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Community Guidelines

1. Introduction

These Community Guidelines (hereinafter — the “Guidelines”) set out mandatory requirements for user conduct and for content that is published, uploaded, transmitted, or otherwise made available through the Whimscope application and related services (hereinafter — the “Service”).

By using the Service, you confirm that you have read and understood these Guidelines and agree to comply with them, as well as with the Terms of Use and any other applicable policies of the Service. If you do not agree with these Guidelines, you must immediately stop using the Service.

These Guidelines establish standards for acceptable conduct and content in order to ensure the proper, safe, and lawful operation of the Service.

The Company has the right, at its sole discretion, to interpret and enforce these Guidelines, including applying enforcement measures provided for in the Terms of Use, without prior notice to the user, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

These Guidelines apply to all users of the Service, regardless of their location.

These content-related Guidelines apply together with the Terms of Use and the Whimscope Acceptable Use Policy. In the event of any violation of any of these documents, WHIMSCOPE may apply moderation measures, including removal of content, restriction of features, or account suspension.

2. Scope of the Guidelines

These Guidelines apply to all user activity within the Service, including, but not limited to:

  • publishing text, graphic, photo, and video content;
  • posting comments;
  • creating and completing user profiles;
  • exchanging messages;
  • using interactive features of the Service;
  • any other interaction with other users or with the functionality of the Service.

These Guidelines apply to both public and private content and communications, provided they are conducted through the Service or are related to its use.

These Guidelines also apply to user conduct outside the Service if such conduct is directly connected to the use of the Service or creates risks to the safety, rights, or legitimate interests of other users or the Company.

The Company shall determine at its sole discretion the applicability of these Guidelines to specific situations.

3. General Principles of Service Use

Users are required to use the Service in good faith, responsibly, and in compliance with applicable law, the Terms of Use, and these Guidelines.

While using the Service, users must:

1. Comply with all laws applicable to them, taking into account that content may be accessible to users in different jurisdictions.

2. Respect the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of other users, third parties, and the Company.

3. Refrain from actions or content that may:

  • violate human rights;
  • infringe intellectual property rights;
  • mislead other users;
  • create risks to personal safety or to the proper functioning of the Service;
  • otherwise violate the rights or legitimate interests of other persons or the Company.

4. Use the features of the Service solely in accordance with their intended purpose and technical functionality.

User actions may be considered a violation of these Guidelines even if such actions are not explicitly listed as prohibited content, provided that such actions are contrary to these principles.

4. Prohibited Content and Restricted Conduct

4.1. Illegal Content

Users are prohibited from posting or distributing content that:

  • violates the laws of any jurisdiction;
  • promotes or encourages criminal activity;
  • contains fraud, scams, or forged documents;
  • is related to the trade of prohibited goods or substances.

4.2. Violence and Threats

It is prohibited to post content that:

  • incites violence or harm;
  • contains direct or indirect threats;
  • glorifies violence or brutality.

4.3. Hate Speech and Discrimination

It is not allowed to publish content that:

  • insults individuals based on race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability;
  • encourages discrimination or segregation;
  • promotes hatred or discriminatory behavior.

4.4. Sexual Content and Exploitation

The following are prohibited:

  • pornography and sexually exploitative content;
  • content involving minors;
  • unwanted or non-consensual sexual content involving other individuals.

4.5. Harassment, Bullying, and Intimidation

Users are prohibited from:

  • bullying or harassing others;
  • sharing private information without consent (doxing);
  • intimidating, blackmailing, or pressuring other users.

4.6. Spam and Manipulation

The following are prohibited:

  • mass messaging or automated communications;
  • manipulation of ratings or algorithms;
  • creation of fake accounts;
  • any other actions intended to artificially influence the functioning of the Service.

4.7. Intellectual Property Violations

It is not allowed to:

  • post materials that infringe copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights of third parties;
  • use third-party content without permission or an appropriate license.

4.8. Other Violations

Any content or behavior that violates the General Principles of Service Use (Section 3) or creates risks to the safety, rights, or legitimate interests of other users or the Company may be considered a violation of these Guidelines, even if not explicitly listed above.

4.9. Copyright infringements may also result in content removal or access restrictions under the Copyright and DMCA Policy, regardless of the application of these Community Guidelines.

5. Moderation and Enforcement of the Guidelines

5.1. General Provisions

The Company has the right to moderate content and monitor user behavior at its sole discretion, within the scope of these Guidelines and the Terms of Use.

Moderation may include, in particular:

  • removal or restriction of access to content;
  • temporary suspension of account functionality;
  • temporary or permanent account suspension or banning;
  • restriction of access to certain Service features.

5.2. Principles of Moderation

Moderation is carried out in accordance with the following principles:

5.2.1. Compliance with the Guidelines and Applicable Law

User content and behavior are assessed for compliance with these Guidelines and applicable law.

5.2.2. Company Discretion

The Company shall determine, at its sole discretion, the appropriateness of enforcement measures, including content removal or account suspension.

5.2.3. Procedural Safety

Moderation measures are taken within the framework of the Guidelines and Terms of Use. The Company may act without prior notice to the user unless otherwise required by law.

5.2.4. Automated and Manual Moderation

The Company may use a combination of automated systems and manual review to detect violations.

5.3. Application of Moderation to Different Types of Content

These Guidelines apply to all user content, including:

  • text, graphic, and video posts;
  • comments and discussions;
  • user profiles;
  • private messages and other interactions through the Service, where such interactions violate the Guidelines.

5.4. Relationship with the Terms of Use

Any moderation measures shall be applied in accordance with the Terms of Use.

A violation of these Guidelines is considered a violation of the Terms of Use and may result in measures provided for therein.

5.5. No Obligation of Prior Monitoring

The Company is not obligated to perform prior monitoring or review of all user-generated content.

The existence or absence of moderation measures in relation to any specific content does not imply approval of such content by the Company and does not create any liability of the Company for such content.

6. Reporting Violations

6.1. General Provisions

Users may report content or behavior of other users that they believe violates these Guidelines.

Reports are reviewed by the Company in accordance with its internal moderation procedures. The Company reserves the right to take or not take any action at its sole discretion, including removal of content, restriction of access, or account suspension.

6.2. Reporting Procedure

1. A violation report may be submitted through the Service’s reporting tools or via the contact channels provided by the Company.

2. The report must contain sufficient information to identify the content and the alleged infringer.

3. The Company may request additional information to verify the reported violation.

6.3. Review of Reports

1. The Company reviews reports within a reasonable timeframe, as determined at its sole discretion and depending on the severity of the alleged violation.

2. The Company may notify the reporting user of the outcome of the review, if required by internal procedures or applicable law.

3. The Company reserves the right to ignore or reject reports in cases of insufficient information or manifestly unfounded claims.

6.4. Relationship with Moderation and the Terms

Any violation report is processed within the framework of Section 5 (Moderation) and in accordance with the Terms of Use.

The decision to apply moderation measures is made at the Company’s sole discretion.

6.5. Appeals of Moderation Decisions

A user has the right to request a review of a decision regarding content removal, feature restriction, or account suspension.

Requests must be submitted through the official support channels available within the Service.

The Company reviews such requests in accordance with its internal procedures and at its sole discretion.

Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reversal or modification of the decision.

WHIMSCOPE aims to review appeals of moderation decisions within a reasonable timeframe. Review times may vary depending on the complexity of the case; however, the Platform strives to ensure a fair, consistent, and transparent decision-making process.

7. Enforcement Measures and Consequences of Violations

7.1. General Provisions

Any violation of these Guidelines or the Terms of Use may result in enforcement measures, a list of which is provided below.

The Company reserves the right to determine the type and severity of such measures at its sole discretion, based on the nature of the violation, its consequences, and the user’s prior history.

7.2. Possible Enforcement Measures

7.2.1. Warning — an official notification to the user regarding a violation.

7.2.2. Feature Restriction — temporary or partial limitation of access to certain Service functionalities.

7.2.3. Content Removal — temporary or permanent removal of posts, comments, or other content that violates the Guidelines.

7.2.4. Temporary Account Suspension —suspension of account access for a defined period.

7.2.5. Permanent Account Suspension — indefinite or final termination of user access to the Service.

7.2.6. Reporting to Competent Authorities — in cases where the violation is unlawful and must be reported under applicable law.

7.3. Principles of Enforcement

7.3.1. Proportionality

Enforcement measures are applied proportionally to the nature of the violation and at the Company’s sole discretion.

7.3.2. Combination of Measures

The Company may apply multiple enforcement measures simultaneously or sequentially.

7.3.3. No Prior Notice Requirement

The Company is not obligated to provide prior notice before applying enforcement measures, unless otherwise required by law.

7.3.4. Additional Rights

The use of enforcement measures does not limit the Company’s right to take other actions provided for in the Terms of Use or applicable law.

7.4. Relationship with Other Sections

  • All enforcement actions comply with Sections 3–6 (General Principles, Prohibited Content, Moderation, Reporting).
  • Any violation of these Guidelines is considered a violation of the Terms of Use and may result in measures provided therein.

Violations of these Guidelines may be handled in accordance with the WHIMSCOPE Community Safety Policy and may also result in enforcement actions under the Content Moderation and Enforcement Policy.

8. Protection of Minors

8.1. General Provisions

The Service is not intended for use by individuals who have not reached the minimum age required by the laws of their respective jurisdiction.

The Company takes measures to protect minor users from harmful or inappropriate content, as well as from any form of exploitation.

8.2. Prohibited Content Involving Minors

Users are prohibited from posting or distributing content that:

  • contains sexually exploitative material involving minors;
  • promotes violence, cruelty, or hatred toward children;
  • is intended to intimidate, bully, or harass minors;
  • may otherwise harm the psychological, physical, or moral development of a child.

8.3. Verification and Restrictions

8.3.1. The Company may implement age verification mechanisms or restrict certain functionalities for users where there are doubts regarding compliance with the minimum age requirement.

8.3.2. If a violation involving minors is identified, the Company may remove content, restrict account features, or suspend the account without prior notice, in accordance with Section 5.

8.4. Relationship with Other Sections

  • Violations of this Section are considered serious breaches of the Guidelines and the Terms of Use.
  • The Company reserves the right to report relevant information to competent authorities where required by law.

9. Changes to the Guidelines

9.1. Right to Make Changes

The Company reserves the right to modify, update, or supplement these Guidelines at its sole discretion at any time.

Changes take effect upon their publication in the Service or through other channels designated by the Company, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

9.2. User Notification

9.2.1. The Company may notify users of changes to the Guidelines, but is not obligated to do so in all cases.

9.2.2. Continued use of the Service after changes have been made shall constitute acceptance of the updated Guidelines.

9.3. Relationship with the Terms of Use

Any changes to these Guidelines form part of the terms governing the use of the Service and shall be interpreted together with the Terms of Use.

Users are required to comply with the most recent version of the Guidelines published by the Company.

9.4. Interrelation of Policies

All Platform policies must be interpreted in conjunction with one another. In the event of any conflict between documents, the specific document governing the relevant issue shall prevail.