Community Guidelines (US)

Community Guidelines

These Community Guidelines were last updated on  November 2023.

Koo helps its users connect to others and enables meaningful engagement within the Koo community. To ensure this purpose is achieved, Koo requires users to follow these Community Guidelines along with the Terms of Service.

Koo intends to foster a feeling of community where all users are part of a larger meeting place and allows users to be able to have a safe space to express their views, ideas, and thoughts. Koo has the utmost regard for the users’ freedom of speech and expression as well as their right to privacy. In framing these Community Guidelines, care has been taken to abide by the letter and spirit of legal requirements and our responsibility to the community in general.

During your time on the platform, we request you to treat your interactions with other users on Koo as though these were interactions in the real world. Before you post any content, think about how the people you are talking about might feel if you told them in person what you are planning to post. 

The platform comprises many users like you, and we would want to make your journey on the platform, as comfortable for you, in terms of user engagement, participation, and conversations.

As a general rule, do not post any content about others that you would not like to be posted about you. Engaging online is no different from engaging with others in the real physical world.

The Community Guidelines listed below set out actions and conduct expected on Koo. Adhering to the following rules of the platform will help us maintain a community that encourages healthy discussions, enables the expression of diverse ideas and thoughts, safely. 

If you violate any one of these guidelines, action may be taken on your account. This includes but is not limited to taking down the violative content and in appropriate circumstances informing authorities, and suspension or termination of your account. 

To understand the kind of actions that we may take, read our Content Moderation Guidelines.

1. Hate Speech and Discrimination

Do not post hateful or discriminatory content on Koo.

Treat others on Koo with dignity, respect, and a sense of empathy. We encourage valid and well-intentioned expressions of healthy disagreement on the platform. We do not allow any content that is hateful, contains personal attacks and appeals to prejudices. Any form of discourteous, impolite, rude statements made to express disagreement that are intended to harm another user or induce them mental stress or suffering must be avoided.

You are not permitted to use hateful images or symbols in your profile image or profile header. You must not alter your username, display name, or profile bio in a manner that it appears you are engaging in abusive behavior or which could be reasonably construed as causing harassment to other user(s) or expressing hate towards a person or group.

Examples of hateful or discriminatory speech include comments which encourage violence; are racially or ethnically objectionable; attempts to disparage anyone based on their nationality; sex/gender; sexual orientation; religious affiliation; political affiliation; any disability; or any disease they might be suffering from. 

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances that could violate this guideline. 

2. Religiously Offensive Content

Be respectful of the religious beliefs of others.

You must always be respectful of the religious faith and beliefs of others. Regardless of whether they share the same views or beliefs as you. You must not publish anything which is hurtful to the sentiments of others or insults their religion or customs and/or causes communal discord. 

Any actions where gods or religious deities, prophets, figureheads, reincarnations and leaders are abused or where symbols or emblems of a religion are morphed or destroyed or desecrated with a view to hurt sentiments or cause disharmony may amount to religiously offensive content.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

3. Terrorism and Extremism

Do not post content that supports, encourages or glorifies terrorism.

At Koo, we do not permit content that encourages terrorism and extremism. If you are found engaging in such activities, we might take action against you. In addition, we may bring your behavior to the notice of the concerned authorities. For international markets we use the United Nations Security Council Consolidated List as a reference for terrorist and extremist activities. Further, we also consider the list of foreign terrorist organizations compiled by the U.S. Department of State, available here; The FBI’s list of organisations and individuals classified as ‘terrorists’, available here; and the US National Counterterrorism Center’s reference guide for law enforcement authorities, available here.

You must not support or promote any dangerous activities on Koo. In particular, do not use Koo to incite terrorism, secession, acts of violence against person or property. You must not post any content that promotes or encourages users to take actions on behalf of terrorist organizations. Do not upload, share or post content that disseminates information on behalf of such organizations.

You must not garner support or approval to commit violent acts during lawful protests or create violence-inducing terror and conspiracy networks on the platform. It is important for you to know that your statements could instill fear, incite violence and lead to public mischief.  

You must not post content produced by terrorist outfits, criminal organizations, and cannot make references to prominent terrorists, criminal figures, or provide content glorifying acts committed by such personalities, and encourage others to carry out, participate in similar acts of violence. 

If you post content related to terrorism, criminal syndicates, violent activities for educational discussions, then ensure that this context is conveyed to the viewers. In other words, ensure that you explicitly state the context in which you are publishing such content.

4. Self-harm and Suicide

At Koo, the mental health and well-being of our users matters. We understand that issues related to mental health and well-being need awareness. That is why we support our users, who wish to relate their experiences, which may relate to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, depression, or any other mental health concerns. 

While we support people who intend to relate their stories, we do not want users to promote suicide, self-harm or content that poses risk to other users of Koo. In the event where you believe that a user is at risk, we request that you get in touch with local emergency services available in your area or reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

If you are depressed, have thoughts of self-harm or suicide, we want you to know that you are not alone in this struggle, and we encourage you to reach out to organisations adept at providing the necessary support. You may reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You may also connect with many other organizations in your local areas. 

5. Violent Content
   
   Do not post content that threatens, depicts or glorifies violence, or encourages acts of violence.

You must not use Koo to make any direct or indirect threats of physical harm against another person. This includes any threat relating to theft, vandalism, wrongful confinement, bodily, mental or financial harm. If you believe someone is in imminent danger, you should get in touch with the local law enforcement agency and report the situation at the earliest.

Koo does not permit its users to post content which involves references to mass murder, violent events, or specific means of violence. Do not post content that incites acts of violence against a group of people, minors or animal abuse. Content that hosts imagery of corpses, severed limbs, gory depiction of aftermaths of any natural disasters, medical procedures, which may shock or disgust viewers is not permitted. You must also refrain from posting content relating to suicide or self-harm. Including content that is construed as promoting or suggesting this course of action.

If any of the above content is being displayed for educational or information purposes please explain the context clearly. 

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

6. Graphic, Obscene and Sexual Content

Do not post graphic, obscene and/or sexual content on Koo.

Koo does not tolerate content that is obscene, pornographic, sexually graphic or could be seen as inappropriate to some users. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to content that is harmful to children and depicts children sexually. Do not post content that contains revenge porn or is harmful to children. Any user found posting such content will be reported to the authorities immediately.

You are not permitted to upload, circulate or distribute content that is pornographic, pedophilic, contains explicit depictions of deceased persons, violent sexual acts including content depicting rape, and imagery that is excessively gory. Do not post any content relating to bestiality, non-consensual sexual acts or incest. 

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

7. 7. Sexual Harassment and non-consensual nudity

Do not post any content or engage in any activity that might be construed as being sexual harassment to other users.

Koo adopts a strict no-tolerance approach to sexual harassment on the platform, including, but not limited to, sexually explicit remarks, or innuendoes directed at any specific person or persons, or the sharing of sexual (or sexually suggestive) information or media in relation to a person without their consent or any content which may be invasive of a person’s bodily privacy.

We have a zero-tolerance policy against any explicit images or videos that appear to be taken and published without the consent of the subject(s).

You must not make statements of a sexual nature, intended to be insulting, harassing, or degrading based on gender, or which make any other person feel uncomfortable. Koo must not be used to harass anyone by circulating pornographic content intimate images, etc to them.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

8. Cyberbullying

Be kind to others. Don’t be a bully.

Content that threatens others is not allowed on Koo.

Koo does not allow users to engage in bullying or harassment on the platform. This includes sharing defamatory or libelous content or sending threatening messages or insults to another Koo user.

You must not post content that contains personal attacks, abusive language, slangs or expletives in any languages; do not direct other users to engage in such language. Do not use abusive language, slang, or expletives in any language and do not direct it at other users. You must not engage in name calling, malicious insults with racial undertones or make comments on anyone’s attributes, including their physical attributes. 

You must not violate another user’s privacy by posting information and images of them without their consent.

There is a difference between healthy discussion, debate and disagreement and engaging in direct personal attacks on another person. We encourage you to indulge in healthy discussions, debates and disagreements, by way of expression of your thoughts, ideas, in a conversational manner; but we do not want you to confront people while engaging in tones of discord, aggressive statements, and malicious attacks. 

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

9. Invasion of Privacy
   
   Respect the space and privacy of others.
   
   Koo expects users to respect the privacy of others. You must not publish, share, or encourage the publication of any personal information of another person that invades their privacy.

A person’s right to privacy is an inherent right and is inclusive of their right to be left alone and the preservation of their personal intimacies. The right is meant to protect the autonomy of a person and is not severed from the individual by their mere presence on a public platform like ours. 

You must not capture, share, publish images of a person’s private area without their explicit consent.

It is a punishable offense for anyone to capture, share, publish images pertaining to the private area of any person without their express consent. This would mean images relating to a person’s naked or undergarment clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast/s.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

10. Illegal Activities

Much like in the real world, do not break the law when you use Koo.

Koo strives to ensure that its users are safe. As such, Koo does not permit any unlawful behavior or illegal activities. 

You must not post content that is illegal or encourages other users to participate in any illegal activity. This may include buying or selling of illegal narcotics, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco products, psychotropic substances or any other category of items that are not permitted to be traded between private individuals.

You must not upload, circulate, share or act on any content that sells or appears to sell narcotics or prescription drugs. Purchasing prescription drugs must be strictly done based on legal advice, valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner, and not through the platform

You must not use the platform to offer access to lotteries, gambling, or encourage money laundering, prostitution, human or child trafficking, escort services, organised violence or any other criminal activity. You must not post content that threatens public order or incites other users to commit an offense or prevents investigation of any offense.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

11. Identity Theft and Impersonation

Identity theft is serious. Don’t impersonate any other person.

Koo accounts that pose as another person, brand or organization in a confusing or deceptive manner are liable to be permanently suspended. Identity theft includes your usage of another person’s electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature in a dishonest manner. As your association with the platform is based on the representations made by you, we reserve the right to terminate your account based on such false representations made by you.

You must not impersonate or pose as another person, brand, or organization to deceive or mislead users about the origin of the content. Thus, you are encouraged to voluntarily verify yourself and ensure that all the details provided in your profile are accurate and do not, in any manner, constitute misrepresentation.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

12. Misinformation and Fake news
    
    Be truthful and verify information.

Koo strives to encourage healthy discussions, foster creativity of thought and enable exchange of views and opinions. To achieve this, do not knowingly share false, misleading or unverified information. You must not share morphed or manipulated images, videos or any media that is false. Sharing false or misleading information has the potential to defame a third party. That is why, use your discretion to share comments and other information that are authentic and accurate. You must, to the extent possible, ensure that content that you post on Koo is authentic and from a reliable and verifiable source.

Koo does not condone content that may affect citizen-centric processes. However, any content that may interfere with the results of political elections will not be permitted.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

13. 
    Spamming, Scamming and Phishing

Do not use Koo to spam or scam others.

Do not use this platform to manipulate others or negatively affect their experience on the platform. Do not message other users in bulk from multiple accounts to amplify content or disrupt conversations. This platform must not be used to control prices or publish information intended to manipulate other users for your own financial gain.

You must not try to deceive others whether on this platform or not, by sharing patently false and untrue information, luring other persons to share sensitive information or requiring them to engage in any other activities with the intention of misleading or harassing users for financial gain or causing them any other harm.

You must not pose as someone else and induce people to share their personal information with you. Do not deprive others of money, property, inheritance by fraudulent schemes. You must not intend to deprive others of money, property, inheritance by fraudulent schemes.

Do not send people unsolicited communications.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

14. Intellectual Property Infringement
    
    Do not violate the Intellectual Property Rights of others.

Koo believes that Intellectual Property Rights facilitates innovation, creation and expression. In any language, you own all the content and information you post on Koo. This means that you control how it is shared. Before posting on Koo, ensure that it does not belong to another person and that you have the right to do so.

You must not upload any content that uses a brand or a logo owned by another person without their explicit permission. Uploading content with a brand or logo similar to another trademark to confuse other users is not permitted.

Do not upload any literary, musical, dramatic or choreographic work without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. Distributing copyrighted sound recordings without explicit permission will violate the rights of a copyright holder.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline.

15. Malicious Programs

Do not share malicious programs.

You must not share any content that contains a program with any virus or code capable of causing harm, loss to users on the platform. You must not share, upload or publish any program that could disrupt, cause harm, limit the functionality of the platform. Following this guideline while posting content or messaging other users will contribute to a safe and enjoyable experience for you, other users and the larger community.

As a user you must note that you are not permitted to gain unauthorized access or restrain the original owner from being able to access their own resources, owing to some action on your part. You must ensure that you do not upload any content that can potentially interfere with the communication services which are available to our other users.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances which could violate this guideline. 

16. Child Safety

Koo is designed to preserve the safety of minors. 

We take a zero-tolerance approach to any content that exploits or promotes child sexual exploitation. For the purposes of this section, a child is somebody who has not reached the age of majority.

You are not allowed to transmit, publish, promote, advertise or upload any content that depicts or promotes child exploitation. Such content includes, but is not limited to:

1. Visual depictions of children engaged in obscene, indecent, sexually explicit acts or conduct;
2. Links to third-party sites that host child pornographic content;
3. Facilitating child abuse;
4. Sending sexually explicit media to a child;
5. Recruiting or advertising an interest in a commercial sex act involving a child, or in harboring and/or transporting a child for sexual purposes.

Please note that this is not a complete list, and there could be other instances that could violate this guideline.