Community Guidelines

1. INTRODUCTION AND OUR VALUES

These Community Guidelines ("Guidelines") explain what is and is not allowed on the Platform, so that Creators, Listeners, and everyone appearing on the Afripods Platform can use it safely.

We built these Guidelines around three commitments: protecting people, especially children, from harm; supporting open expression and legitimate commentary, including on difficult or controversial topics; and being consistent and transparent about how we apply our own rules. Where these commitments are in tension, protecting people from harm comes first.

These Guidelines form part of our Terms & Conditions. How we enforce them including our review process, escalation levels, and appeals is set out in our Content Moderation Policy. If you believe Content infringes your intellectual property or other legal rights, use our Takedown Procedure instead of the general reporting tool referenced here.

2. WHO THESE GUIDELINES APPLY TO

These Guidelines apply to all Content published on the Platform, and to all Users; Creators, Listeners, guests who appear in Content, and Advertisers while using the Platform. Creators are responsible for their own Content, including episodes, artwork, titles, descriptions, and any content contributed by guests or co-hosts.

3. CONTENT THAT IS NEVER ALLOWED

These categories carry zero tolerance and route directly to the fast-track enforcement process in our Content Moderation Policy, no warning period applies.

• Child sexual abuse material, or any content that sexualizes, endangers, or otherwise exploits a minor. This includes content that appears to involve a minor even where the participant's age cannot be confirmed.
• Content that facilitates, threatens, or incites serious violence, terrorism, or genocide.
• Content that provides instructions for creating weapons, explosives, or other tools intended to cause mass harm.

4. RESTRICTED CONTENT (PROHIBITED WITHOUT AN EXEMPTION)

4.1 Hate Speech and Discrimination

Content that attacks, demeans, or incites hatred or discrimination against people based on a protected characteristic, including ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or disability is prohibited. Discussion, criticism, or academic analysis of these topics is permitted where it does not cross into attacking people for who they are or the principles they stand for.

4.2 Harassment, Bullying, and Threats

Content that targets a specific individual with abuse, threats, sustained harassment, or the disclosure of their private information without consent ("doxxing") is prohibited.

4.3 Violent or Graphic Content

Content that glorifies violence, depicts gratuitous gore, or is shared to shock or degrade its subject is prohibited. Newsworthy, historical, or documentary content depicting violence may be permitted with appropriate context and content warnings.

4.4 Sexually Explicit Content

Sexually explicit audio or visual content is not permitted on the Platform. Content addressing sexual health, relationships, or related topics in an educational or editorial manner is permitted.

4.5 Misinformation Likely to Cause Real-World Harm

Content containing verifiably false claims likely to cause real-world harm, including false claims about elections or any other political topics, public health emergencies, or emergency safety information, is prohibited. Genuine opinion, satire, and commentary, clearly presented as such, are not treated as misinformation.

4.6 Spam, Fraud, and Deceptive Practices

Content or accounts used for spam, scams, phishing, fraudulent solicitations, or artificially inflating listenership, ratings, or engagement metrics are prohibited.

4.7 Intellectual Property Infringement

Content that infringes another party's copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights is prohibited. Rights holders should use our Takedown Procedure to report infringing Content.

4.8 Illegal Activity

Content that facilitates or promotes illegal activity under international law or the law of the jurisdiction in which it is published including content prohibited under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes laws of any jurisdiction.

4.9 Impersonation and Deceptive Identity

Creating an account or publishing Content that impersonates another person or organization in a misleading way is prohibited. Clearly-labelled parody or commentary is permitted.

4.10 Content Promoting Self-Harm

Content that promotes, instructs, or encourages suicide, self-harm, or disordered eating is prohibited. Content that discusses these topics supportively, or directs listeners to help and support resources, is permitted and encouraged.

5. GUIDANCE FOR GREY AREAS

Content moderation is rarely black and white. When Content sits in a grey area, our reviewers consider:

• Context: the surrounding conversation, framing, and apparent purpose of the Content, not just an isolated clip or phrase.
• Intent: whether the Content appears intended to inform, entertain, or comment, as opposed to intended to harm, harass, or deceive.
• Newsworthiness and public interest: content reporting on or discussing a harmful event is treated differently from content that glorifies it.
• Audience and labelling: whether sensitive content is appropriately labelled or content-warned, and whether it is reasonably likely to reach a general or underage audience.

Reviewers are not expected to agree with the views expressed in Content in order to allow it; these Guidelines exist to prevent harm, not to enforce a single point of view on controversial or political topics.

6. CREATOR-SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Obtain consent from guests, interviewees, and co-hosts before publishing episodes featuring them, and be prepared to demonstrate that consent if asked.
• Provide accurate show and episode metadata; titles, descriptions, and category tags must not be misleading.
• Clearly disclose sponsored content, paid promotion, or advertising integrated into an episode.
• Do not publish Content on behalf of, or purporting to be, another Creator without their authorisation.

7. CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATING THESE GUIDELINES

Violations are handled under our Content Moderation Policy, which sets out the full escalation process. In summary, consequences may include a warning, removal of the specific Content, restriction of specific features, temporary suspension, permanent account termination, and, where required by law, referral to law enforcement. The severity of the response depends on the nature of the violation, whether it is repeated, and the harm involved.

8. HOW TO REPORT CONTENT

If you believe Content violates these Guidelines, use the in-platform reporting tool, described further in our Content Moderation Policy. If your concern relates to intellectual property or another legal right, use our Takedown Procedure instead.

9. UPDATES TO THESE GUIDELINES

We review and update these Guidelines periodically to address new risks, technologies, and community feedback. Material changes will be announced through the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after an update takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Guidelines.

10. CONTACT US

Questions about these Guidelines can be sent to contactus@afripods.com