptly reimburse the Indemnified Parties for any such amounts upon demand, and this indemnity survives the termination or expiry of these Terms.
You may close your Researcher Account at any time by contacting us.
We may limit, disable and/or suspend access to your Researcher Account, and/or terminate our agreement with you and close your Researcher Account with immediate effect without notice to you for any reason, especially for breaches of these Terms.
Termination will not affect any obligations, liabilities, rights or remedies you or we may have under these Terms prior to termination.
Transfers: You may not transfer your rights under our agreement with you without our prior written consent.
Matters outside our control: We will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these Terms due to matters outside our control (like power failures, epidemic, network or communications failures, etc.).
Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the other documents referred to in them, and any specific amendment, are the entire agreement between you and us relating to your use of Peira. You acknowledge that you have not entered into that agreement based on any other representation or warranty.
No waiver: If you are in breach of these Terms, we can only waive that breach by written notice. If we do not immediately take action in relation to your breach we may still do so later.
Severance: If any court or competent authority determines that any provision or part-provision of the Terms is unenforceable for any reason then that provision or part-provision will no longer apply and the rest of the Terms will continue in force.
Governing Law: These Terms are governed by the laws of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (“Hong Kong”).
Disputes: The courts of Hong Kong will have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim, except that if you are not resident in Hong Kong then we may bring proceedings against you in any court in your country of residence. Disputes with Participants are your responsibility.
Changes: We may revise these Terms from time to time. By continuing to use Peira you accept the revised Terms.
This Data Processing Addendum ("Addendum") forms part of the Researchers Terms and Conditions ("Terms") between Peira Network Limited ("Peira", "we", "us") and you, the Researcher ("you", "Controller"), and applies solely to Peira-native Studies where Peira processes personal data on your behalf as a data processor.
Personal Data: Any data relating to an identified or identifiable Participant processed by Peira on your behalf in connection with Peira-native Studies, as defined under Applicable Data Protection Laws, including GDPR Article 4(1).
Processing: Any operation performed on Personal Data, as defined under Applicable Data Protection Laws, including GDPR Article 4(2).
Applicable Data Protection Laws: All laws, regulations, and legal standards applicable to the Processing of Personal Data under these Terms, including but not limited to:
Data Subject: Participants whose Personal Data is contained in Submissions to Peira-native Studies.
You are the data controller and determine the purposes and means of Processing Personal Data in Peira-native Studies under all Applicable Data Protection Laws.
Peira is the data processor and processes Personal Data solely on your documented instructions, as provided through Study listings and these Terms, unless required otherwise by Applicable Data Protection Laws.
This Addendum applies only to Personal Data in Submissions for Peira-native Studies, not External Studies or Peira’s own data controller activities (e.g., account or pre-screening data).
Subject Matter: Processing Personal Data to administer Peira-native Studies, including storing Submissions and sharing them with you, in compliance with all Applicable Data Protection Laws.
Duration: From Submission receipt until six (6) months after Study completion, unless you instruct earlier deletion or Applicable Data Protection Laws require otherwise (e.g., longer retention for legal compliance).
Nature and Purpose: Storage, access provision, and transfer of Submissions to you for research purposes, plus limited review for dispute resolution, all conducted in accordance with Applicable Data Protection Laws. For Mobile Sensing Studies, this includes continuous collection, storage, and transmission of data from Wearable Devices to support your research objectives.
Types of Personal Data: Responses to Study questions, including potential Media Material (audio, video, images) and personal data of Participants, as permitted by Applicable Data Protection Laws. For Studies involving Mobile Sensing, this may include health-related data (e.g., heart rate, sleep patterns, physical activity) collected continuously via Wearable Devices, as well as device metadata (e.g., device ID, timestamps).
Categories of Data Subjects: Participants in Peira-native Studies.
Lawful Basis: You warrant that you have a lawful basis under all Applicable Data Protection Laws (e.g., consent, legitimate interests, contractual necessity, or legal obligation) for all Processing activities, and that your instructions comply fully with such laws. You are solely responsible for identifying and adhering to the specific laws applicable to your jurisdiction, Participants’ locations, and the Study’s scope. For Mobile Sensing Studies collecting health-related data, you warrant that you have obtained explicit consent or another lawful basis under Applicable Data Protection Laws for processing special category data.
Instructions: You must provide clear, lawful, and documented instructions via Study listings. Peira is not liable for instructions that breach Applicable Data Protection Laws, and we may refuse to act on non-compliant instructions at our sole discretion, notifying you where feasible.
Privacy Notices: You must include comprehensive privacy notices in each Study listing that comply with all Applicable Data Protection Laws, detailing your identity, purposes of Processing, Data Subject rights (e.g., access, erasure, portability), retention periods, and any international data transfers. These notices must satisfy the strictest applicable standards. For Mobile Sensing Studies, your privacy notice must specifically address the continuous collection of health data via Wearable Devices, including risks, safeguards, and Participant rights.
Data Subject Requests: You are solely responsible for responding to Data Subject requests under Applicable Data Protection Laws (e.g., access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability). Peira will forward such requests received by us to you within five (5) working days but will not act unless instructed by you, subject to Section 5.3.
Breach Notification: You must notify Peira within twenty-four (24) hours of becoming aware of any Personal Data breach affecting Peira-native Studies, providing all details required by Applicable Data Protection Laws.
Compliance Responsibility: You are responsible for assessing and ensuring that Peira’s Processing aligns with all Applicable Data Protection Laws relevant to your operations and Participants, including obtaining any necessary consents, approvals, or data protection impact assessments.
Limited Processing: We will process Personal Data only to administer Peira-native Studies (e.g., hosting, sharing with you, dispute resolution) or as required by Applicable Data Protection Laws, and not for our own purposes beyond these Terms.
Confidentiality: We will ensure personnel processing Personal Data are bound by confidentiality obligations that meet the requirements of Applicable Data Protection Laws.
Assistance: We will assist you with Data Subject requests, breach notifications, or other compliance obligations under Applicable Data Protection Laws only to the extent legally required, and only upon your written request and reimbursement of our reasonable costs, unless mandated otherwise by law. Peira is not obligated to proactively monitor your compliance or adapt services beyond these Terms.
Security: We will implement technical and organizational measures (e.g., encryption, access controls) to protect Personal Data, as determined by us in our sole discretion, meeting the minimum standards of Applicable Data Protection Laws. Details are available upon request, but we are not required to exceed industry-standard measures or customize them to your specific needs.
Sub-processors: We may engage sub-processors (e.g., cloud hosting providers) without your prior consent.
Deletion: Normally, we will delete Personal Data within six (6) months of Study completion, unless you instruct otherwise or retention is required by Applicable Data Protection Laws (e.g., for audit or legal defense purposes). Deletion method and timing are at our discretion within this period.
Limitation: Peira’s liability for Processing under this Addendum is limited to HK$100 per incident, excluding indirect or consequential losses, and applies only if we breach our obligations herein due to gross negligence or willful misconduct. Our total aggregate liability under the Terms remains capped at HK$100.
Indemnity: You indemnify Peira and the Indemnified Parties (as defined in the Terms) against all claims, costs, losses, or liabilities arising from: (i) your unlawful instructions; (ii) your failure to comply with Applicable Data Protection Laws; (iii) Data Subject claims not caused by Peira’s breach; or (iv) disputes with sub-processors due to your objections. This indemnity survives termination of the Terms.
No Liability: Peira is not liable for: (i) Processing per your instructions, even if they breach Applicable Data Protection Laws; (ii) delays or failures due to your inaction (e.g., responding to breaches or requests); (iii) third-party actions (e.g., sub-processor breaches); or (iv) your failure to ensure compliance with Applicable Data Protection Laws in relevant jurisdictions.
Governing Law: This Addendum is governed by Hong Kong law, per the Terms.
Termination: This Addendum terminates with the Terms, but obligations (e.g., indemnity, confidentiality) survive as necessary.
Amendments: We may amend this Addendum from time to time, and your continued use of Peira-native Studies constitutes acceptance.
You may close your Researcher Account at any time by contacting us.
We may limit, disable and/or suspend access to your Researcher Account, and/or terminate our agreement with you and close your Researcher Account with immediate effect without notice to you for any reason, especially for breaches of these Terms.
Termination will not affect any obligations, liabilities, rights or remedies you or we may have under these Terms prior to termination.
Transfers: You may not transfer your rights under our agreement with you without our prior written consent.
Matters outside our control: We will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these Terms due to matters outside our control (like power failures, epidemic, network or communications failures, etc.).
Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the other documents referred to in them, and any specific amendment, are the entire agreement between you and us relating to your use of Peira. You acknowledge that you have not entered into that agreement based on any other representation or warranty.
No waiver: If you are in breach of these Terms, we can only waive that breach by written notice. If we do not immediately take action in relation to your breach we may still do so later.
Severance: If any court or competent authority determines that any provision or part-provision of the Terms is unenforceable for any reason then that provision or part-provision will no longer apply and the rest of the Terms will continue in force.
Governing Law: These Terms are governed by the laws of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (“Hong Kong”).
Disputes: The courts of Hong Kong will have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim, except that if you are not resident in Hong Kong then we may bring proceedings against you in any court in your country of residence. Disputes with Participants are your responsibility.
Changes: We may revise these Terms from time to time. By continuing to use Peira you accept the revised Terms.