Community and Safety.

1. The standard we expect

Hubly is being designed so people can build communities without exposing others to unlawful conduct, exploitation or serious harm. Context, intent, likely impact, age and public interest all matter. Some content may be restricted, labelled or made less visible even where it is not removed.

These rules apply to proposed Hub names, handles, profile or verification material, enquiries, reports and, once launched, posts, messages, streams, listings, links, images, audio and other user content.

2. Illegal activity and serious harm

Do not use Hubly to commit, facilitate, praise or meaningfully assist illegal conduct. Prohibited material includes:

• terrorist content, violent threats, instructions intended to enable serious violence or credible incitement;
• child sexual abuse material, grooming, sexual exploitation or any sexualised content involving a child;
• non-consensual intimate images, threats to share them, sexual extortion or voyeuristic material;
• human trafficking, organised exploitation, illegal drug or weapons sales, or criminal services;
• fraud, scams, phishing, identity theft, malicious impersonation, malware or unauthorised access;
• content intended to encourage suicide or serious self-harm, including targeted encouragement or instructions; and
• other content that Hubly reasonably believes is illegal in the relevant context.

We may preserve relevant evidence and report a matter to a competent authority where required or reasonably necessary to protect life, prevent serious harm or comply with law.

3. Abuse, hate and harassment

Do not target people with threats, sustained harassment, stalking, humiliation, sexual harassment or the malicious publication of private information. We do not allow attacks or exclusion that promote hatred or dehumanisation based on protected characteristics such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability or serious illness.

Good-faith debate, criticism, counterspeech, documentary material and discussion of hateful conduct may be allowed when the context is clear and the content does not itself encourage harm. A community's own rules may be more restrictive than Hubly's baseline, but never less protective of illegal content and serious harm.

4. Protecting children

Child safety takes priority. Never sexualise a child, seek sexual contact, solicit intimate material, manipulate a child into secrecy, facilitate exploitation or share content that identifies a child in a way that creates a foreseeable safety risk.

Adults must not attempt to bypass planned age controls or enter child-only spaces. Content suitable for adults may need an age restriction even if lawful. More information is in Young People and Families.

5. Authenticity, privacy and security

Do not deceive people about identity or authority, create coordinated fake engagement, manipulate platform metrics, disclose private information without a lawful basis or interfere with security. Parody, fan and commentary communities should be clearly labelled where confusion is likely.

Hub names and official claims must also follow the Hub Name Reservation and Claims Policy. A verification badge does not excuse rule-breaking.

6. Goods, promotions and higher-risk content

Before marketplace or advertising tools launch, Hubly will publish detailed commercial rules. As a baseline, users must not offer prohibited or unsafe goods, run deceptive promotions, hide material commercial relationships or make unlawful claims about health, finance, employment or regulated services.

Content involving alcohol, gambling, adult products or other age-restricted subjects must use any required age and visibility controls. Planned rewards, HubPoints and earnings features are subject to separate programme rules and are not cash or a guaranteed source of income unless expressly stated.

7. Reporting a concern

Until in-product reporting is available, email [email protected] with “Safety report” in the subject line. Include:

• the name, handle, page, URL or material concerned;
• what happened and why you believe it breaks a rule or the law;
• the date and any relevant context;
• screenshots or other evidence where safe and lawful to provide; and
• how we can contact you, unless you have a safety reason not to be identified.

Do not download, copy or email child sexual abuse material or other illegal imagery. Preserve the URL or account details and report through the appropriate official channel. In the UK, suspected child sexual abuse images can be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation.

Emergency: Hubly is not an emergency service. If someone faces immediate danger, contact the police or emergency services. In the UK, call 999 or 112. If you are worried about suicide or self-harm, contact an emergency service or a qualified crisis-support service in your country.

8. How reports are assessed

We prioritise credible risk to children, threats to life, serious illegal harm and time-sensitive security incidents. We may ask for information, review the relevant context, compare the material with these rules and consult a specialist or authority when appropriate.

Possible actions include no action, a warning, a name change, visibility or age restriction, removal, feature restriction, suspension, verification removal, preservation of evidence, account action after launch or referral to an authority. The response will aim to be proportionate to severity, intent, reach, history and likelihood of further harm.

We will acknowledge and handle reports as soon as reasonably practicable, but do not promise a fixed response time on this pre-launch website. We may not be able to disclose details about another person, confidential evidence, security methods or an active investigation.

9. Complaints and appeals

You may complain about how we handled a report or appeal a material decision affecting your own request. Email [email protected] with “Safety complaint” or “Appeal” in the subject line, identify the decision and explain the requested outcome.

Where reasonably practicable, a reviewer who was not responsible for the original decision will consider an appeal. Repeated submissions without relevant new information may be closed. We will explain the outcome where possible. Internal review does not remove any right to contact a regulator, law-enforcement body or court.

10. Intellectual property notices

If you believe a Hub name or submitted material infringes copyright, trade mark or another intellectual property right, email [email protected] with “Intellectual property notice” in the subject line and provide:

• your name, contact details and authority to act;
• a clear description of the protected work or right, including registration details where relevant;
• the exact Hub name, URL or material complained of;
• an explanation of the alleged infringement and the territory concerned;
• the action you request;
• a good-faith statement that the disputed use is not authorised by the rights holder, its agent or the law; and
• a statement that the notice is accurate.

We may request evidence, share the substance of the notice with the affected person and allow a response. A person disputing a notice should identify the material, explain the basis for permitted use or ownership and provide accurate contact details. Hubly may restore or retain material where the claim is withdrawn, unsupported or successfully challenged.

Knowingly false or abusive notices may cause harm and may carry legal consequences. Hubly does not decide complex ownership disputes that properly require a court. Name disputes are also governed by the Hub Name Policy.

11. Development and transparency

Before user content launches, Hubly will expand these rules with product-specific reporting instructions, age-assurance information, recommender and moderation controls, and any transparency information required for the service. We will maintain appropriate risk, decision and complaints records.