F4. Reasons for account or service restriction

Does the company explain the circumstances under which it may restrict or deny users from accessing the service?

1. The company explains the reason(s) why it may restrict a user’s account.

2. The company explains why it may shut down or restrict service to a particular area or group of users (where applicable).

3. The company provides specific examples of situations that may trigger restriction or denial of service by the company.

Guidance: Indicator F3 examines company disclosure of restrictions on what users can post or do on a service, while this indicator looks at company disclosure of restrictions on a user’s ability to access a service. Companies can restrict access to a service by deleting a user’s account or by shutting down a service entirely. We expect companies to explain to their users the circumstances under which they might take such action.

Evaluation:** This indicator is scored using a checklist, meaning companies can only receive full credit if their disclosure meets all elements in the checklist. Element 2 is only applicable to telecommunications companies; Internet companies will receive a N/A (non-applicable) score for element 2. Internet companies must fulfill elements 1 and 3 to receive full credit for this indicator.

Potential sources:

  • Company Terms of Service, user contract, acceptable use policy, community standards, content guidelines, abusive behavior policy, or similar document that explains the rules users have to follow.
  • Company support, help center, or FAQ (e.g., questions around why is content removed, why is an account suspended, etc)

For more information, click here for a glossary of terms.

Overall Company Performance

Company Performance