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<h1>FixMyStreet Conditions of Use</h1>

<p>
Violation of any of the below rules is likely to lead to the immediate
suspension of your account so you will no longer be able to make reports or
updates on FixMyStreet. In some cases, breaking these rules could lead to legal
action being taken against you by the authorities or an aggrieved party. Please
be aware that in exceptional circumstances FixMyStreet could be legally obliged
to reveal your registration information and/or IP address to the authorities.
</p>

<p>Keep your reports and updates civil, tasteful and relevant. Please:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>No defamatory comments.</strong> A defamatory comment is one that
is capable of damaging the reputation of a person or organisation. If
successfully sued you could be held liable for considerable damages and costs.

<li><strong>Do not implicate other people in your reports.</strong> FMS should
not be used for reports that implicate a person; you should never identify
anyone as a wrongdoer by name, description or address. Reports about
anti-social behaviour, animal cruelty, parking offences, criminal activity etc
should not be reported on FixMyStreet - you’ll often find that your council has
a hotline for these types of issues, or it may be better to report them
directly to the police.</li>

<li><strong>Do not post messages that are</strong> unlawful, harassing,
defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented,
homophobic or racially offensive.</li>

<li><strong>Do not impersonate other people.</strong> Reports or comments
deliberately intended to look as though they are coming from someone else may
leave you liable to defamation law.</li>

<li><strong>Do not use the website as a place to air personal
grievances</strong> about other people or organisations.</li>

<li><strong>No swearing.</strong> People of all ages read and contribute to
FixMyStreet. Please don't use profanities or other words which might offend
them.</li>

<li><strong>No spamming or flooding.</strong> Don't repost the same message, or
very similar messages, more than once.</li>

<li><strong>Be aware that FixMyStreet reports and updates are displayed
publicly on the website.</strong> For this reason, please do not include
personal details such as your (or another person’s) address or telephone number
in your initial report - these can be provided when the council get in touch
with you. This is for your own safety and that of everyone who uses this
service. All reports and updates can be made anonymously by unticking the
‘Display my name publicly’ box.</li>

<li><strong>Talk to other people online with the same degree of civility as you
would offline.</strong> FixMyStreet does allow for anonymous commenting but
anonymity should never be used as a cover for inappropriate or abusive
comments.</li>

</ul>

<p>As with all mySociety services and activities, users of FixMyStreet must abide by the organisation's <a href='https://www.mysociety.org/code-of-conduct/'>Code of Conduct</a>. This code applies to all activity related to the service, including correspondence with mySociety staff.</p>

<p>Where a user sends a message that is intended to harass, threaten, abuse or distress a member of mySociety staff, we will, at our discretion, cease communication. We may also ban the correspondent from future use of the site.</p>

<p>Where a message is of particular concern, we will forward details of the correspondence to the police.</p>

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