Terms and conditions - My Life My Hereafter

Terms and conditions

Every day, people use My Life to portray their lives, connect with friends and family, and remember those who have gone before. We are a service for many people to freely express themselves across countries and cultures and in dozens of languages.

We recognise how important it is for My Life to be a place where people feel safe, and we take our role seriously in keeping abuse off our service. That’s why we’ve developed a set of Standards that outline what is and is not allowed on My Life. Our policies are based on feedback from our community and the advice of experts in fields such as technology, public safety and human rights. To ensure that everyone’s voice is valued, we take great care to craft policies that are inclusive of different views and beliefs, in particular those of people and communities that might otherwise be overlooked or marginalised.

Our commitment to expression is paramount, but we recognise that the Internet creates new and increased opportunities for abuse. For these reasons, when we limit expression, we do it in service of one or more the following values:

Authenticity: We want to make sure that the content people are seeing on My Life is authentic. We believe that authenticity creates a better environment for sharing, and that’s why we don’t want people using My Life to misrepresent who they are or what they’re doing.

Safety: We are committed to making My Life a safe place. Expression that threatens people has the potential to intimidate, exclude or silence others isn’t allowed on My Life.

Privacy: We are committed to protecting personal privacy and information. Privacy gives people the freedom to be themselves and to choose how and what to share on My Life and to connect more easily.

Dignity: We believe that all people are equal in dignity and rights. We expect that people will respect the dignity of others and not harass or degrade others.

Our Standards apply to everyone, all around the world, and to all types of content. They’re designed to be comprehensive – for example, content that might not be considered hateful may still be removed for violating a different policy. We recognise that words mean different things or affect people differently depending on their local community, language or background. We work hard to account for these nuances while also applying our policies consistently and fairly to people and their expression.

People can report potentially violating content, including profiles, individual content and comments. We also give people control over their own experience by allowing them to unfriend people.

The consequences for violating our Standards vary depending on the severity of the violation and the person’s history on the platform. For instance, we may warn someone for a first violation, but if they continue to violate our policies, we may restrict their ability to post on My Life or disable their profile. We may also notify law enforcement when we believe that there is a genuine risk of physical harm or a direct threat to public safety.

Our Standards are a guide for what is and isn’t allowed on My Life. It is in this spirit that we ask members of My Life to follow these guidelines.

Violence and criminal behaviour

We aim to prevent potential offline harm that may be related to content on My Life. While we understand that people commonly express disdain or disagreement by threatening or calling for violence in non-serious ways, we remove language that incites or facilitates serious violence. We remove content, disable accounts and work with law enforcement when we believe that there is a genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety. We also try to consider the language and context in order to distinguish casual statements from content that constitutes a credible threat to public or personal safety. In determining whether a threat is credible, we may also consider additional information such as a person’s public visibility and the risks to their physical safety.

In some cases, we see aspirational or conditional threats directed at terrorists and other violent actors (e.g. terrorists deserve to be killed), and we deem those as non-credible absent-specific evidence to the contrary.

2. Dangerous individuals and organisations

In an effort to prevent and disrupt real-world harm, we do not allow any organisations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence to have a presence on My Life. This includes organisations or individuals involved in the following:

Terrorist activity

Organised hate

Mass murder (including attempts) or multiple murder

Human trafficking

Organised violence or criminal activity

We also remove content that expresses support or praise for groups, leaders or individuals involved in these activities.

3. Promoting or publicising crime

We prohibit people from promoting or publicising violent crime, theft and/or fraud because we do not want to condone this activity and because there is a risk of copycat behaviour. We also do not allow people to depict criminal activity or admit to crimes that they or their associates have committed. We do, however, allow people to debate or advocate for the legality of criminal activities, as well as address them in a rhetorical or satirical way.

4. Coordinating harm

In an effort to prevent and disrupt real-world harm, we prohibit people from facilitating or coordinating future criminal activity that is intended or likely to cause harm to people, businesses or animals. People can draw attention to harmful activity that they may witness or experience as long as they do not advocate for or coordinate harm.

5. Violence and incitement

Do not post:

Threats that could lead to death (and other forms of high-severity violence) of any target(s), where threat is defined as any of the following:

Statements of intent to commit high-severity violence

Calls for high-severity violence, including content where no target is specified but a symbol represents the target and/or includes a visual of an armament to represent violence; or

Statements advocating for high-severity violence; or

Aspirational or conditional statements to commit high-severity violence

Content that asks or offers services for hire to kill others (for example, hitmen, mercenaries, assassins) or advocates for the use of a hitman, mercenary or assassin against a target.

Admissions, statements of intent or advocacy, calls to action or aspirational or conditional statements to kidnap a target.

Threats that lead to serious injury (mid-severity violence) towards private individuals, minor public figures, high-risk persons or high-risk groups where threat is defined as any of the following:

Statements of intent to commit violence

Statements advocating violence; or

Calls for mid-severity violence, including content where no target is specified but a symbol represents the target; or

Aspirational or conditional statements to commit violence; or

Content about other target(s) apart from private individuals, minor public figures, high-risk persons or high-risk groups and any credible:

Statements of intent to commit violence

Calls for action of violence

Statements advocating for violence

Aspirational or conditional statements to commit violence

Threats that lead to physical harm (or other forms of lower-severity violence) towards private individuals (self-reporting required) or minor public figures, where threat is defined as any of the following:

Private individuals (name and/or face match are required) or minor public figures that includes:

Statements of intent, calls for action, advocating, aspirational or conditional statements to commit low-severity violence

Imagery of private individuals or minor public figures that has been manipulated to include threats of violence either in text or pictorially (adding bullseye, dart, gun to head etc.)

Any content created for the express purpose of outing an individual as a member of a designated and recognisable at-risk group

Instructions on how to make or use weapons if there’s evidence of a goal to seriously injure or kill people, through:

Language explicitly stating that goal, or

Photos or videos that show or simulate the end result (serious injury or death) as part of the instruction

Unless the aforementioned content is shared as part of recreational self-defence, for military training purposes, commercial video games or news coverage (posted by Page or with news logo)

Providing instructions on how to make or use explosives:

Unless there is clear context that the content is for a non-violent purpose (for example, part of commercial video games, clear scientific/educational purpose, fireworks or specifically for fishing)

Misinformation that contributes to imminent violence or physical harm.

Calls to action, statements of intent to bring armaments to locations, including but not limited to places of worship, or encouraging others to do the same.

6. Dangerous individuals and organisations

Terrorist activity

Organised hate

Mass murder (including attempts) or multiple murder

Human trafficking

Organised violence or criminal activity

We also remove content that expresses support or praise for groups, leaders or individuals involved in these activities.

We do not allow the following people (living or deceased) or groups to maintain a presence (for example, have an account, Page or group) on our platform:

Terrorist organisations and terrorists, which include:

Any non-state actor that:

Engages in, advocates or lends substantial support to purposive and planned acts of violence,

Which causes or attempts to cause death, injury or serious harm to civilians, or any other person not taking direct part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, and/or significant damage to property linked to death, serious injury or serious harm to civilians

With the intent to coerce, intimidate and/or influence a civilian population, government or international organisation

In order to achieve a political, religious or ideological aim.

Hate organisations and their leaders and prominent members

A hate organisation is defined as:

Any association of three or more people that is organised under a name, sign or symbol and that has an ideology, statements or physical actions that attack individuals based on characteristics, including race, religious affiliation, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexual orientation, serious disease or disability.

Mass and multiple murderers (including attempts)

We consider a homicide to be a mass murder if it results in three or more deaths in one incident

We consider an attempted mass murder to be one where an individual uses a weapon or vehicle to attempt mass harm in a public space or against more than one person

We consider any individual who has committed two or more murders over multiple incidents or locations a multiple murderer

Human trafficking groups and their leaders

Human trafficking groups are organisations responsible for any of the following:

Prostitution of others, forced/bonded labour, slavery or the removal of organs

Recruiting, transporting, transferring, detaining, providing, harbouring or receiving a minor or an adult against their will

Criminal organisations and their leaders and prominent members

A criminal organisation is defined as:

Any association of three or more people that is united under a name, colour(s), hand gesture(s) or recognised indicia, that has engaged in or threatens to engage in criminal activity, including (but not limited to)

Homicide

Drug trafficking

Arms trafficking

Identity theft

Money laundering

Extortion or trafficking

Assault

Kidnapping

Sexual exploitation

We do not allow symbols that represent any of the above organisations or individuals to be shared on our platform without context that condemns or neutrally discusses the content.

We do not allow content that praises any of the above organisations or individuals or any acts committed by them.

We do not allow coordination of support for any of the above organisations or individuals or any acts committed by them.

7. Promoting or publicising crime

Do not post:

Content depicting, admitting or promoting the following criminal acts committed by you or your associates

Acts of physical harm committed against people

Acts of physical harm committed against animals except in cases of hunting, fishing, religious sacrifice or food preparation/processing

Poaching or selling endangered species or their parts

Staged animal vs animal fights

Theft

Vandalism or property damage

Fraud

Trafficking

Sexual violence or sexual exploitation, including sexual assault.

8. Coordinating harm

Do not post:

Statements of intent, calls to action or advocating for the following:

Acts of physical harm committed against people

Acts of physical harm committed against animals except in cases of hunting, fishing, religious sacrifice or food preparation/processing

Staged animal vs animal fights

Theft

Vandalism/property damage

Swatting

Fraud, defined as the deliberate deception to take advantage of another, secure an unfair gain or deprive another of money, property or legal right. Examples of fraud include, but are not limited to:

Bribery

Embezzlement

Money laundering (concealment of the origins of criminally obtained money)

Supporting and/or facilitating the misuse of payment cards

Voter fraud, defined as any offers to buy or sell votes with cash or gifts

Voter suppression, defined as:

Misrepresentation of the dates, locations and times as well as methods for voting or voter registration

Misrepresentation of who can vote, qualifications for voting, whether a vote will be counted and what information and/or materials must be provided in order to vote.

Any content containing statements of intent, calls for action or advocating for high or mid-severity violence due to voting, voter registration or the outcome of an election

Other misrepresentations related to voting in an official election may be subject to false news standards

Arranged marriages with refugees or internally displaced persons

Trafficking

Sexual violence or sexual exploitation, including sexual assault

Offers of services to smuggle or assist in smuggling people.

Content that depicts, promotes, advocates for or encourages participation in a high-risk viral challenge, including content with no caption or one that expresses a neutral sentiment.

9. Fraud and deception

In an effort to prevent and disrupt harmful or fraudulent activity, we remove content aimed at deliberately deceiving people to gain an unfair advantage or deprive another of money, property or legal right. However, we allow people to raise awareness and educate others as well as condemn these activities using our platform.

Do not post:

Content that engages in, promotes, encourages, facilitates or admits to the following activities:

Offering, solicitation and trade of:

Goods/property purchased with stolen financial information

Future exam papers or answer sheets where answers are not meant to be widely shared

Educational and professional certificates

Credentials for paid subscription services

Fake user reviews

Counterfeit currency

Offering or selling of personally identifiable information

Coordination or facilitation of fixed betting

Other forms of deception aimed at depriving people of money or property such as:

Confidence schemes, e.g. romance/military impersonation scams

Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes

Setting up false businesses or entities

Investment schemes with promise of high rates of return

Bribery

Embezzlement

Money laundering (concealment of the origins of criminally obtained money)

10. Suicide and self-injury

In an effort to promote a safe environment on My Life, we remove content that encourages suicide or self-injury, including certain graphic imagery and real-time depictions that experts tell us might lead others to engage in similar behaviour. Self-injury is defined as the intentional and direct injuring of the body, including self-mutilation and eating disorders. We want My Life to be a space where people can share their experiences, raise awareness about these issues and seek support from one another, which is why we allow people to discuss suicide and self-injury.

We work with organisations around the world to provide assistance for people in distress. We also talk to experts in suicide and self-injury to help inform our policies and enforcement. For example, we have been advised by experts that we should not remove live videos of self-injury while there is an opportunity for loved ones and authorities to provide help or resources.

In contrast, we remove any content that identifies and negatively targets victims or survivors of self-injury or suicide seriously, humorously or rhetoricall

11. Child nudity and sexual exploitation of children

We do not allow content that sexually exploits or endangers children. When we become aware of apparent child exploitation, we report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in compliance with applicable law. We know that sometimes, people share nude images of their own children with good intentions; however, we generally remove these images because of the potential for abuse by others and to help avoid the possibility of other people re-using or misappropriating the images.

12. Sexual exploitation of adults

We recognise the importance of My Life as a place to discuss and draw attention to sexual violence and exploitation. We believe that this is an important part of building common understanding and community. In an effort to create space for this conversation while promoting a safe environment, we remove content that depicts, threatens or promotes sexual violence, sexual assault or sexual exploitation, while also allowing space for victims to share their experiences. We remove content that displays, advocates for or coordinates sexual acts with non-consenting parties or commercial sexual services, such as prostitution and escort services. We do this to avoid facilitating transactions that may involve trafficking, coercion and non-consensual sexual acts.

To protect victims and survivors, we also remove images that depict incidents of sexual violence and intimate images shared without permission from the people pictured.

13. Bullying and harassment

Bullying and harassment happen in many places and come in many different forms, from making threats to releasing personally identifiable information, to sending threatening messages and making unwanted malicious contact. We do not tolerate this kind of behaviour because it prevents people from feeling safe and respected on My Life.

We distinguish between public figures and private individuals because we want to allow discussion, which often includes critical commentary of people who are featured in the news or who have a large public audience. For public figures, we remove attacks that are severe as well as certain attacks where the public figure is directly tagged in the post or comment. For private individuals, our protection goes further: we remove content that’s meant to degrade or shame, including, for example, claims about someone’s sexual activity. We recognise that bullying and harassment can have more of an emotional impact on minors, which is why our policies provide heightened protection for users between the ages of 13 and 18.

14. Privacy violations and image privacy rights

Privacy and the protection of personal information are fundamentally important values for My Life. We work hard to keep your account secure and safeguard your personal information in order to protect you from potential physical or financial harm. You should not post personal or confidential information about others without first getting their consent. We also provide people with ways to report imagery that they believe to be in violation of their privacy rights.

15. Hate speech

We do not allow hate speech on My Life because it creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion, and in some cases, may promote real-world violence.

We define hate speech as a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics – race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity and serious disease or disability. We also provide some protections for immigration status. We define “attack” as violent or dehumanising speech, statements of inferiority, or calls for exclusion or segregation. We separate attacks into three tiers of severity, as described below.

We allow humour and social commentary related to these topics. In addition, we believe that people are more responsible when they post this kind of commentary using their authentic identity.

16. Violence and graphic content

We remove content that glorifies violence or celebrates the suffering or humiliation of others because it may create an environment that discourages participation. We allow graphic content (with some limitations) to help people raise awareness about issues. We know that people value the ability to discuss important issues such as human rights abuses or acts of terrorism. We also know that people have different sensitivities with regard to graphic and violent content. For that reason, we add a warning label to especially graphic or violent content so that it is not available to people under the age of eighteen and so that people are aware of the graphic or violent nature before they click to see it.

17. Adult nudity and sexual activity

We restrict the display of nudity or sexual activity because some people in our community may be sensitive to this type of content. Additionally, we default to removing sexual imagery to prevent the sharing of non-consensual or underage content. Restrictions on the display of sexual activity also apply to digitally created content unless it is posted for educational, humorous or satirical purposes.

We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons. Where such intent is clear, we make allowances for the content. For example, while we restrict some images of female breasts that include the nipple, we allow other images, including those depicting acts of protest, women actively engaged in breastfeeding and photos of post-mastectomy scarring. We also allow photographs of paintings, sculptures and other art that depicts nude figures.

18. Misrepresentation

Authenticity is the cornerstone of our community. We believe that people are more accountable for their statements and actions when they use their authentic identities. That’s why we require people to connect on My Life using the name that they go by in everyday life. Our Authenticity Policies are intended to create a safe environment where people can trust and hold one another accountable.

19. Inauthentic behaviour

In line with our commitment to authenticity, we don’t allow people to misrepresent themselves on My Life, use fake accounts, artificially boost the popularity of content or engage in behaviours designed to enable other violations under our Community Standards. This policy is intended to create a space where people can trust the people and communities they interact with.

20. Intellectual property

My Life takes intellectual property rights seriously and believes that they are important to promoting expression, creativity and innovation in our community. You own all of the content and information that you post on My Life, and you control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. However, before sharing content on My Life, please make sure that you have the right to do so. We ask that you respect other people’s copyrights, trademarks and other legal rights. We are committed to helping people and organisations promote and protect their intellectual property rights. My Life’s Terms of Service do not allow people to post content that breaches someone else’s intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark.

21. Member requests

We comply with:

User requests for removal of their own account

Requests for removal of an incapacitated user’s account from an authorised representative

22. Additional protection of minors

We comply with:

Requests for removal of an underage account

Government requests for removal of child abuse imagery depicting, for example, beating by an adult or strangling or suffocating by an adult

Legal guardian requests for removal of attacks on unintentionally famous minors.