Terms of Service for Whisp API

This Terms of Service Agreement (“Agreement”) governs access to and the use of the software application of Open Foris Whisp (“Whisp”) API (“Application Programme Interface”) owned, hosted and managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (“FAO”).   

Agreement 

Access to and use of Whisp is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. By accessing or using Whisp, the User acknowledges having read, understood and bound by this Agreement.  

FAO reserves the right to modify, amend or update this Agreement at any time without prior notice. Any such modifications shall be effective upon publication. Continued access to or use of Whisp following such modifications constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.  

In the event that the User does not agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the User shall immediately discontinue access to and use of Whisp. 

Access  

FAO reserves the right, at any time and at its sole discretion, to modify, temporarily suspend or permanently terminate Whisp, including any means of accessing or utilizing it, with or without prior notice. FAO shall not be liable for any consequences arising from such modification, suspension or termination. 

User Input Data  

Whisp processes all data in accordance with FAO’s internal rules, policies, and procedures. 

 
The User retains ownership of all data submitted through Whisp and represents and warrants that it has obtained all necessary rights and permissions required to upload and process such data. Submission of data to Whisp shall not be construed as transferring any intellectual property rights to FAO. 

 
The User shall refrain from submitting any personally identifiable information, including sensitive personal data through Whisp. 

Data Processing 

REGULAR DATA PROCESSING 
Whisp allows the submission of geo-data, including vector geometries, which may be processed via Google Earth Engine (“GEE”), a third-party cloud service managed by Google. Data transmitted to GEE may be temporarily cached and processed in cloud-based data centres. FAO does not store or retain user-submitted geo-data. 

 

SENSITIVE DATA PROCESSING 
Geometries submitted by the User and processed via GEE are not attributable to any identifiable individual. The processing of the User’s geo-data within Whisp is instead carried out on servers maintained in Europe. FAO will not store or retain users’ geo-data. 
FAO protects user privacy when accessing geo-data by transmitting only approximated geographic information to GEE, along with additional masking data to prevent identification of the actual area of interest. Such information is used solely to facilitate processing and is not permanently stored or retained by GEE. 
Tabular data linked to the User’s geographical information is only temporarily cached, is not permanently stored and is not shared with GEE at any stage of processing. 

License  

The Whisp API is made available under the MIT License (the “License”). A copy of the License may be obtained by the User. Use of Whisp constitutes acceptance of the terms and conditions of the License.    

Copyright  

The content available on Whisp is subject to the FAO Terms and Conditions for use of its website. Unless otherwise stated, all content made available through Whisp, including but not limited to text, logos, graphics, maps, images, audio clips, and downloadable materials, is  
the property of FAO. Subject to the foregoing, the User may freely download and reproduce materials from Whisp for authorized purposes. Open-source components of Whisp, including code made available through GitHu may be used, modified and redistributed in accordance with the applicable open-source license. 

Disclaimer  

All information provided through Whisp are made available “as is“. FAO does not guarantee that the information is correct, complete, or up to date. FAO does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any data provided in Whisp. Content submitted or posted by Users on Whisp represents solely the views of those Users and does not imply  
endorsement by FAO. 
The designations employed and the presentation of materials in Whisp do not imply any opinion on the part of FAO concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city, or area or of its authorities, nor do they imply any endorsement or acceptance of its 
boundaries. 
Links to other websites are provided for the User’s convenience only and do not constitute endorsement of or responsibility on the part of FAO for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided on them. 
FAO shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from, or directly or indirectly connected to, the use of, reference to, or reliance on any content available in Whisp. This includes, but is not limited to, any liability arising from any intentional or negligent misuse, errors, disclosure, undue transfer, loss or destruction of data that may occur. 

Privileges and Immunities  

Nothing contained in or related to these Terms of Service or to Whisp shall be construed as a waiver, express or implied, of any of the privileges and immunities of FAO. The operation and management of this application are not subject to any national or regional legal system.  

Contact us 

For inquiries regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us via this form or our user forum.