Community Guidelines and Acceptable Use Policy

The conduct and Content standards every SYNC User must follow.

3.1 Purpose and scope

These Guidelines apply to every Account, message, file, profile, reaction, group, channel, broadcast, call, report and interaction on SYNC, whether private, encrypted, temporary or public by feature design. They protect Users, RABC, the public and the lawful operation of the Services.

3.2 Lawful rights in Content

Do not share Content belonging to another person unless you have the right or permission to do so. Do not disclose confidential, medical, financial, employment, identity or private communications without lawful authority. Do not use another person’s image, voice, name, signature or data in a way that infringes privacy, confidentiality or personality rights.

Examples include forwarding another person’s private messages or screenshots without authority; publishing identity, school, employment, medical or financial records; distributing confidential business documents; using another person’s image, voice or signature deceptively; or uploading copyrighted books, films, music, applications or training material without permission. Public availability elsewhere does not automatically create a right to redistribute the material through SYNC.

3.3 Child sexual exploitation

Child sexual abuse material, child pornography, grooming, sexual solicitation of a child, sexualised depiction of a child, trafficking, coercion, sextortion and any attempt to obtain or distribute such material are strictly prohibited. This prohibition includes real, altered, computer-generated and synthetic depictions. RABC may immediately restrict access, preserve evidence and report suspected offences as required by law.

The prohibition applies even if material is described as a joke, meme, cartoon, fictional work, self-generated image, altered image or synthetic creation. It includes requesting intimate images from a child, sexual comments directed at a child, arranging sexual contact, moving a child to another service to avoid safeguards, facilitating trafficking, or encouraging self-harm, exploitation or dangerous activity involving a child.

3.4 Non-consensual intimate content

Do not create, threaten to create, share, request, forward or store for distribution an intimate image, sexual recording, morphed image, upskirt image or private-area depiction without the depicted person’s valid consent. Do not use intimate material to shame, extort, control or impersonate a person.

Examples include revenge pornography, sexual deepfakes, hidden-camera material, voyeuristic images, private sexual chats, threats to publish intimate Content and attempts to obtain money, employment, access or sexual favours through such threats. Consent to create or privately share material is not automatically consent to forward, publish, alter or use it for another purpose.

3.5 Sexual exploitation and trafficking

Do not use SYNC to procure, facilitate, advertise or coordinate sexual exploitation, trafficking, forced sexual activity, prostitution involving coercion or a child, or sexual services prohibited by law. Do not recruit, transport, harbour or control a person for exploitation.

3.6 Threats, violence and dangerous activity

Do not make credible threats, incite violence, coordinate an attack, glorify or facilitate terrorism, provide operational assistance for violent wrongdoing, procure weapons unlawfully or share instructions intended to cause serious harm. Good-faith reporting, journalism, education or prevention may be considered in context but does not authorise unlawful distribution.

3.7 Harassment, stalking and coercion

Do not harass, bully, stalk, repeatedly contact a person against their wishes, publish personal information to invite abuse, blackmail, extort, intimidate or organise coordinated harassment. Blocking, group removal and privacy settings must not be bypassed through another Account.

This includes gender-based insults, sexual slurs, rape threats, threats of image-based abuse, repeated contact after being asked to stop, creating Accounts to evade a block, using groups to shame a person, and coordinated harassment based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy or bodily privacy. Criticism does not authorise threats, stalking or targeted abuse.

3.8 Hateful and discriminatory abuse

Do not promote violence, dehumanisation or unlawful discrimination against a person or group based on religion, caste, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, disability, nationality or another protected characteristic. Discussion of public issues and criticism remain subject to law and must not become threats or incitement.

Examples include urging violence against a religious, caste, ethnic, racial, disability, sex or gender group; circulating doctored material intended to trigger communal violence; dehumanising slurs combined with calls for attack; or organising discrimination prohibited by law. Context, intent, likelihood of harm and lawful public-interest discussion may be considered during review.

3.9 Impersonation and deceptive identity

Do not impersonate another person, organisation, public authority or RABC; create a misleading Account intended to deceive; falsely claim verification or affiliation; or mislead a recipient about the origin of a communication. Satire or fan activity must be clearly identified and must not facilitate fraud or harm.

3.10 Fraud and financial abuse

Do not conduct phishing, advance-fee fraud, investment fraud, identity theft, payment diversion, counterfeit sales, money laundering, unlawful lending, credential theft or deceptive commercial schemes. Do not request OTPs, passwords, private keys or payment credentials through false pretences.

This prohibition includes illegal betting, unlawful gambling, money-laundering coordination, mule Accounts, unauthorised investment or lending schemes, fraudulent jobs, fake customer support, payment-redirection fraud and channels used to collect money for unlawful activity. Do not use a false emergency, romance, employment, government or business identity to obtain money or credentials.

3.11 Misinformation and manipulated media

Do not knowingly and intentionally communicate information that is patently false, untrue or misleading in a manner prohibited by law, or use manipulated media to defraud, impersonate, incite or injure. Do not remove context or provenance for the purpose of making a false event appear real.

Examples include fabricated court or government orders, fake emergency or disaster warnings likely to cause harm, edited material falsely attributed to a public official, false medical or safety claims intended to injure, and manipulated audio or video used to incite violence or defraud. RABC will consider context and Applicable Law and does not claim a general power to decide every disputed opinion or prediction.

3.12 Synthetic information

Do not create, generate, alter, upload, transmit or share unlawful synthetically generated information. Lawful synthetic information must carry any prominent label, audio disclosure, unique identifier and provenance metadata required by law. You must not remove, suppress or conceal such a marker. Ordinary good-faith compression, noise reduction, translation, accessibility improvement or formatting that does not materially misrepresent substance is not treated as deceptive synthetic information merely because software was used.

3.13 Obscenity and harmful material

Do not distribute unlawful obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, vulgar, indecent or sexually explicit Content; material invasive of bodily privacy; or Content harmful to a child. Adult sexual material may remain prohibited even between adults where its creation, possession, transmission or display violates law or these Guidelines.

3.14 Malware and system abuse

Do not transmit malware, ransomware, spyware, harmful links or code; probe systems without authorisation; interfere with another device or Account; exploit vulnerabilities; defeat encryption or authentication; scrape Users; automate spam; manipulate delivery or reporting; or overload infrastructure.

Prohibited material includes credential stealers, phishing kits, ransomware, spyware, infected files, exploit code intended for unauthorised attack, malicious links and instructions used to compromise another Account or system. Good-faith security research requires prior written authorisation and must remain within the approved scope.

3.15 Spam and unwanted communication

Do not send bulk unsolicited messages, repetitive promotions, deceptive forwarding requests, chain messages, engagement manipulation or automated invitations. Do not add persons to groups or broadcasts in a manner that violates their reasonable expectations or law.

Creating multiple Accounts to evade restrictions, using SIM farms or scripts, harvesting phone numbers, emails or handles, mass-forwarding harmful rumours, running bot networks, manipulating reactions or abusing reports to silence lawful speech are prohibited forms of platform manipulation.

3.16 Intellectual property

Do not upload or distribute copyrighted works, trademarks, software, confidential material or trade secrets without authority. A rights holder should identify the protected work, location of the allegedly infringing material, basis of ownership and requested action in a grievance. False claims may attract action.

3.17 Illegal goods and regulated activity

Do not use SYNC to unlawfully sell or procure narcotics, weapons, counterfeit goods, stolen property, protected wildlife, forged documents or other prohibited items. Gambling, gaming, medicines, financial services and other regulated activity must not be offered unless lawful and properly authorised.

SYNC is not an online gaming intermediary unless RABC expressly launches and identifies such a service. Do not advertise, promote, distribute or facilitate an online game that causes user harm, an online game that is unlawful or not verified as permissible where verification is legally required, or a surrogate advertisement or referral scheme for a prohibited game, betting or wagering service.

The prohibition also covers illegal drugs, unlawful weapons or explosives, stolen property, counterfeit goods, forged identity documents, protected wildlife, illegal surveillance, trafficking, unlawful sexual services and medicines or financial products offered without required authority.

3.18 Civic integrity and public order

Do not use SYNC to obstruct elections unlawfully, threaten voters, incite offences, interfere with an investigation, threaten the sovereignty, integrity, defence or security of India, disturb public order unlawfully or harm friendly relations with foreign States. Lawful debate and criticism remain subject to Applicable Law.

3.19 Reporting and evidence

Report in good faith and provide only relevant evidence. Do not forward child sexual abuse material or intimate content merely to prove a complaint; use an in-product report where available or describe the location to the dedicated safety contact. Preserve original identifiers and timestamps where safe. Do not threaten a person with a report to obtain money, sex, access or silence.

Keep the original message, Account, group or media identifiers and relevant timestamps where it is safe to do so. Do not crop, alter or fabricate evidence in a manner that misrepresents context. A rights-holder complaint should identify the protected work, ownership basis, complained-of location and requested action. False intellectual-property or safety claims may themselves result in action.

3.20 Enforcement and appeal

RABC may use reports, lawful orders, account information, metadata, security signals and voluntarily submitted Content to enforce these Guidelines. Action may include warning, restriction, removal or disablement where technically and legally available, suspension, termination, evidence preservation and lawful reporting. Affected Users may challenge an action through grievance@rabcorp.co.in unless a different appeal route is stated.

Depending on severity and evidence, action may include a warning; labelling or limiting Content; limiting forwarding, invitations, broadcasts or messaging rate; removing or disabling Content under RABC’s control; restricting or terminating an Account; disabling a group, channel or feature; preserving evidence; notifying affected persons; reporting an offence where required; responding to lawful authorities; or initiating legal proceedings.

RABC may act immediately for child safety, non-consensual intimate material, impersonation, cyber security, evidence preservation, public order, imminent harm or a binding legal direction. An appeal may be unavailable or limited where the action is compelled by law, disclosure would endanger a person, or review would prejudice an investigation. Otherwise, the available grievance channel will be used for reconsideration and reinstatement requests.

3.21 Periodic reminder

At least once every three months, RABC will inform Users that breach can result in immediate suspension or termination, removal or disabling of unlawful information, legal penalty or punishment, and mandatory reporting of offences where law requires it. Continued use remains subject to the then-current accepted Pack.

The reminder will be provided in a simple and effective manner through SYNC or another appropriate registered channel. It may also remind Users that private-message encryption does not excuse unlawful conduct and that voluntarily reported Content may be reviewed. A reminder does not silently amend the Pack; a material legal change follows the separate versioning and acceptance process.

3.22 Relationship with law and context

These Guidelines are not an exhaustive catalogue of every unlawful act. Content or conduct that violates Applicable Law is prohibited even if it is not expressly listed. RABC may consider context, purpose, public interest, consent, severity, likelihood of harm, technical control and rights of affected persons, but no contextual claim authorises an offence, child exploitation, non-consensual intimate material, fraud or a binding legal violation.