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Acceptable Use Policy

Effective date: March 8, 2026

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") outlines the rules and guidelines for using The Souq. It exists to ensure a safe, respectful, and trustworthy environment for our community.

2. Content Standards

All content posted on The Souq must be:

  • Accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge
  • Relevant to the listing, event, or discussion topic
  • Respectful of other users, businesses, and communities
  • Original or properly attributed if referencing other sources

3. Prohibited Content

You must not post content that:

  • Contains hate speech, threats, or harassment
  • Is sexually explicit, violent, or graphic
  • Promotes illegal activities or substances
  • Contains spam, scams, or phishing attempts
  • Infringes on intellectual property or privacy rights
  • Impersonates another person, business, or organization
  • Contains malware, viruses, or malicious code
  • Includes false claims about halal certification or business credentials

4. Listing Integrity

When submitting or managing listings, you must:

  • Provide accurate business information (name, address, hours)
  • Only claim listings for businesses you own or are authorized to represent
  • Not create fake or duplicate listings to manipulate rankings
  • Not post fake reviews or votes to inflate or deflate scores
  • Update listings promptly when information changes (closures, new hours, etc.)

5. Community Conduct

When interacting with others on The Souq, you must:

  • Treat all users with respect, even in disagreement
  • Not engage in personal attacks, doxxing, or brigading
  • Not use the platform to settle personal disputes with businesses
  • Report content that violates this policy using the flag feature

6. Automated Access

You must not:

  • Use bots, scrapers, or automated tools to access the Service at scale
  • Attempt to circumvent rate limiting or security measures
  • Use the Service to build competing products without written permission

7. Enforcement

Violations of this AUP may result in:

  • Content removal
  • Temporary or permanent account suspension
  • Removal of listing ownership or claim status
  • Reporting to law enforcement where appropriate

We review flagged content and apply enforcement actions at our discretion. Our moderation team strives to be fair and consistent, but decisions are final.

8. Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that violates this policy, use the "Report an issue" button on any listing or comment, or contact us at abuse@yemmalabs.com.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this AUP from time to time. Material changes will be posted with a new effective date. Continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.