Acceptable Use Policy

1. Overview

Flax is designed for legitimate, low-risk businesses to create professional websites. We provide generous resources for authentic business use, including:

• Unlimited text, images, and media content for your business website
• Unrestricted bandwidth for legitimate visitor traffic
• Global content delivery via our CDN infrastructure
• Contact form submissions without volume limits

These resources are provided for genuine business purposes. We reserve the right to take action against accounts that abuse these resources, violate this policy, create reputational risk, or create excessive risk of chargebacks, fines, damages, legal claims, or harm to Flax, our users, our payment processors, card networks, or our infrastructure providers.

2. Prohibited Content

You may not use the Service to create, host, store, or distribute any of the following:

2.1 Illegal Content

• Content that violates any applicable law or regulation
• Content that promotes or facilitates illegal activities
• Controlled substances, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia
• Weapons, explosives, or instructions for creating them
• Counterfeit goods or services
• Human trafficking or exploitation

2.2 Harmful Content

• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or exploitation of minors
• Non-consensual intimate imagery
• Content that promotes violence, terrorism, or self-harm
• Hate speech targeting protected characteristics (race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability)
• Harassment, bullying, or threats against individuals
• Defamatory or libelous content

2.3 Fraudulent Content

• Phishing pages or credential harvesting schemes
• Scams, pyramid schemes, or fraudulent business practices
• Impersonation of other businesses, individuals, or organizations
• False or misleading claims about products or services
• Fake reviews or testimonials

2.4 Infringing Content

• Content that infringes copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights
• Pirated software, media, or other copyrighted materials
• Unauthorized use of brand names, logos, or trade dress

2.5 Malicious Content

• Malware, viruses, trojans, ransomware, or other malicious code
• Spyware or software that collects data without consent
• Exploit kits or hacking tools
• Content designed to damage or disrupt systems

2.6 Adult and Age-Restricted Content

• Sexually-oriented, pornographic, obscene, lewd, or indecent content
• Adult entertainment, adult products, or services intended for the adult industry
• Dating, matchmaking, escort, companionship, or similar services
• Alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, vaping, cannabis, or other age-restricted products or services

3. Prohibited Activities

You may not use the Service to engage in or facilitate the following activities:

3.1 Spam and Abuse

• Sending unsolicited bulk email or messages
• Harvesting email addresses or personal information
• Using contact forms to send spam to other Flax users
• Creating multiple accounts to circumvent limits or bans

3.2 Security Violations

• Attempting to access other users' accounts or data
• Probing, scanning, or testing our systems for vulnerabilities
• Circumventing security measures or access controls
• Intercepting or monitoring data not intended for you
• Interfering with the operation of our Service or infrastructure

3.3 Network Abuse

• Launching denial-of-service (DoS) attacks or participating in botnets
• Excessive automated requests or scraping
• Using our Service as a proxy, relay, or file storage service
• Artificially inflating bandwidth usage

3.4 Deceptive Practices

• Creating fake or misleading business websites
• Cloaking or showing different content to search engines vs. visitors
• Using hidden text, links, or other SEO manipulation techniques
• Misrepresenting your identity or affiliation

4. Prohibited Business Categories

You may not use the Service for any business, product, service, or activity in the following categories, even if that category is legal in your jurisdiction:

4.1 High-Risk or Regulated Offerings

• Financial products, trading, investment advice, credit repair, debt services, money transfer, payment services, stored value, gift cards, vouchers, or cryptocurrency
• Medical, health, wellness, fitness, weight-loss, supplement, or mental health advice, diagnosis, treatment, or claims
• Legal, tax, immigration, government, embassy, consulate, or public-sector services
• Travel clubs, timeshares, reservation services, or similar travel services
• Products or services that require licenses, professional certifications, or regulatory approvals that we cannot reasonably verify

4.2 Gambling, Speculation, and Prizes

• Betting, gambling, fantasy sports, odds-making, lotteries, raffles, auctions, contests, sweepstakes, games of chance, or competition entries
• Any product or service where monetary, material, or equivalent prizes are awarded based on chance, prediction, speculation, or wagering

4.3 Marketing, Monetization, and Marketplace Schemes

• Pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, referral marketing schemes, get-rich-quick offers, business opportunities, or investment opportunities
• Telemarketing, political or social campaigning, job boards, open houses, advertising services, sponsorships, or lead-generation offers
• Automated social media marketing, fake engagement, mass SMS, mass messaging, phone services, or products that optimize posts, clicks, likes, views, or reviews in deceptive ways
• Digital marketplaces or services that enable third parties to sell products or services through your account

4.4 Software, Data, and Technical Risk

• Unauthorized access tools or services, including spyware, keyloggers, credential harvesting, device unlocking, or data scraping without consent
• Technical support services, device repair or optimization services, antivirus, device cleaners, system health products, VPNs, proxies, captcha solving, or similar restricted technical services
• Products or services that enable infringement of copyrights, trademarks, platform terms, or trade secrets, including illicit streaming, streaming downloaders, content copying, IPTV, or unauthorized resale
• Resale of software or digital products without valid authorization, including Microsoft, Adobe, or similar reseller products

4.5 AI, Content Generation, and Identity

• Deepfakes, face swaps, voice impersonation, realistic or stylized human-like face generation, or content using a person's likeness without explicit consent
• Automated decision-making, profiling, or categorization of people in ways that create legal, safety, employment, credit, housing, healthcare, or similar material risk
• Content generation that falls into any other prohibited category in this policy

4.6 Unsupported Business Models

• Physical products or products that require physical delivery where payment processing through Flax or our payment providers is involved
• Human services that are not connected to a bona fide software or website offering, including pure consulting, coaching, design, IT services, legal advice, or access to a community of experts
• Donations, crowdfunding, community access, sponsorship-only offers, or other offerings where there is no bona fide business website, software, or service
• Pseudo-science, clairvoyance, fortune-telling, horoscope, or similar services
• Exam preparation, certifications, essay mills, paper mills, ghostwriting, or academic dishonesty services

4.7 User-Generated Content

If your website allows visitors to submit content, you are responsible for moderating that content and ensuring it complies with this policy. User-generated content may not be used to bypass these prohibited categories.

5. Resource Usage

Our Service is designed for legitimate business website hosting. The following uses are considered outside the scope of normal use:

• Using our Service primarily for file hosting or distribution
• Hosting content unrelated to your business website
• Running automated scripts or bots that generate excessive load
• Using our infrastructure for cryptocurrency mining
• Reselling or sublicensing access to our Service

We monitor resource usage and may contact you if we detect unusual patterns. Persistent abuse may result in account restrictions or termination.

6. Enforcement

6.1 Investigation

We may investigate reported or suspected violations of this policy. During an investigation, we may temporarily suspend access to your account or website.

6.2 Actions We May Take

If we determine that you have violated this policy, we may take any of the following actions at our discretion:

• Issue a warning requiring you to correct the violation
• Remove or disable access to specific content
• Temporarily suspend your website or account
• Permanently terminate your account
• Report illegal activity to law enforcement

6.3 Immediate Action

For serious violations (illegal content, malware, fraud), we may take immediate action without prior notice. This includes content that poses a risk to our users, infrastructure, or reputation.

6.4 Appeals

If you believe your account was suspended or terminated in error, you may appeal by contacting us at contact@flaxsites.com. We will review your appeal and respond within a reasonable timeframe.

7. Reporting Violations

If you become aware of content or activity that violates this policy, please report it to us at contact@flaxsites.com. When reporting, please include:

• The URL of the website in question
• A description of the violation
• Any supporting evidence or screenshots
• Your contact information (optional)

We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly. Reports may be made anonymously, though providing contact information helps us follow up if needed.

8. DMCA and Copyright

We respect intellectual property rights and respond to valid copyright complaints under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar laws.

8.1 Filing a Complaint

To report copyright infringement, send a notice to contact@flaxsites.com containing:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
• Identification of the infringing material and its location on our Service
• Your contact information (name, address, phone, email)
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material is not authorized
• A statement that the information in your notice is accurate
• Your physical or electronic signature

8.2 Counter-Notice

If you believe your content was removed in error, you may file a counter-notice. We will provide instructions upon request.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact

For questions about this Acceptable Use Policy or to report violations, contact us at:

Email: contact@flaxsites.com