F8. User notification about content and account restriction

The company should clearly disclose that it notifies users when it restricts content or accounts.

Elements:

1. If the company hosts user-generated content, does the company clearly disclose that it notifies users who generated the content when it is restricted?
2. Does the company clearly disclose that it notifies users who attempt to access content that has been restricted?
3. In its notification, does the company clearly disclose a reason for the content restriction (legal or otherwise)?
4. Does the company clearly disclose that it notifies users when it restricts their account?

Clearly disclose(s) – The company presents or explains its policies or practices in its public-facing materials in a way that is easy for users to find and understand.

Notify – The company communicates with users or informs users about something related to the company or service.

Users – Individuals who use a product or service. This includes people who post or transmit the content online as well as those who try to access or receive the content. For indicators in the freedom of expression category, this includes third-party developers who create apps that are housed or distributed through a company’s product or service.

Content – The information contained in wire, oral, or electronic communications (e.g., a conversation that takes place over the phone or face-to-face; the text written and transmitted in an SMS or email; photos, links, or text posted on social media).

Content restriction – An action the company takes that renders an instance of user-generated content invisible or less visible on the platform or service. This action could involve removing the content entirely or take a less absolute form, such as as hiding it from only certain users (e.g., inhabitants of some country or people under a certain age), limiting users’ ability to interact with it (e.g., making it impossible to “like”), adding counterspeech to it (e.g., corrective information on anti-vaccine posts), or reducing the amount of amplification provided by the platform’s curation systems. For telecommunication companies, this can involve blocking websites or URLs.

Account / user account – A collection of data associated with a particular user of a given computer system, service, or platform. At a minimum, the user account comprises a username and password, which are used to authenticate the user’s access to his/her data.

Account restriction – The company limits, suspends, deactivates, deletes, or removes a specific user account or permissions on a user’s account.

Indicator guidance: Indicator F3 examines company disclosure of restrictions on what users can post or do on a service. This indicator, F8, focuses on whether a company clearly discloses that it notifies users when it takes these types of actions (whether due to terms of service enforcement or third-party restriction requests). A company’s decision to restrict or remove access to content or accounts can have a significant impact on users’ freedom of expression and access to information rights. We therefore expect a company to disclose that they notify users when they have removed content, restricted a user’s account, or otherwise restricted users’ abilities to access a service. If a digital platform company removes content that a user has posted, we expect the company to inform that user about its decision. If a different user attempts to access content that the company has restricted, we expect the company to notify that user about the content restriction. Likewise, we expect telecommunications companies to notify users attempting to access websites or URLs it blocked access to. We also expect companies to specify reasons for their decisions. This disclosure should be part of companies’ explanations of their content and access restriction practices.

• Company terms of service agreement, 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.)
• Company human rights policy