1. Overview

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs the use of Skootle's website hosting and building services. By using Skootle, you agree to comply with this policy. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate this policy.

Skootle operates as a multi-tenant platform where all customer websites share infrastructure. Violations by one tenant can affect the entire platform. We take policy enforcement seriously to protect all customers.

This policy is built on top of and aligned with our hosting infrastructure provider's acceptable use requirements. We enforce both our own standards and those required by our infrastructure partners.

2. Absolutely Prohibited Content (Immediate Termination)

The following content results in immediate and permanent account termination with no appeal:

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or child exploitation content
Terrorism promotion, recruitment, or facilitation
Human trafficking content
Sale or distribution of weapons of mass destruction
Content facilitating child sexual exploitation or abuse

These violations are reported to law enforcement. No refunds are issued. Account data may be preserved for legal proceedings.

3. Prohibited Content

The following content is not permitted on Skootle-hosted websites and will result in suspension:

Phishing pages or credential harvesting forms
Malware distribution or hosting
Hate speech targeting protected classes
Sale of illegal drugs or controlled substances
Counterfeit goods
Non-consensual intimate imagery or synthetic deepfakes
Doxxing or harassment campaigns
Fraud, deceptive practices, or scam operations
Impersonation of another business or individual

4. Prohibited Behavior

The following activities are not permitted and will result in suspension:

Using Skootle infrastructure for cyberattacks
Running unauthorized scripts (crypto miners, botnets)
Scraping, proxying, or VPN hosting through Skootle
Sending spam or unsolicited bulk messages
Circumventing security measures or access controls
Hot-linking media from other sites without authorization
Namespace squatting or domain hoarding
Placing undue burden on platform infrastructure
Clickbait or click fraud schemes

5. Restricted Content (Requires Disclaimers)

The following types of content are allowed but require appropriate disclaimers and may be subject to additional review:

Health and medical claims must include a "not medical advice" disclaimer
Financial advice must include regulatory disclaimers
Legal services must include jurisdiction disclaimers
Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis must verify legal jurisdiction compliance
Gambling must verify licensing
Adult content must be clearly labeled and age-gated

We may request that you add appropriate disclaimers to your site. Failure to comply within 7 days may result in suspension.

6. Enforcement

Our enforcement follows a three-tier system:

Tier 1: Warning

For restricted content violations, we will email you with specific changes required and give you 7 days to comply. Your site remains live during this period.

Tier 2: Suspension

For prohibited content or behavior violations, your site will be taken offline immediately. You will receive an email explaining the violation and have 14 days to appeal.

Tier 3: Termination

For absolutely prohibited content, your account is permanently terminated with no appeal. Law enforcement may be notified.

Automated Detection

We use automated scanning tools that check websites for policy violations. Scans occur at build time (before your site goes live) and periodically after publication. Our system combines pattern matching with AI analysis to minimize false positives.

7. Appeals

If your site has been suspended (Tier 2), you have 14 days from the date of suspension to submit an appeal. Appeals are reviewed by a human within 48 business hours.

To appeal, use the link provided in your suspension notification email, or contact [email protected].

If your appeal is successful, your site will be reinstated and you will be notified by email. If denied, the suspension remains in effect and you may explore the self-hosting option below.

8. Self-Hosting Option

If your use case does not fit our shared platform, we offer a self-hosting migration path. This applies when:

Your content is legal but violates our AUP
You require HIPAA compliance that we cannot provide on shared infrastructure
You need dedicated infrastructure for regulatory reasons
You disagree with our content policies

The self-hosting migration process includes:

Your site code exported as a complete project
Your database exported as a data dump
DNS configuration instructions
30 days to complete the migration
Refund of unused subscription time

Contact [email protected] to initiate self-hosting migration.

9. Reporting Violations

If you believe a Skootle-hosted website violates this policy, please report it:

Online form: skootle.com/report-abuse
Email: [email protected]

For copyright infringement reports, please see our DMCA Policy.

We review all reports within 24 hours.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated via email to all active account holders.

Continued use of Skootle after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Contact us at [email protected].