Terms of Service
Last updated: April 2026
1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“User,” “you,” or “your”) and RateMyCollegeDining (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) governing your access to and use of the Rate My Campus Food website, progressive web application, APIs, and all related services (collectively, the “Service”).
By creating an account, clicking “I agree,” or otherwise accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any additional guidelines or rules posted on the Service. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.
You represent that you are at least 13 years of age (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction) and, if under 18, that a parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf. If you are accepting these Terms on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization.
2. Description of Service
Rate My Campus Food is a community-driven platform that allows college and university students to:
- View today’s dining-hall menu data (sourced from third-party systems);
- Upload photographs of campus food (“Plates”);
- Post reviews with upvote/downvote functionality;
- Comment on posts;
- Follow other users and view friend activity;
- Toggle an “I’m here” status indicating presence at a dining location;
- Receive push notifications; and
- Install the Service as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on compatible devices.
The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with or without notice, and without liability to you.
3. User Accounts
3.1 Registration
To access certain features of the Service, you must create an account by authenticating through Google OAuth. By doing so, you authorize us to receive your email address, display name, and profile avatar from Google. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep your profile information up to date.
3.2 Account Security
You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for any activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to or use of your account. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account.
3.3 One Account per User
Each individual may maintain only one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions, manipulate votes, or evade enforcement actions is prohibited and grounds for immediate termination of all associated accounts.
3.4 Right to Terminate
We reserve the right to suspend, disable, or delete your account at our sole discretion, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service immediately ceases.
4. User-Generated Content License
4.1 Ownership
You retain all ownership rights in the content you submit, post, or display on or through the Service (“User Content”), including photographs, reviews, comments, and profile information.
4.2 License Grant
By submitting User Content to the Service, you grant RateMyCollegeDining a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable, perpetual (or for the duration permitted by applicable law), and irrevocable license to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display, distribute, and create derivative works of such User Content in any and all media or distribution methods now known or later developed, solely for the purposes of operating, developing, providing, promoting, and improving the Service and researching and developing new features.
4.3 Representations
You represent and warrant that: (a) you own or have the necessary rights, licenses, consents, and permissions to grant the above license; (b) your User Content does not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third party’s intellectual property rights, rights of publicity or privacy, or other rights; and (c) your User Content complies with these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations.
4.4 Content Removal
We reserve the right (but have no obligation) to review, screen, modify, or remove any User Content at our sole discretion and without notice. We are not responsible for any User Content posted by users of the Service.
5. Acceptable Use Policy
You agree not to use the Service to:
- Post, upload, or distribute content that is unlawful, defamatory, libelous, obscene, pornographic, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable;
- Engage in hate speech, harassment, bullying, intimidation, or threats of violence against any individual or group;
- Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely claim an affiliation with any person or entity;
- Post content that constitutes spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or unsolicited commercial solicitations;
- Upload malicious code, viruses, trojans, worms, or any software designed to disrupt, damage, or limit the functionality of the Service or any computer systems;
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service, other users’ accounts, or any systems or networks connected to the Service;
- Use automated scripts, bots, scrapers, crawlers, or other automated means to access the Service or collect data from the Service without our prior written consent;
- Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the Service;
- Circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security-related features of the Service, including features that prevent or restrict copying of content;
- Use the Service to stalk, abuse, or harm another person;
- Submit false abuse reports or make frivolous complaints with the intent to harass other users;
- Manipulate votes, likes, or other metrics through artificial means, including the use of multiple accounts, bots, or coordinated activity;
- Post personal or private information about another individual without their explicit consent (doxxing);
- Use the Service in any manner that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation;
- Interfere with or disrupt the Service, servers, or networks connected to the Service; or
- Encourage or enable any other individual to do any of the foregoing.
Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account and, where applicable, referral to law enforcement authorities.
6. Content Restrictions
The Service is a platform for user opinions and social interaction regarding campus dining. It is not a source of medical, nutritional, dietary, or food-safety advice. You agree that:
- You will not post content that makes definitive food safety claims (e.g., “this food is contaminated”) without clear qualification that it represents your personal opinion;
- You will not make allergen guarantees or represent that any food item is free of any specific allergen;
- You will not provide or purport to provide medical or nutritional advice through the Service;
- You understand that nutritional information, ingredient lists, and allergen information displayed in the Service (if any) are sourced from third-party systems and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated; and
- You will always verify food safety and allergen information directly with dining hall staff before consuming food if you have allergies, dietary restrictions, or health concerns.
8. Food Safety Disclaimer
THE SERVICE DISPLAYS USER-GENERATED OPINIONS, REVIEWS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND RATINGS ABOUT CAMPUS DINING. THE SERVICE IS NOT A FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY, HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, OR REGULATORY BODY. RATEMYCOLLEGEDINING IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY, SAFETY, PREPARATION, HANDLING, OR NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF ANY FOOD ITEM DISCUSSED, DEPICTED, OR REFERENCED ON THE SERVICE.
User reviews and ratings reflect individual subjective experiences and should not be relied upon as indicators of food safety, nutritional content, or allergen presence. You acknowledge and agree that:
- All decisions regarding food consumption are made at your own risk;
- We are not responsible for any food-related illness, allergic reaction, injury, or adverse health outcome that may result from consuming food discussed or depicted on the Service;
- User opinions expressed on the Service do not represent the views of RateMyCollegeDining, any university, or any dining services provider; and
- You should consult qualified health professionals regarding any dietary or health concerns.
9. Intellectual Property
9.1 Company Property
The Service, including its original content (excluding User Content), features, functionality, design, source code, object code, graphics, user interface, trademarks, service marks, logos, and trade names (“Company IP”), is and will remain the exclusive property of RateMyCollegeDining and its licensors. The Company IP is protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Company IP without our prior written consent.
9.2 User Content
As stated in Section 4, you retain ownership of your User Content. The license you grant to us does not transfer ownership of your content.
9.3 Feedback
If you provide us with feedback, suggestions, or ideas regarding the Service (“Feedback”), you assign to us all rights in such Feedback and agree that we are free to use, disclose, reproduce, license, distribute, and exploit the Feedback without restriction or compensation to you.
10. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) / Copyright Policy
10.1 Reporting Infringement
We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that any User Content on the Service infringes your copyright, please submit a written notice (“DMCA Takedown Notice”) to our designated copyright agent (see Section 19 for contact information) containing:
- A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf;
- Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed;
- Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and information reasonably sufficient to locate it on the Service;
- Your contact information, including address, telephone number, and email address;
- A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf.
10.2 Counter-Notice
If you believe your User Content was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notice containing: (a) your physical or electronic signature; (b) identification of the material removed and the location where it appeared before removal; (c) a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification; and (d) your name, address, telephone number, and a statement consenting to jurisdiction of the federal court in the district where you reside (or, if outside the United States, any judicial district in which RateMyCollegeDining is located) and that you will accept service of process from the party who filed the original takedown notice.
10.3 Repeat Infringer Policy
In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, we have adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at our sole discretion, the accounts of users who are deemed to be repeat infringers. We may also limit access to the Service of any users who infringe the intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.
11. Privacy
Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into and forms a part of these Terms. By using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in the Privacy Policy.
12. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:
(a) IN NO EVENT SHALL RATEMYCOLLEGEDINING, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, SUCCESSORS, ASSIGNS, LICENSORS, OR SERVICE PROVIDERS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “COMPANY PARTIES”) BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE) THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY COMPANY PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
(b) WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE COMPANY PARTIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR: (i) ANY FOOD-RELATED ILLNESS, ALLERGIC REACTION, INJURY, OR ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOME; (ii) ANY DECISION MADE OR ACTION TAKEN BY YOU IN RELIANCE ON CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE; (iii) ANY ACTIONS OR OMISSIONS OF THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING OTHER USERS, DINING SERVICES PROVIDERS, OR THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS; (iv) ANY INTERRUPTION, SUSPENSION, OR TERMINATION OF THE SERVICE; (v) ANY LOSS, CORRUPTION, OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO YOUR DATA; (vi) ANY ERRORS, INACCURACIES, OR OMISSIONS IN MENU DATA OR USER CONTENT; OR (vii) ANY VIRUSES, MALWARE, OR OTHER HARMFUL CODE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE SERVICE.
(c) THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY PARTIES FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00) OR (ii) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO RATEMYCOLLEGEDINING IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.
SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
13. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless RateMyCollegeDining and the Company Parties from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and legal costs) arising from: (a) your access to or use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law, rule, or regulation; (d) your User Content, including any claim that your User Content infringes or misappropriates any third party’s intellectual property or other rights; (e) any dispute between you and another user; or (f) your negligence or willful misconduct. This indemnification obligation will survive the termination of these Terms and your use of the Service.
14. Dispute Resolution
14.1 Informal Resolution
Before initiating any formal dispute resolution proceeding, you agree to first contact us at the email address listed in Section 19 and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days. Most disputes can be resolved through good-faith negotiation.
14.2 Binding Arbitration
If the dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, you and RateMyCollegeDining agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of California, or at another mutually agreed location, by a single arbitrator. The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
14.3 Class Action Waiver
YOU AND RATEMYCOLLEGEDINING AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON’S CLAIMS AND MAY NOT OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
14.4 Small Claims Exception
Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may bring an individual action in small claims court for disputes within the court’s jurisdictional limits.
14.5 Governing Law
These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law provisions. To the extent that arbitration is not applicable, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in San Francisco County, California.
15. Modification of Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will provide notice through the Service (such as an in-app notification or a prominent notice on the website) or by other means (such as email). The “Last updated” date at the top of these Terms will be revised accordingly.
Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Service and delete your account.
16. Termination
16.1 By the Company
We may, at our sole discretion and without prior notice, suspend, restrict, or permanently terminate your account and your access to the Service for any reason, including but not limited to a violation of these Terms, suspected fraudulent or abusive activity, or requests by law enforcement or other government agencies.
16.2 By the User
You may delete your account at any time through the Service’s account settings. Upon deletion, we will remove your profile information and User Content in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data retention practices.
16.3 Effect of Termination
Upon termination or expiration of your account, your right to use the Service immediately ceases. Sections 4 (User-Generated Content License), 8 (Food Safety Disclaimer), 12 (Limitation of Liability), 13 (Indemnification), 14 (Dispute Resolution), 17 (Severability), 18 (Entire Agreement), and any other provisions that by their nature should survive termination, shall survive.
17. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal, and enforceable, or if modification is not possible, severed from these Terms, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
18. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other legal notices or agreements published by us on the Service, constitute the entire agreement between you and RateMyCollegeDining regarding the Service and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Service. No waiver of any provision of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such provision or any other provision, and our failure to assert any right or provision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
19. Contact Information
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
RateMyCollegeDiningEmail: legal@ratemycampusfood.com