Content Moderation Policy
1. Purpose of the Policy
1.1. This policy sets out the rules for publishing, reporting, verifying and moderating content on the service at https://pragmaticmeet.com, in particular events, groups, descriptions, photos, comments, messages, user profiles and organiser profiles.
1.2. The policy aims to ensure the safe use of the service, to counteract unlawful content, abuse, fraud and infringement of the rights of others.
2. Scope of Application
2.1. The policy applies to all users of the service, including:
2.1.1. persons creating an account,
2.1.2. event organisers,
2.1.3. event participants,
2.1.4. group members,
2.1.5. persons publishing comments, photos, descriptions, links or other materials.
2.2. The service may store content provided by users, and to the extent that such content is publicly available, the service may act as an online platform within the meaning of the Digital Services Act (hereinafter "DSA"). The DSA covers, among others, hosting service providers and online platforms, i.e. services that store information provided by users and make it publicly available.
3. Content Publication Rules
3.1. Users may only publish content that is lawful, compliant with the service's Terms of Service, this policy and good practices.
3.2. It is prohibited to publish content that:
3.2.1. is unlawful, misleading or serves fraudulent purposes,
3.2.2. promotes fake events, fictitious tickets, phishing or fraud,
3.2.3. infringes copyright, trade mark rights, personal rights or rights to one's image,
3.2.4. contains hate speech, threats, incitement to violence or discrimination,
3.2.5. promotes illegal activities,
3.2.6. contains sexual, graphic or other content inappropriate to the nature of the service,
3.2.7. violates the privacy of others, including disclosing personal data without a legal basis,
3.2.8. impersonates another person, organisation, brand or institution,
3.2.9. constitutes spam, mass advertising or automatically generated content in a manner that disrupts the operation of the service,
3.2.10. contains links to malware or sites used for data phishing.
4. Rules for Events
4.1. Event organisers should provide accurate and up-to-date information, in particular:
4.1.1. the name of the event,
4.1.2. the date and time,
4.1.3. the venue or an indication that the event is held online,
4.1.4. the price or an indication that the event is free of charge,
4.1.5. the organiser's details,
4.1.6. key conditions of participation,
4.1.7. age or formal requirements, if applicable.
4.2. It is prohibited to create events that:
4.2.1. do not exist or are fictitious in nature,
4.2.2. mislead users as to price, venue, organiser or programme,
4.2.3. sell or promote unauthorised access to an event,
4.2.4. use third-party photos, logos or descriptions without authorisation,
4.2.5. impersonate another organiser,
4.2.6. violate applicable law or the rights of third parties.
5. Rules for Groups
5.1. A user who creates a group is responsible for its name, description, subject matter and the content they publish.
5.2. It is prohibited to create groups that:
5.2.1. serve to organise unlawful activities,
5.2.2. promote hatred, violence, discrimination or harassment,
5.2.3. serve the purposes of spam, fraud or circumventing the service's rules,
5.2.4. impersonate official groups of organisations, institutions or brands,
5.2.5. infringe the rights of third parties.
6. Content Moderation
6.1. The service may moderate content in particular by:
6.1.1. refusing to publish content,
6.1.2. restricting the visibility of content,
6.1.3. flagging content as requiring verification,
6.1.4. removing content,
6.1.5. making technical edits only, e.g. removing a malicious link,
6.1.6. temporarily restricting account features,
6.1.7. suspending an account,
6.1.8. deleting an account,
6.1.9. blocking the ability to create events or groups.
6.2. Moderation decisions may be made on the basis of user reports, the service's own review, information from public authorities, rights holders or automated tools that support the detection of abuse.
6.3. The initial analysis of reported content may be performed using automated or semi-automated tools, including large language models (LLMs). These tools may assist the service in classifying a report, identifying a potential violation, prioritising a case or preparing a recommendation for a moderator.
6.4. The Terms of Service should clearly describe the restrictions placed on user content, including moderation rules and the use of algorithmic tools in accordance with Article 14 of the DSA.
7. Reporting Content
7.1. Any user may report content, an event, a group, a profile or conduct that they consider to be unlawful or in breach of the policy.
7.2. A report may be submitted via:
7.2.1. the "Report" button next to the relevant content,
7.2.2. e-mail: [email protected]
7.3. A report should include:
7.3.1. an indication of the content to which the report relates, e.g. a link to the event or group,
7.3.2. the reason for the report,
7.3.3. an explanation of why the content is unlawful or in breach of the policy,
7.3.4. the contact details of the reporting person, if they wish to receive a response,
7.3.5. a statement that the report is made in good faith.
8. Handling of Reports
8.1. The service handles reports in a timely manner (within 14 working days), impartially, diligently and non-arbitrarily.
8.2. When assessing a report, the service takes into account in particular:
8.2.1. the content of the report,
8.2.2. the nature of the published content,
8.2.3. the risk of harm to users,
8.2.4. the recurrence of violations,
8.2.5. the context of the event or group,
8.2.6. applicable law,
8.2.7. the service's Terms of Service and this policy.
8.3. In the case of content that may pose a direct risk to the safety of persons, or in cases involving fraud, extortion or serious breaches of the law, the service may take immediate action.
9. Moderation Decisions and Justification
9.1. Where the service takes a decision to restrict content or an account, the user will be informed of the decision, to the extent that this is technically possible and legally permissible.
9.2. The justification may include:
9.2.1. an indication of the content to which the decision relates,
9.2.2. the type of measure applied,
9.2.3. the basis for the decision, e.g. a breach of the policy or suspicion of unlawfulness,
9.2.4. a brief explanation of the reasons,
9.2.5. information as to whether the decision was supported by automated tools,
9.2.6. information about the right of appeal.
10. Appeals Against Decisions
10.1. A user may appeal against a moderation decision within 14 days of receiving notification of the decision.
10.2. An appeal should include:
10.2.1. an indication of the decision being appealed,
10.2.2. the user's grounds for appeal,
10.2.3. any supporting evidence or explanations.
10.3. An appeal may be submitted to: [email protected]
10.4. The service handles appeals within 14 working days and informs the user of the outcome. If an appeal is well-founded, the service may restore the content, event, group or account functionality.
11. Repeated Violations
11.1. In the event of repeated violations, the service may apply more far-reaching measures, in particular:
11.1.1. a temporary restriction on publishing content,
11.1.2. a temporary suspension of the ability to create events,
11.1.3. a temporary suspension of the ability to create or manage groups,
11.1.4. suspension of the account,
11.1.5. permanent deletion of the account,
11.1.6. refusal to allow re-registration.
11.2. The service may also restrict the accounts of users who repeatedly submit manifestly unfounded reports or abuse the reporting system.
12. Automated Tools
12.1. The service may use automated or semi-automated tools to detect spam, fraud, malicious links, technical abuse or content that breaches the policy.
12.2. Decisions that have a material impact on the user may be subject to additional human review, where the nature of the case or applicable law so requires.
13. Reports from Authorities and Serious Situations
13.1. The service may take action on the basis of orders, requests or information from competent authorities, such as those referred to in Article 49 of the DSA.
13.2. If the service receives credible information indicating a suspicion of a criminal offence that may pose a threat to the life or safety of persons, it may transmit the relevant information to the competent authorities in accordance with applicable law.
14. User Liability
14.1. The user is responsible for the content they publish on the service.
14.2. By publishing content, the user declares that:
14.2.1. they are entitled to publish it,
14.2.2. the content does not violate the law or the rights of third parties,
14.2.3. the information relating to events is accurate and up-to-date,
14.2.4. they hold the required consents, licences or permissions where they are publishing third-party materials.
15. Relationship to the Main Terms of Service
15.1. This policy supplements the Pragmatic Meet Terms of Service.
15.2. Matters not regulated by this document are governed by the main Terms of Service, the Privacy Policy and applicable law.