Community Guidelines

1. Prohibited Content and Behavior

1.1 Violence and Extremist Activity

Tern prohibits content that threatens, promotes, glorifies, or facilitates violence, extremist activity, or criminal conduct (collectively, "Prohibited Violent Content"). This includes content that could reasonably be interpreted as threatening physical harm, inciting violence, or coordinating illegal activities. We take all threats seriously and maintain a zero-tolerance policy. When we identify credible threats, we immediately suspend the offending account (the "Account"), preserve evidence, and report the matter to law enforcement. We may also notify potential victims when we believe there is imminent risk of harm.

Extremist content, including propaganda promoting terrorist organizations, recruitment materials, or content that glorifies violent extremism, is strictly prohibited. This extends to content that supports or celebrates violent extremist actors, attacks, or ideologies. We recognize that discussing extremism for educational or news purposes differs from promoting it, and we consider this context in our enforcement decisions.

Content depicting violence may be permitted in limited circumstances for educational or documentary purposes with appropriate warnings. Gratuitous or sensationalized violent content will be removed. Self-harm and suicide-related content that encourages or glorifies such acts is prohibited, though we permit discussion of mental health topics and support resources.

Prohibited content includes (but is not limited to):

• Threats of violence against any person or group
• Promotion or coordination of criminal activity
• Support for terrorist or violent extremist organizations
• Content depicting graphic violence or harm to people or animals
• Instructions for making weapons or explosives
• Content that glorifies or encourages self-harm or suicide

1.2 Harassment and Abuse

We do not tolerate behavior designed to intimidate, degrade, or silence others (collectively, "Harassment"). Harassment creates a hostile environment and violates the trust essential to effective customer-business relationships. Our prohibition applies to all forms of abusive behavior, whether directed at individuals or groups, and whether conducted by a single user (a "User" or "Users") or coordinated among multiple accounts.

Harassment is assessed based on the totality of circumstances, including the nature and severity of conduct, its repetitive nature, the relationship between parties, and the impact on the target. A single instance of severe abuse may constitute harassment, while patterns of less severe behavior that collectively create a hostile environment are also prohibited. Business disputes may involve strong disagreement, but must be expressed respectfully.

Sexual harassment has no place on our platform. This includes unwanted sexual attention, requests for sexual favors, sexually suggestive comments, and attempts to leverage business relationships for sexual purposes. Businesses that engage in sexual harassment will lose platform access permanently.

Prohibited conduct includes (but is not limited to):

• Targeted harassment, bullying, or intimidation
• Unwanted sexual advances or content
• Stalking or unwanted repeated contact
• Doxxing or sharing private information without consent
• Coordinated harassment campaigns

1.3 Hate Speech and Discrimination

Content that attacks, threatens, or dehumanizes people based on protected characteristics (collectively, "Hate Speech") has no place on our platform. We maintain an inclusive environment where all users feel safe regardless of their identity. Hate speech undermines the dignity of targeted individuals and groups, creates barriers to equal participation, and is incompatible with business communication.

Our prohibition extends beyond explicit slurs to include coded language, dog whistles, imagery, and symbols associated with hate movements (collectively, "Hate Symbols"). We continuously update our enforcement to address evolving tactics. Context matters, and we distinguish between educational discussion of hate speech and its actual use to attack or dehumanize.

Protected characteristics include (but are not limited to) race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, caste, disability, disease, age, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and other immutable or fundamental aspects of identity (collectively, "Protected Characteristics"). Attacks on these characteristics, whether through stereotypes, generalizations, calls for exclusion, or expressions of hatred, violate these guidelines.

Prohibited content includes:

• Content attacking people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, disease, age, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity
• Promotion of hate groups or their ideologies
• Use of slurs or dehumanizing language
• Symbols or imagery associated with hate groups

1.4 Sexual Content

Sexual content is inappropriate and prohibited on our platform. This reflects our commitment to protecting users from exploitation and unwanted sexual material. Sexual content has no legitimate purpose in customer-business communication and creates a hostile environment for those who encounter it.

We have zero tolerance for any content involving minors in a sexual context. Such material constitutes child sexual abuse material under federal law. Upon discovery, we immediately suspend the account, preserve evidence, report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations.

Non-consensual intimate imagery is a form of sexual abuse and harassment. We prohibit sharing intimate images without consent from all depicted individuals, regardless of whether the person sharing the images created them or obtained them lawfully. Victims can report such content for expedited removal.

Prohibited content includes:

• Pornographic or sexually explicit content
• Content involving minors in any sexual context
• Non-consensual intimate images
• Sexual solicitation or exploitation

1.5 Fraud and Deception

Authentic identity and honest communication are fundamental to trust on our platform. Users must represent themselves truthfully and may not engage in deceptive practices. This protects users from fraud, impersonation, and manipulation.

Impersonation is strictly prohibited, whether targeting another user, business, public figure, or entity. This includes creating accounts that falsely appear associated with established businesses, using misleading names or profile information, and falsely claiming authority or credentials. Parody accounts must be clearly labeled and not engage in deceptive practices.

Prohibited activities:

• Impersonating other users, businesses, or public figures
• Misleading information intended to deceive
• Fake accounts or coordinated inauthentic behavior

1.6 Spam and Platform Abuse

Spam degrades the user experience and wastes resources. Our platform is designed to facilitate meaningful conversations between businesses and their customers, not to serve as a channel for unsolicited advertising or bulk messaging (collectively, "Spam").

We define spam broadly to include unsolicited bulk communication, repetitive messages, and content posted primarily to drive traffic to external sites (collectively, "Bulk Messaging"). This includes advertising products or services to users who have not requested such information, sending the same or substantially similar messages to multiple users, and using deceptive tactics to gain attention or inflate engagement metrics.

Artificial manipulation of platform features violates the integrity of our systems. This includes using fake accounts, bots, or automated systems to inflate metrics such as message volume, response rates, or engagement statistics. Such manipulation prevents users from making informed decisions and creates unfair advantages.

Technical abuse, including attempts to circumvent security measures, exploit vulnerabilities, or use automated systems in ways that violate our policies, is strictly prohibited. This includes automated scraping, unauthorized API access, attempts to overload our systems, and distribution of malware or malicious code.

Prohibited activities include (but are not limited to):

• Unsolicited bulk messages or advertisements
• Artificially inflating engagement or metrics
• Malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Attempts to circumvent security measures
• Excessive automated activity or bot usage

1.7 Illegal Content

Content that violates applicable laws is prohibited. Users are responsible for ensuring their use of Tern complies with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws, including those governing commerce, communications, privacy, and consumer protection.

We comply with valid legal process, including subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants. When we receive legal process requesting user information, we review it for legal sufficiency and may object if we believe it is overly broad. We notify users when legally permitted to do so. We preserve evidence when we have reason to believe illegal activity has occurred.

The sale or promotion of illegal drugs, controlled substances, or related paraphernalia is strictly prohibited. This extends to prescription drugs sold without valid prescriptions. We report apparent drug trafficking to appropriate authorities.

Prohibited activities:

• Content that violates local, state, or federal laws
• Sale or promotion of illegal drugs or substances

2. Expected Conduct

Beyond avoiding prohibited conduct, users are expected to actively contribute to a positive environment. These expectations apply to all interactions on Tern, whether you are a business representative or a customer. Good faith communication and mutual respect are essential to productive business relationships.

Conduct means treating others with dignity and respect, even during disagreements or disputes. Business relationships often involve conflict, but such conflicts should be addressed constructively rather than through personal attacks or insults. Users should focus on addressing issues rather than attacking individuals, and seek to resolve disputes through good faith communication.

Honesty and transparency build trust and are fundamental to effective business communication. Users should represent themselves, their businesses, and their intentions truthfully. This includes being clear about affiliations, conflicts of interest, and the nature of business relationships. Transparency also means being forthright about policies, terms, and expectations.

Users have a shared responsibility to maintain the integrity of our community. This includes reporting violations when encountered, cooperating with investigations, and providing honest information to platform administrators. Users who witness serious violations, such as threats of violence or child exploitation, should report them immediately.

All users must:

• Treat others with respect and professionalism
• Communicate honestly and transparently
• Protect the privacy of others
• Use Tern only for its intended business communication purposes
• Report violations of these guidelines when encountered
• Respond to business communications in good faith

3. Privacy and Data Protection

Privacy is fundamental to our platform and to the trust that enables effective business communication. Users entrust us and each other with sensitive business and personal information, including financial details, purchase history, personal preferences, and private conversations. This trust must not be violated. The confidentiality of communications is essential to honest dialogue between customers and businesses, and users who violate this trust undermine the integrity of the entire platform.

Users may not use information obtained through Tern for purposes outside of legitimate business communication. This means that conversations, contact information, and other data obtained through platform interactions may not be repurposed for marketing to non-customers, sold to third parties, used for non-business purposes, or otherwise exploited in ways that exceed the reasonable expectations of the parties involved. Users who joined a conversation expecting a limited business interaction should not find themselves added to marketing lists or targeted with unrelated solicitations.

Unauthorized access to accounts or data belonging to others is a serious violation that may constitute a crime under federal and state computer fraud laws. This includes guessing passwords, exploiting security vulnerabilities, using stolen credentials, or accessing accounts without permission. It also includes tricking users into providing access through social engineering. Even accessing an account that was negligently left accessible, such as an unlocked device, may violate this prohibition if done without proper authorization.

Data harvesting, scraping, and other forms of bulk data collection violate both our Terms of Service and these Platform Guidelines. Our platform is designed for individual business communications, not mass data collection. Automated collection of user information, whether through bots, scrapers, or other tools, is prohibited. This includes collecting information displayed in profiles, extracting message content, building databases of users, or otherwise aggregating platform data for purposes other than individual business communications.

Sharing of conversations requires consent from all parties involved. This principle is grounded in both legal requirements in many jurisdictions and ethical obligations of confidentiality. Screenshots, transcripts, or summaries of conversations may not be shared publicly or with third parties without consent, except as required by law or legal process. This protection enables honest communication by ensuring that statements made in private business communications will not be taken out of context and shared inappropriately.

Users must:

• Not share conversations without consent from all parties
• Not collect or harvest user data without permission
• Not use information obtained through Tern for purposes outside Tern
• Respect the confidentiality of business communications
• Not attempt to access accounts or data belonging to others

4. Enforcement

4.1 Violations

We enforce these guidelines through a combination of automated systems and human review (collectively, "Enforcement Measures"). The severity of enforcement action depends on the nature and frequency of violations, as well as any previous history of non-compliance. We reserve the right to take immediate action without prior warning for serious violations that pose safety risks or violate laws.

Enforcement actions may include (but are not limited to):

• Content removal
• Warning notifications
• Temporary account restrictions
• Permanent account suspension

4.2 Appeals

Users have the right to appeal enforcement decisions. Appeals must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the enforcement action. To appeal, contact our support team at [email protected] with your account information and a detailed explanation of why you believe the decision should be reversed. Include any relevant evidence or context that was not previously considered.

Appeals are reviewed by a different team member than the one who made the original decision. We aim to respond to appeals within five (5) business days. Appeal decisions are final. Repeated frivolous appeals may result in loss of appeal privileges.

4.3 Reporting Violations

Users are encouraged to report violations of these guidelines. Reports can be submitted through the in-app reporting tool or by emailing [email protected]. All reports are treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law. We do not tolerate retaliation against users who make good faith reports of violations.

When submitting a report, include as much detail as possible, including:

• The username or account identifier of the violating party
• The date and time of the violation
• A description of the violating content or behavior
• Screenshots or other evidence, if available
• Any relevant context that may assist in our review

We review all reports and take action within 24-48 hours for most cases. Reports involving imminent safety threats are prioritized and addressed immediately. False reports made in bad faith may result in enforcement action against the reporting party.

5. Changes to These Guidelines

Tern Platforms reserves the right to modify these Platform Guidelines at any time. We will provide notice of material changes through Tern, via email, or by posting a notice on our website at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect, except where immediate changes are necessary to address legal, safety, or security concerns.

Your continued use of Tern after the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated guidelines. If you do not agree to the modified guidelines, you must discontinue use of Tern. We maintain an archive of previous versions of these guidelines, which can be requested by contacting [email protected].