# Acceptable Use Policy

**Effective Date:** January 1, 2026  
**Last Updated:** June 7, 2026

## Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines prohibited uses of Oursly.io services. Violations may result in account suspension or termination.

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## Prohibited Activities

### 1. Illegal Activities
You may NOT use Oursly.io to:
- Violate any local, state, national, or international law
- Facilitate criminal activity
- Distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
- Engage in human trafficking or exploitation
- Launder money or conduct financial fraud
- Sell or distribute controlled substances without proper licensing
- Violate export control or sanctions laws

### 2. Abuse & Harassment
You may NOT:
- Harass, threaten, or intimidate others
- Engage in cyberbullying or stalking
- Dox others (publish private information without consent)
- Send unsolicited commercial messages (spam)
- Coordinate harassment campaigns

### 3. Malicious Content
You may NOT upload, share, or distribute:
- Malware, viruses, trojans, ransomware
- Phishing pages or credential-stealing tools
- Exploit code designed to compromise systems
- Cryptojacking scripts or unauthorized mining software

### 4. Unauthorized Access
You may NOT:
- Access accounts, systems, or data without authorization
- Circumvent security measures or access controls
- Use automated tools to scrape or harvest data
- Conduct vulnerability scans without written permission
- Attempt to gain unauthorized system privileges

### 5. Resource Abuse
You may NOT:
- Exceed reasonable usage limits for your subscription tier
- Use services for cryptocurrency mining without express permission
- Consume excessive bandwidth, storage, or compute resources
- Run distributed computing tasks without approval
- Engage in denial-of-service attacks

### 6. Intellectual Property Violations
You may NOT:
- Upload or share copyrighted content without permission
- Distribute pirated software, movies, music, or games
- Violate trademarks or pass off others' work as your own
- Circumvent DRM or access controls

### 7. Impersonation & Deception
You may NOT:
- Impersonate others, including Oursly.io staff
- Create fake or misleading accounts
- Misrepresent your affiliation with organizations
- Engage in social engineering or pretexting

### 8. Harmful Content
You may NOT create, share, or promote content that:
- Incites violence or terrorism
- Promotes self-harm or suicide
- Glorifies or instructs on dangerous activities
- Contains graphic violence (except news/educational context)
- Exploits minors in any way

### 9. Hate Speech & Discrimination
You may NOT:
- Post content targeting individuals based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality
- Organize hate groups or coordinate discriminatory campaigns
- Use slurs or dehumanizing language

*Note: We support free expression but draw the line at coordinated harassment and incitement to violence.*

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## Permitted Uses

### Research & Security Testing
- Responsible disclosure of security vulnerabilities (contact security@oursly.io)
- Academic research with proper ethics approvals
- Penetration testing with written authorization

### Journalism & Activism
- Whistleblowing and investigative journalism
- Political dissent and activism (protected speech)
- Anonymous communication for safety reasons

### Business & Commercial Use
- E-commerce and customer communications
- Marketing emails (with proper consent)
- Team collaboration and file sharing
- SaaS platforms built on our APIs (with commercial agreement)

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## Enforcement

### Reporting Violations
Report AUP violations to: **abuse@oursly.io**

Include:
- Description of violation
- Evidence (URLs, screenshots, headers)
- Your contact information

### Investigation Process
1. **Review:** We review reports within 48 hours
2. **Investigation:** Gather evidence; may request user response
3. **Decision:** Determine if AUP violation occurred
4. **Action:** Warning, suspension, or termination

### Penalties
- **First Violation:** Warning and requirement to cease activity
- **Second Violation:** Temporary account suspension (7-30 days)
- **Severe/Repeated Violations:** Permanent account termination
- **Criminal Activity:** Report to law enforcement

### Appeals
If you believe enforcement action was incorrect:
- Email: appeals@oursly.io
- Include: account details, explanation, supporting evidence
- We review appeals within 5 business days

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## Transparency

We publish quarterly transparency reports detailing:
- Number of abuse reports received
- Categories of violations
- Enforcement actions taken
- Law enforcement requests

Available at: https://oursly.io/transparency

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## Updates to This Policy

We may update this AUP to address new threats or legal requirements. Changes posted 30 days before taking effect.

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## Contact

**Abuse Reports:** abuse@oursly.io  
**Appeals:** appeals@oursly.io  
**Security Issues:** security@oursly.io

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**Version:** 1.0.0  
**Last Updated:** June 7, 2026