Abuse Types

Companies have a wide variety of policies, and nearly as many different ways of classifying and grouping those policies. Despite this surface-level diversity, common themes can be found across the industry since underlying human misbehaviors transcend any company or product. The list below is intended to serve as an overview of the types of policies that are most frequently found across a variety of different platforms and models. This should not be viewed as a complete and comprehensive list, and the actions (if any) taken will vary substantially from example to example and across different platforms. 

Violent and Criminal Behavior

Regulated Goods and Services

Policy	Description	Examples
Regulated Goods	Sale / trade of goods which are generally regulated or banned	Weapons Prescription / recreational drugs Alcohol / tobacco Animals and animal products, particularly if endangered
Regulated Services	Sale / trade of services which are generally regulated or banned	Gambling and gaming Treatment services for drug / alcohol addiction Financial and insurance services
Commercial Sexual Activity	Depicting, solicitings, or offering sex acts or adult nudity in exchange for money	Advertisements for sex work Selling access to nude images Camming

Offensive & Objectionable Content

Policy	Description	Examples
Hateful Content	Expressing or encouraging hatred, contempt, discrimination, or violence against specific groups based on “protected classes” which includes factors such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation	Slurs directed at protected classes Support for racial supremacy movements Mockery of victims of genocide or religious / ethnic cleansing
Graphic and Violent Content	Depictions of deaths, injuries, and other violent acts that are likely to shock, upset, or offend	Imagery of fatal incidents Imagery of dismembered or mutilated bodies Imagery of animal cruelty
Nudity and Sexual Activity	Depicting, soliciting, or offering non-commercial sex acts or adult nudity	Pornography Art depicting explicit sex acts

User Safety

Policy	Description	Examples
Suicide and Self Harm	Content in which a person is harming or threatening to harm themselves or enabling / encouraging others to do so	Users expressing an intention to self harm Encouraging / suggesting self harm Providing instructions on how to self harm Graphic depiction of self inflicted injuries
Harassment and Bullying	Intimidating, degrading, or humiliating a specific individual or group of people	Hateful conduct & slurs directed at a particular person “Dogpiling,” where a group is organized to target a user with coordinated abuse Threats of blackmail or private information leaks  Publishing personally identifiable information (PII) in order to enable further abuse (e.g., doxxing)
Dangerous Misinformation and Endangerment	Content / behavior that might cause a user to unintentionally cause harm to themselves or others	Conspiracy theories that are likely to lead to violence False safety information False medical claims Dangerous challenges / dares

Scaled Abuse

Policy	Description	Examples
Spam	Unsolicited and unwanted content / messaging, particularly commercial advertising, generated at scale	Mass unsolicited messaging Auto-generated comments used for advertising
Malware	Links to malicious software that can negatively affect users	Viruses Spyware Ransomware
Inauthentic Behavior	Using fake accounts to deceive or manipulate users	Fake engagement (likes, views, followers) Coordinated disinformation campaigns

Deceptive & Fraudulent Behavior

Policy	Description	Examples
Fraud	Attempting to wrongfully or criminally deceive for financial benefit, or encouraging / supporting others to do so	Loan scams Pyramid schemes Fake charity solicitation Sale of stolen goods or information
Impersonation	Taking over the identity of another user or group	Hacked accounts Fake names Impersonating celebrities / politicians
Cybersecurity	Attempting to compromise accounts or other sensitive information	Learning login credentials via deception (phishing) Sharing / requesting login details
Intellectual Property	Using trademarks or copyright protected content without permission	Posting photos / videos belonging to others Links to illicit torrent / streaming websites
Defamation	Damaging the good reputation of others	The publication of false factual statements that put another in a negative light In some countries, this may also include the publication of unflattering information that is true but considered old / out of date

Community-Specific Rules

Policy	Description	Examples
Format	Rules on the form of content, often for clarity, organization, or technical limitations	Word limits Restrictions on links or shared files Insufficient details
Content Limitation	Rules on where and how certain topics can be discussed	Off topic content Restrictions on selling or advertising Spoilers Trigger warnings