Content Abuse Policy

Appbox promotes a high level of responsible behavior in connection with the use of its services and respects the rights of others, requiring that users of Appbox services do the same. To ensure that rights holders can effectively enforce their rights, and also to ensure that any misuse of Appbox services is remedied, Appbox has adopted an abuse and illegal content handling policy.

UK Legal Compliance

As a UK-based hosting provider, Appbox complies with all applicable UK legislation regarding content moderation and abuse reporting, including but not limited to:

• Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
• Defamation Act 2013
• Computer Misuse Act 1990
• Digital Economy Act 2017
• Online Safety Act 2023
• Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019

We are committed to promptly addressing reports of illegal content and cooperating with UK authorities when legally required to do so.

Understanding Abuse Reports

Appbox is not able to completely monitor the manner in which its services are used by a customer or an end user. If you have identified that Appbox services are used in violation of the Appbox Policies or any applicable law, or if you believe that your content has been used in a manner that infringes upon your rights, you can send an abuse or illegal content notification to Appbox.

The Appbox Compliance department acts promptly on all notifications it receives. All notifications are evaluated by Appbox's automatic Abuse Prevention Tool, which is active 24/7 and handles notifications throughout the year.

Priority Response for Serious Illegal Content

In accordance with UK law, we prioritize reports involving:

1. Child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
2. Terrorist content
3. Content that poses an imminent threat to public safety

These reports will be handled with urgency and, where appropriate, reported to relevant UK authorities such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) or Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU).

Reporting Requirements and Process

Please follow these requirements when submitting any notification about content hosted and/or transmitted by Appbox. Proper compliance with these guidelines is essential for prompt processing.

General Requirements for All Abuse Reports

• Submit notifications in plain text format
• Use English language only
• Send the abuse notification to the designated address: abusebox (at) appbox (dot) co
• Do not send notifications from a NO-REPLY email address
• Include your full name, address, telephone number, and email address
• Reference a static URL where the reported content is located (this URL should resolve to an IP address assigned to Appbox)
• Include only one IP address per notification
• Only include URLs or domains for which you are seeking resolution
• Provide a detailed description of the content you're reporting and explain why it violates applicable law
• Include one of the following keywords in your subject line: [Child abuse] [Live streaming] [Copyright] [Trademark] [VoIP/SIP] [Phishing] [DDoS] [Spam] [Hack] [Malware] [Gambling] [Zoophilia] [Defamation] [Personal data] [Photos of persons]

Additional Requirements for Copyright Infringement Reports

If you are a copyright owner submitting a DMCA complaint, you must also include:

1. Specific identification of the copyrighted content claimed to be infringed, including URLs and detailed information about your claim
2. A statement of good faith belief, specifically: "I hereby state that I have a good faith belief that the disputed use of the copyrighted material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law (e.g., as a fair use)."
3. A statement under penalty of perjury: "I hereby state that the information in this notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that I am the owner, or authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or of an exclusive right under the copyright that is allegedly infringed."
4. Your legal name and digital signature

Special Requirements for Other Report Types

• Trademark Infringement: Include registration details, including registration number
• Hacking, Scanning, DDoS, or Malware Reports: Provide a description of the activities, including date, timestamp, IP addresses involved, port information, and relevant log files

After submitting a notification, you will receive an email with a link to the Appbox Abuse Prevention Tool. This tool provides an interface for both the notifier and the Appbox customer to track the status of a notification and communicate directly with our Compliance department.

Abuse Notification Review Process

When we receive an abuse or illegal content notification, the following process is implemented:

Initial Submission

1. The complainant sends the abuse notification to our monitored email address: abusebox (at) appbox (dot) co
2. For more efficient processing, we recommend complainants follow the standard XML structure for abuse notifications (details available upon request)

Automated Processing

1. Our automated system attempts to extract abuse details from the notification
2. The system looks for specific information such as file names, IP addresses, and port numbers

Content Verification & Action

1. If specific details are successfully extracted, the system searches for the infringing content on our physical storage
2. When identified content is found:
   • The data is immediately moved to quarantine and is no longer accessible to the user
   • The content remains in quarantine for 7 days before permanent deletion
   • If the customer accepts the notification, the data is deleted immediately without waiting for the 7-day period

Communication Process

1. The complainant receives automatic updates at each stage via email
2. Additional status information is available through our abuse notification web portal
3. Both the complainant and the customer can contact us at any time through the abuse system

Special Case Handling

1. If the specified content cannot be found on our systems, the complaint will be closed automatically with an appropriate notification
2. If our automated system cannot extract specific details (file name, IP, port number, etc.), the notification is flagged for manual review
3. A member of our compliance team will personally examine and address manually flagged notifications

This process ensures efficient handling of abuse notifications while maintaining fairness to all parties involved.

Client Counter-Notice

If a client believes they have appropriate rights to the reported content, they can legally dispute the report against the complainant directly but must inform us first with sufficient information. In this legal matter, Appbox will not act as an intermediary.

Termination Policy for Repeat Infringers

Appbox reserves the right to terminate the service of any client determined to be a "Repeat Infringer" or who has not removed reported content after the specified period. Appbox maintains sole discretion to define the criteria for determining when a user is a "repeat infringer."

A period of 24 hours will be provided before termination so the client can backup any data present on their Appbox service.

Disclaimer

With this Content Abuse Policy, both complainants and our clients agree that Appbox is not liable for any legal actions against any client's content on its services. Appbox acts as a common carrier only, as explained in its Terms of Service.