Effect Group
Terms

Terms and conditions.

The desk is a research tool. Read this before you open an account or spend a credit.

Last updated 4 September 2026

The desk

Effect Group is a journalist research desk. You search the initial data source, compare possible people, confirm the person you mean, then — if you choose — spend a credit on enriched data and additional sources. Uncensored AI is a separate briefing tool and stays locked until the owner grants it.

Records can be incomplete, out of date, or about the wrong person who shares a name. We do not guarantee completeness or accuracy. Confirm identities independently before you publish, brief an editor, or act on a person profile. Lawful newsgathering is your responsibility.

Account

You need a named account to use the desk. Give a real name and an email you control. Do not share the login across a newsroom. One person, one account.

You are responsible for the password and for what happens on the account. Tell us at [email protected] if you think someone else is using it.

Passwords from the old Effect Group site do not transfer. Sign up again on this desk. Returning readers who use the same email start with the welcome-back credit offer described on the welcome-back page.

Credits and payment

New accounts start with a small number of free search credits so you can try the desk. After that, a search spends one credit. A live enriched-data run spends one more credit, flat, however many lookups you select.

Packs and monthly desks are sold through Stripe. Prices are on the pricing page. Credits are not cash and are not transferable. Refunds are at the owner’s discretion — we will usually refund a wasted search if you write to us and explain it.

Acceptable use

Use the desk for lawful newsgathering and research. You must not:

  • Use it to commit a crime, or to help someone else commit one.
  • Stalk, harass, threaten, or intimidate anyone.
  • Attempt unauthorised access to any system, account, or data — including this desk, our sources, or a third party.
  • Scrape, resell, or republish raw results as a competing data product.
  • Share an account, or create accounts to dodge a suspension.

You must have a lawful basis for looking someone up. A person profile from this desk is not a licence to publish private details.

Suspension

We can suspend or close an account if we think it is being abused, if payment fails, or if you break these terms. We can refuse a search or withdraw Uncensored AI without notice when we believe the use is unlawful or unsafe.

If we got it wrong, email [email protected]. The owner reviews suspensions. Unused credits on a closed abusive account are not a refund you can demand.

Liability

The desk is provided as-is. To the fullest extent the law of England and Wales allows, Effect Group is not liable for missed stories, corrections, defamation claims, or any loss that follows from an incomplete, inaccurate, or misidentified record.

If we are liable for something we cannot exclude, our total liability for a claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the three months before the claim, or £100, whichever is greater.

Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, except that we may still seek an injunction wherever you are.

Contact

Effect Group, London. Owner and support: [email protected]. Site chat is usually faster.

This page is the terms for the desk. It is not legal advice. Last updated 4 September 2026.

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