HackSocial 2026 — Official Rules & Terms of Service

Event: HackSocial 2026, an online hackathon (August 1–31, 2026)

Event page: https://hacksocial2026.devpost.com/

By registering for, participating in, or submitting a project to HackSocial 2026 (the "Event"), you ("Participant," "you") agree to these Official Rules & Terms of Service (the "Terms"). If you do not agree, do not register or participate. The Organizers may update these Terms; material changes will be announced on the Devpost page and the official Discord.

1. Eligibility

1.3. The Event is void where prohibited by law. You are responsible for ensuring your participation is lawful in your jurisdiction.

1.4. Organizers, judges, and sponsors' employees directly involved in running or judging the Event are not eligible to win prizes.

1.5. You are responsible for any taxes, sanctions, or export-control restrictions that apply to you receiving a prize.

2. Registration & Teams

2.1. Registration is free and completed through the official Devpost page.

2.2. Teams may have between 1 and 4 members. All team members must be individually registered and eligible.

2.3. You may join only one team. Each project may be submitted by only one team.

2.4. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide at registration.

3. Project Requirements

3.5. Submission. A complete submission is made through Devpost before the stated deadline and must include: a text description of the project, the problem it addresses, and a way for judges to evaluate it (e.g., a demo video, live link, or source repository). Submissions after the deadline will not be judged.

3.6. Organizers may disqualify any submission that is incomplete, plagiarized, does not meet these requirements, or violates the Code of Conduct.

4. Intellectual Property & License

4.1. You keep your IP. You (and your team) retain all ownership of the intellectual property in your project.

4.2. License to the Organizers. By submitting, you grant the Organizers and their sponsors a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and share your project name, description, submission media, and screenshots for the purpose of operating, judging, promoting, and reporting on the Event (including on the Devpost page, social media, sponsor reports, and future HackSocial marketing). This license does not transfer ownership and does not grant rights to your underlying source code beyond what you make public yourself.

4.3. Your representations. You represent that your submission is your original work, does not infringe anyone's intellectual property or other rights, and does not contain unlawful, defamatory, or confidential material you are not authorized to share.

4.4. Open-source and licenses. If your project incorporates third-party or open-source materials, you are responsible for complying with their licenses.

5. Judging & Prizes

5.1. Submissions are judged by criteria published on the Devpost page (which may include impact, technical execution, originality, and completeness). Judging decisions are final.

5.2. Prizes (including any sponsor-provided credits, licenses, products, or prize tracks) are awarded at the Organizers' discretion based on judging results. Prizes are non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash unless stated otherwise.

5.3. Sponsor prizes are provided by the sponsors, subject to the sponsors' own terms. The Organizers are not responsible for a sponsor's failure to deliver a prize.

5.4. If a winner is ineligible, unreachable, or declines a prize, the Organizers may select an alternate or withhold the prize.

6. Code of Conduct

6.1. HackSocial is a harassment-free, inclusive space for everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or experience level.

6.2. The following are prohibited: harassment, hate speech, discrimination, threats, doxxing, sexual or violent content, spam, cheating, plagiarism, and any illegal activity.

6.3. Projects must not create, promote, or enable harm — including malware, tools designed for unauthorized access, harassment, discrimination, or the collection of personal data without consent.

6.4. Treat other participants, mentors, judges, sponsors, and Organizers with respect in all Event spaces (Devpost, Discord, and any video or live sessions).

6.5. To report a violation, contact the Organizers through the official Discord or the Devpost page. Organizers may warn, disqualify, or remove any participant who violates the Code of Conduct, at their sole discretion.

7. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

7.1. "As is." The Event and any tools, credits, or resources provided are offered "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

7.2. No liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Organizers, their volunteers, and their sponsors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or opportunity, arising from your participation in the Event.

7.3. Your responsibility. You participate at your own risk. You are responsible for your own hardware, software, accounts, data, and internet access, and for the content and consequences of the project you build.

7.4. Third parties. The Event uses third-party platforms (including Devpost and Discord) and sponsor tools, each governed by their own terms. The Organizers are not responsible for those platforms' availability, security, or conduct.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Organizers, their volunteers, and their sponsors from any claim or demand, including reasonable legal fees, arising from your participation, your submission, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

9. General

9.1. Changes & cancellation. The Organizers may modify, suspend, or cancel the Event or any prize, in whole or in part, at their discretion, including for reasons outside their control.

9.2. Privacy. Information you provide is used to operate the Event and may be shared with sponsors for prize fulfillment and Event reporting. Data handled through Devpost and Discord is also subject to those platforms' privacy policies.

9.3. Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in effect.

9.4. No agency. These Terms do not create any partnership, employment, or agency relationship between you and the Organizers.

9.5. Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the rules published on the Devpost page, are the entire agreement between you and the Organizers regarding the Event. Where they conflict, the Devpost page rules govern the specific point in question.

By participating in HackSocial 2026, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Official Rules & Terms of Service.

Last updated: July 15, 2026.