Community rules
We obviously value freedom of speech on our digital spaces very highly. However we don't want our websites becoming a place for trolls, spammers or bullies. We want to ensure we foster a safe, open, friendly space where everyone feels free to express their opinions on the issues that matter to them.
The following rules are broken down into two parts:
Part 1: amnesty.org.uk
Part 2: Social media
Part 1: amnesty.org.uk
These rules apply to www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs and discussion boards hosted by amnesty.org.uk.
Amnesty International UK cannot be held responsible for content found at www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs, on discussion boards hosted by amnesty.org.uk. Any message posted in these areas - or on Amnesty International UK local group sites - expresses only the view of the author and should not be held to reflect Amnesty International's own views.
1. Responsible/appropriate use
Amnesty discussion forums and blogs are intended to create an online community for like-minded people. We expect the participants to stick to Amnesty-related topics and treat the subject matter responsibly.
In joining our discussion forums or agreeing to write a blog for us, or comment on a blog post, you are agreeing that you will not use our website or Flickr to post material, or links to material, which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, harmful, inaccurate, abusive, extremist, hateful, harassing, obscene, threatening, racially offensive, lewd, pornographic, in violation of intellectual property rights, rights of confidentiality, or rights of privacy, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law. You must not post messages that are vulgar, crude, sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise discriminatory and/or offensive.
Always treat other users with respect.
Posting a message with the intention of committing an illegal act or describing violent intentions towards other people and organisations is strictly prohibited.
Please refrain from swearing, dragging conversations off-topic or holding personal conversations in general discussions.
Please do not post anything which some people may find distressing, such as images/videos of graphic violence.
Please do not post messages, blog posts, photos or videos in another language. We are unable to be sure of its suitability for younger visitors and will delete it.
Users of blogs and discussion forums must create and use a secure password and must not share this password with anyone else.
As a blogger on amnesty.org.uk you must not put the site at risk by doing anything that could potentially damage the site.
2. If you are under 18
If you are under 18, do get a parent or guardian's permission before taking part in any Amnesty International UK community. Never reveal any personal information about yourself or anyone else (for example, telephone number, your full name, home address or email addresses).
3. Your copyrights
Discussion forums and blogs are public not private communications, and in signing up to our online community you, the user, are acknowledging that your posts will be read by others.
By contributing to our website you grant us perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive rights to publish your entry on any media. You also grant us the right to remove, move to a separate thread or board, modify, adapt, and translate that entry, and make it available to the public worldwide.
4. Our liability
Amnesty International UK disclaims any liability with regard to the online discussion forums and blogs and any actions resulting from your participation in either.
Any message posted on our discussion boards or blogsexpresses only the views of the author of the message and does not necessarily reflect our views or that of any other person on the forum.
You, the user, agree that you are solely responsible for the content of your messages and that you will indemnify and hold harmless these
Amnesty International UK discussion forums and their agents and employees with respect to any claim based upon the appearance and/or transmissions of your message(s).
Please note that failure to remove particular material does not constitute an endorsement or acceptance of it by us.
5. Copyright of other material
Do not include any copyright material without the express permission of the copyright holder. Amnesty International UK does not accept liability for copyright breaches you commit, and will remove any offending entries.
6. External links
Please only provide links to relevant and appropriate websites. We class as inappropriate any sites with racist material, pornographic or sexually explicit material, potentially defamatory material, anything which encourages illegal activities, material which infringes copyright, sites which purely plug or promote commercial products, or sites which may offend other users. All such links will be removed.
We will not be held responsible for the availability or content of any external websites or material you access through our site.
If you decide to visit any linked site, you do so at your own risk and it is your responsibility to take all protective measures to guard against viruses or other destructive elements.
We do not endorse and are not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, services or information on or available from third party websites or material.
7. Advertising, promotion and commerce
Advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are unacceptable entries on our discussion boards or blogs. Any users posting URLs of sites excessively or in a way which could be construed as advertising are liable to have their right to post removed.
You may not use the discussion forums for commercial purposes, selling and distribution of non-Amnesty related materials, promoting a non-
Amnesty fundraising event, or for making a profit/for a profitable venture.
Do not use Amnesty Blogs to host your own commercial company or non-profit organisation blog. This also includes political parties. We encourage you to blog about human rights issues but to do so as an individual. Blogs that are solely promoting an organisation or political party will be deleted from the site.
8. Etiquette
Please do not spam or flood the debate and discuss area. Don't post the same comment to more than one conversation or more than once.
Avoid off-topic material especially in subject specific areas.
Please respect other users. If your contribution to blogs or discussion forums makes other users of the service feel uncomfortable or we receive repeated complaints about your behavious we reserve the right to revoke your entitlement to use the Service and to block your account as set out under item 11.
9. Data protection
In the event of any complaint about inappropriate use or posts or in case of legal action rising from any message posted by you, we reserve the right to reveal your identity and any other information we may know about you to comply with due process. Please also read our Privacy Policy
10. Personal details/identity
When using the debate and discuss area of the site please do not provide personal details, either your own or those of somebody else.
We will remove any telephone numbers, emails or addresses, unless they are already publicly available (eg a box office or help line). Be aware at all times that this is a public site and anybody can read your entries.
Impersonation or adopting an inappropriate or offensive user name will not be accepted on the site.
Do not use multiple logins. Anyone found continuing to use multiple logins after a written warning from an Amnesty moderator will have their accounts suspended.
11. If you break these rules
If you fail to abide by these rules, you will receive an email warning. If you do not receive this warning because you have not provided us with a current email address, this cannot be accepted as an excuse for continuing to break the rules, as it is a condition of site membership that you have supplied us with a valid and current email address. If you continue to break the rules after a second warning, we will suspend your account.
We will remove any objectionable material without prior contact with the author. We reserve the right to edit, move or delete any messages for any reason.
We reserve the right to terminate your registration if you break any of these rules. For more information on blogging and your content on our sites please refer to the Terms and Conditions
If you believe that a posted message is objectionable contact us on webdeveloper@amnesty.org.uk immediately. If a formal complaint is made against you, we reserve the right to suspend your account and only reinstate it if the complaint is resolved.
Part 2: Social media
Community Rules
Our community rules are a shared policy of Amnesty International UK Charitable Trust and Amnesty International UK Section, hereafter collectively described as Amnesty International UK. The following community rules relate to Amnesty International UK’s social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. We want our platforms to be safe and welcoming to everyone, including our younger supporters.
What we encourage you to do in our communities
Amnesty International UK has its own presence on many social media channels, and we encourage you to connect with us on our social media spaces - it is your input that makes them. We encourage you to:
To help us achieve that please respect our social media house rules:
- Share your views, content, and comments on our social media spaces
- Respect others - we ask that all community members use respectful language and treat others with respect and kindness, even if they disagree with their opinions
- Stay on topic - we encourage discussion about human rights issues and our Amnesty International UK’s work. However, we ask that conversations remain relevant and on-topic
- Fact-check information before sharing as misinformation and fake news can spread quickly on social media.
What we do not allow
All comments, messages, wall posts and tweets are moderated, and we want to avoid anything being shared on our pages that could put you or others at risk. We ask that you adhere to the following:
- Don’t use hate speech - hate speech directly attacks a person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, disease, age, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity
- Don't bully or harass - we welcome debate and different opinions, but don't resort to personal attacks, refrain from trolling and using derogatory language
- Don't post content only available in another language. We are unable to be sure of its suitability for our supporters and will delete it
- Don't post videos or images people may find distressing - such as videos of graphic violenc
- Don't use our page to advertise products or services for profit, or to promote a group or charity not related to human rights
- Don’t share obscenities - sexually explicit and vulgar language - including images, GIFs or the inappropriate use of emojis are not welcome
- Don’t share personal details about you or other people - such as your own or anyone else’s phone numbers, addresses, bank details, email addresses, etc.
Comment Moderation and Response
We will do our best to moderate and respond quickly to your comments and feedback. Our channels are moderated daily Monday to Friday.
Although we are moderating our channels to make sure that users’ posts comply with these community rules, we cannot be responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any comments or materials posted by users.
Amnesty International UK reserves the right to hide or delete any comments or content deemed to be inappropriate. If you repeatedly ignore our community rules, we reserve the right to ‘ban’ or ‘block’ users without warning.
If you have any questions about these rules or would like further information, please contact our Supporter Communications Team by emailing sct@amnesty.org.uk.