Acceptable Use Policy

Effective date: 28 May 2026

Introduction: This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) governs your use of our Services and is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service. By using the Service, you agree to be bound by this AUP, which supplements our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To ensure a safe, legal, and respectful environment for all users, please read this AUP carefully along with our Terms and Privacy Policy. Merchants operating marketplace functionality on the Tanqory platform are subject to additional Know Your Business Customer obligations under the Know Your Business Customer Policy for Marketplaces at commerce/kybc-policy-marketplaces.md (status: program launch pending).

Prohibited use and content

You may use our Services only for lawful purposes. You may not use our Services in any way that violates any local, national, or international law or regulation. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Illegal activities: Do not use the Service for illegal or fraudulent activities, which include (but are not limited to): promoting crime; selling or distributing illegal goods or substances; engaging in human trafficking or exploitation; or violating any law or court order. Any content that is illegal in your jurisdiction or the jurisdiction of another user is strictly prohibited.

• Harmful or inappropriate content: You must not post or share content that is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, or otherwise objectionable. Hate speech, harassment, bullying, and content that contains threats or incites violence towards any individual or group are prohibited. Content that promotes self-harm, suicide, or encourages dangerous or illegal activities is also prohibited. You may not use our Services to harm or exploit minors in any way.

• Infringement of Intellectual Property: Do not upload or share content that constitutes infringement of intellectual property rights (such as copyrighted content, trademarks, or trade secrets) without appropriate permission. You must respect copyright laws (including the U.S. DMCA) and not publish or use any content for which you do not have the rights. We reserve the right to remove or disable access to content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others and to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers in accordance with our policies. Copyright infringement notices and counter-notifications are handled under the DMCA Notice and Takedown Policy at platform/dmca-takedown-policy.md.

• Fraud, misrepresentation, and phishing: You may not use the Service to impersonate any person or organization or misrepresent your identity or affiliation. Committing fraudulent acts such as phishing (attempting to trick others into revealing sensitive information), pyramid schemes, or fraud is strictly prohibited. Do not carry out any activities that are deceptive or intended to deceive, defraud, or mislead others.

• Spam and Unsolicited Communications: You must not use the Service to send unsolicited bulk messages, advertisements, or promotional messages (“Spam”), including sending bulk email, sending a message, or posting repeated content. You may also not forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in messages to disguise their origin.

• Security Violations and Malicious Code: You may not upload, transmit, or distribute viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, malware, or any other malicious code. Any attempt to violate or circumvent the security measures of our Platform or another user's account is strictly prohibited. This includes activities such as hacking, cracking, probing, or unauthorized scanning of systems or networks, or attacks such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Do not attempt to interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of our Services or any connected networks.

• Unauthorized Access and Use: You must not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, data, service, or system. You may not use the Service to access, monitor, or use another person's data or systems without permission. Any form of account hijacking, data scraping, or circumvention is prohibited.

• Privacy violations: Respect the privacy of others. Do not publish or post anyone's personal information (e.g., name, contact details, financial information, or other sensitive information) without explicit consent. You must comply with privacy laws (such as GDPR in the European Union) when handling personal data. No content of any kind that invades the privacy of others or violates our privacy policy is allowed.

• Unapproved plug-ins, code, or integrations: If our platform allows custom code (such as embedded scripts, plug-ins, or themes), you may not introduce any malicious code (e.g., backdoors, hidden trackers). All plug-ins, extensions, or themes developed by users or third parties must be submitted for review and approval by us before use or distribution. You may not sell or distribute plugins/themes on our platform without our prior permission. Any attempt to embed unapproved or malicious code is a serious violation.

• Third Party Content and AI Generated Content: Third-party artificial intelligence tools or integrations, and AI-generated content, are allowed only if they comply with this AUP. If you use AI-generated text, images, or other content, you are solely responsible for that content and the consequences. Using third-party tools is not an excuse for violating our rules – any content you provide (regardless of the source) must comply with all standards in this AUP.

(In summary, you are expected to use our services responsibly. If you are not sure whether something is allowed, please use caution or ask us first. These examples are not exhaustive, and we reserve the right to determine what content or behavior is unacceptable.)

User responsibility

You are responsible for all actions and content that occur under your account. Users remain solely liable for the content they create, upload, or share through our Services. We are not responsible for the content that users provide; however, we reserve the right to remove or moderate any content that violates this AUP or our Terms.

• Account Security: You must keep your account credentials secure. Do not share your password or give anyone else access to your account. If you experience any unauthorized use of your account or other breach of security, you should immediately notify us. You are responsible for any such activity that occurs under your account because you failed to protect your login information.

• Compliance and Verification: We encourage you to review your own content and usage for compliance with this AUP. If we contact you about an issue, you must take immediate action to correct any violations and prevent future incidents. Failure to comply may result in increased enforcement measures.

• Third Party Content and Integrations: If you integrate a third-party service or API, or use content from external sources (including AI as noted above), it is your responsibility to ensure that such use complies with these Terms. Our Platform may feature connections to external tools, but that does not exempt you from this AUP. You should carefully review any third-party content or AI results if you distribute them through our Services. You will be responsible for such content.

• Plugin/Theme Developer: If you are a plugin, extension, or theme developer for our platform, you must follow all developer guidelines and be approved by us before publishing or selling your plugin/theme to others through our Services. You must ensure that your code is secure, do not collect personal information without permission, and that it is not harmful to the platform or its users. We may monitor or verify the participation of third parties for compliance and security.

(In summary, you are responsible for what you do on our platform. We expect all users to use common sense, use caution when creating content (especially using new AI tools), and respect the rules and other users.)

Enforcement and consequences

We take violations of this AUP very seriously. If you violate this policy, we may, in our sole discretion, take action up to and including suspension or termination of your account. The action we take depends on the severity and nature of the violation. In some cases we may issue a warning or require corrective action; in others, we may suspend or remove content immediately without notice, especially if the violation is severe, illegal, or poses an imminent danger. Below are examples of enforcement measures we may take (these measures may be taken together or separately as appropriate):

• Warning or Notice: For minor or first-time violations, we may send you a warning and a description of the infringement. We may provide you with an opportunity to correct the problem or cease the infringing activity within a specified period of time; however, repeated minor violations can lead to stricter action.

• Removing or limiting content: We reserve the right to remove or disable access to any content that violates this AUP without notice, which may include editing or blocking posts, files, or other content that you send. In some cases, we may remove content upon receipt of a complaint or notification of illegality in accordance with applicable law (e.g., removal of infringing content or notice of illegal content).

• Account Suspension (Temporary Restriction): We may temporarily suspend your account or access to certain features if you violate the AUP. The suspension may be considered a "cooling off" period, or may last until you have resolved the issue. During the suspension, you may not be able to log in or use some or all of the Services.

• Account cancellation (Revocation of service): For serious or repeated violations, or if we determine that your presence poses a risk to the community or platform, we may permanently terminate your account, which means your account will be closed and you may be banned from new registrations. Termination may occur with or without warning depending on the circumstances. In extreme cases (such as posting child exploitative content, participation in illegal hacking, etc.), termination will be carried out immediately.

• Legal Action: If you break the law or cause harm to us (financial or reputational), we reserve the right to take legal action against you, which may include requesting damages, injunctive relief, and recovery of costs and attorneys' fees related to the infringement. You may also face loss of prepaid fees or credits, because we will not refund any amounts paid for services canceled due to your misconduct.

• Reporting to authorities: We cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory agencies. If we believe content or activity involves illegal conduct (such as threats of violence), we may report the matter to the appropriate authorities and provide necessary information. In cases of apparent child exploitation, we will disable the account and report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) as required by U.S. law. We may retain records and evidence of abuse to comply with law enforcement requests or court orders.

• Notifications and Appeals: When possible, we will notify you of any actions we take with your account or content; however, please note that we may take immediate and unannounced action if necessary (for example, to comply with a legal notice or to prevent ongoing harm). If you believe we have made an enforcement error, you may contact us to appeal or request reconsideration. We will provide avenues for appeal in accordance with applicable law. (See Regional Regulations below for EU-specific rights.) Filing an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement. Our appeal decision is final.

(Please understand that enforcement measures are intended to protect users. We accept no responsibility for any actions taken in good faith by our Platform and the public in enforcing this AUP. The above examples are not exhaustive, and we may take other actions we deem appropriate.)

Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act

Tanqory operates the platform as an interactive computer service for purposes of Section 230 of the United States Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230). User-generated content posted on the platform (including merchant storefront content, customer reviews, and any third-party submissions) is the responsibility of the user who originated the content, not Tanqory. Nothing in this Acceptable Use Policy, in the Terms of Service, or in our content-moderation practices (including warnings, content removal, account suspension or termination, takedowns under the DMCA Notice and Takedown Policy, and the enforcement measures described above) constitutes Tanqory's endorsement of user-generated content or waiver of any protection available under Section 230(c)(1) or Section 230(c)(2). This provision is governed by US law, without prejudice to any non-US user rights or local mandatory consumer protections, and without prejudice to obligations Tanqory undertakes voluntarily or by force of law in other jurisdictions (including under the EU Digital Services Act).

Region-specific requirements (Appendix)

Laws and cultural norms vary from region to region. In addition to the above rules, users are required to comply with region-specific laws and regulations applicable to their use of our Services. This appendix provides additional requirements for certain jurisdictions. If you access our Services from or in the regions below, the following terms will apply in addition to all the rules above:

United States (US)

• US Legal Compliance: Users in the United States (or using our Services under United States jurisdiction) must comply with all applicable United States laws and regulations, including export control and economic sanctions laws, which prohibit the use of the Services to communicate with embargoed parties or countries, or to export controlled technology in violation of the law.

• Copyright (DMCA): We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Uploading copyrighted content without permission is illegal, and we will act quickly to remove or disable access to the infringing content upon receipt of a valid DMCA takedown notice. If you believe your content was inadvertently removed, you can file a counter-notification according to the DMCA process. Repeat copyright infringers will have their accounts terminated.

• Reporting Child Exploitation: As stated, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or exploitative content is strictly prohibited. When we become aware of explicit CSAM, we will disable the account and report it to NCMEC (the CyberTipline of the United States) in accordance with United States law. We may also report other illegal content or activity to law enforcement authorities (such as threats of violence, selling illegal drugs, etc.) as necessary or appropriate.

• Law Enforcement Requests: Under United States law, we may be required to disclose user information to government or law enforcement agencies in response to valid legal process (such as a subpoena, court order, or arrest warrant). Please review our Privacy Policy for details on how we handle and disclose information.

European Union (EU)

• Illegal Content and Hate Speech: Users in the European Union must not post or share any content that is illegal under the laws of the European Union or any EU member state. This includes (but is not limited to) illegal hate speech, terrorist content, propaganda of extremist groups, child sexual abuse material, or content that infringes on the rights of others. What's illegal offline is also illegal online. For example, content that incites violence or hatred against protected groups is prohibited by law in many European Union countries, and the same is banned on our platform.

• Digital Services Act (DSA) alignment: Tanqory operates the platform in alignment with the obligations of the EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065) that apply to hosting services. If you are a user in the EU, you have the right to flag or report content that you believe is illegal or violates this AUP. Our platform provides mechanisms (in-app reporting tools and contact points) for you to notify us about illegal content. We investigate such reports and remove or disable access to content found to be infringing in accordance with applicable law and our policies.

• Notices and Appeals: In general, if we delete your content or suspend your account in the European Union, we will tell you the reason, unless legal obligations prevent us from doing so. EU users have the right to appeal a moderation decision. We have established an internal complaints management system to enable you to challenge content removal or account actions. Instructions for appeals will be provided in the notice you received or are available in our Help Center. We will promptly review appeals and reinstate the content or account if enforcement is flawed or no longer necessary, in accordance with the provisions of the DSA.

• Privacy and Data Protection: Our services operate in accordance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Personal data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and GDPR principles. As an EU user, you should respect the privacy and data of others. For example, do not post personal data about others without a legal basis. Such behavior may violate not only this AUP, but also data protection laws.

People's Republic of China (PRC)

• Compliance with PRC Content Laws: If you access or use our Services in the PRC (Mainland China), you must comply with all applicable Chinese laws and regulations regarding online content and conduct. Content or activities that are strictly prohibited by PRC laws are prohibited on our platforms. This includes any content that:

• Is contrary to the basic principles of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China

• Endangers national security, reveals state secrets, or attempts to undermine the government or national unity

• Harms the honor or interests of the PRC

• Incites hatred or ethnic discrimination, or undermines ethnic unity

• Undermines state religious policy by promoting cults or superstitions

• Publishes rumors, disrupts social order, or makes society unstable

• Promotes obscenity, gambling, or violence, or incites crime

• Insults or slanders others, or infringes on the rights and legal interests of others (such as reputation or privacy)

• Any other content prohibited by law, administrative regulations, or government policies in the PRC

• The above list is extracted from Chinese regulations and is not exhaustive – any content that is illegal under PRC law is prohibited on our services. Using our services to commit crimes, promoting illegal business, or distributing information about illegal activities (e.g., fraud schemes, illegal weapons creation methods, etc.) is also prohibited.

• Service Restrictions in China: You may not use our Services to engage in internet activities that require a license if you do not have such a license under Chinese law (such as providing online news, forums, or certain communication services without permission). We reserve the right to block or filter content to comply with China's censorship and regulatory requirements. Content permitted in other countries may not be accessible in China if it violates local regulations.

• Enforcement in China: We will take immediate action to remove or restrict any content that we know is illegal under Chinese law. In the event of a violation of the PRC-specific rules above, we may terminate your access to the Service in China and/or promptly remove infringing content to comply with local laws. We will also cooperate with Chinese law enforcement and regulatory agencies as necessary, which may include reporting suspicious illegal activity and providing user information or records to authorities in accordance with Chinese law and legal requests.

Southeast Asia (SEA)

(For the purposes of this topic, “Southeast Asia” generally refers to countries in the ASEAN region, including but not limited to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, etc.)

• Local Law Compliance: Users in Southeast Asian countries must ensure that their use of our Services complies with all applicable local laws and cultural norms. Please note that laws in this region can be very strict regarding certain types of content. Do not use our platform in any way that would violate the law in your country or any country you target. It is your responsibility to understand the legal restrictions in your jurisdiction.

• Culturally Sensitive Content: In many countries in Southeast Asia, some content may carry heavy legal penalties. Several jurisdictions in the region criminalize insulting or defaming the monarchy or head of state, and content that insults or disrespects religion may also be illegal and result in legal action. Users may not create or share content that attacks or ridicules royal families, religious figures, or deeply held cultural values of any Southeast Asian country. Although such content may be permitted elsewhere, it is prohibited on our service for users in or targeting those countries.

• Other prohibited content in Southeast Asia: Many Southeast Asian countries have strict laws against nudity and obscene content, including gambling-related content. Hate speech or content that is racially/religiously divisive is also often illegal. You may not use our Services for any content or activity that is illegal in the country where it is viewed or obtained. This includes, for example, the dissemination of extremist ideologies, content that violates national security laws, or defamatory statements against local leaders. All content must meet local suitability and legality standards in the relevant Southeast Asian country.

• Geo-blocking and removal: We may use country-specific content restrictions to comply with local laws in SEA. If content you post is legal in one region but illegal in another (such as criticism of a public figure that violates a country's defamation or lese majeste laws), we may limit access to that content in affected countries or remove it entirely to avoid legal violations. Our goal is to respect local laws while maintaining a safe platform around the world.

• Cooperation with Authorities: In the event of serious violations of local SEA laws, we may report the incident to the appropriate authorities or comply with government orders. If we receive a valid request from a government to remove content that is considered illegal (for example, profane content in Indonesia or other content that violates local law), we will remove that content and notify users as permitted by law. We may also preserve user data and records and provide them to law enforcement agencies if required by law.

(In summary, when using our services in Southeast Asia, please use caution and respect local laws and cultural norms. Content and behavior that are acceptable in one country may be illegal in another. You must comply with the strictest applicable standards.)