Community Guideline

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

Africanii exists because African diaspora communities deserve a trusted digital space — a place to trade, celebrate, connect, and support one another. These Community Guidelines protect that space. They apply to every member, every listing, every message, and every review on africanii.com and our mobile apps. Violating them may result in content removal, account restriction, suspension, or permanent ban.

These Community Guidelines describe Africanii’s community standards and enforcement practices. They are not a contract and do not create legal rights between users and Africanii. Africanii may interpret and enforce these Guidelines in its sole discretion in accordance with its Terms of Service.

These Guidelines work alongside our Terms of Service (the binding legal contract) and our Privacy Notice (your data rights). Where these Guidelines and the Terms of Service conflict, the Terms of Service control.

1.  Our Community Values

 

We are a community of 54 African nations and their diaspora. Our strength is our diversity. We are united by pride in African heritage and a commitment to mutual support and trust.

• Dignity and Respect: every member deserves to be treated with dignity. We do not tolerate content or conduct that demeans, threatens, or humiliates any person.
• Accuracy and Honesty: our community depends on trustworthy information. Deceptive listings, fake reviews, and false statements undermine us all.
• Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination: we actively enforce anti-discrimination standards across every feature, particularly in housing listings.
• Privacy and Safety: members have the right to participate without fear of exposure or harm. We protect each other's private information.
• Good Faith: report content you believe violates these Guidelines honestly and without malice. Abusing the reporting system is itself a violation.

1. Platform Status and section 230 Notice

Africanii is an interactive computer service under 47 U.S.C. §230. Users are solely responsible for content they post. Africanii does not create, endorse, or assume responsibility for user-generated content and operates as a neutral platform provider.

 

2. General Conduct Standards

 

• Treat other members the way you would want to be treated in person.
• Post only accurate information. If you are not certain something is true, say so or do not post it.
• Do not post another person's private information — home address, phone number, workplace, financial situation, immigration status, or medical details — without their clear, explicit consent.
• Use the in-platform 'Report' button for content you believe violates these Guidelines. Do not post retaliatory or counter-harassing content.
• Africanii staff will never ask for your password or sensitive personal data through a community post or private message.

3.  Listing Standards

 

3.1  All Listings

• Every listing must accurately describe the item, service, or property. Deliberate misdescription is prohibited.
• Photos must show the actual item or property. Stock photos are only permitted if clearly labelled 'Stock photo — item may vary.'
• Prices must be honest and complete. No bait-and-switch pricing; no hidden fees.
• Post each listing once only. Duplicate listings of the same item are spam and will be removed.

3.2  Housing Listings — Fair Housing

Housing listings are subject to the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §3604). The following language is PROHIBITED and will result in immediate removal:

• 'Ideal for African professionals' or 'looking for someone from [specific country]' — national origin discrimination.
• 'Christian household only' or 'no children' or 'adults only building' — religious or familial status discrimination.
• Any description, image, or phrase that signals a preference for or exclusion of any protected group.

The following language is PERMISSIBLE:

• '3-bedroom apartment, $1,800/month, near [landmark], laundry in building, no smoking, pets negotiable.'
• 'Step-free entry, wide doorways. Credit check and income verification required of all applicants.'

If you are unsure whether your housing listing language is FHA-compliant, email listings@africanii.com before posting.

3.3  Event Listings

• Events must be real and scheduled. Remove cancelled or postponed events promptly.
• Listings must accurately state the event name, date, time, location or virtual link, cost, and organiser.
• No events promoting illegal activity, hate groups, or content prohibited under these Guidelines.

3.4  Business Directory

• Business listings must represent a real, actively operating business.
• Business owners may not post fake reviews of their own business or competitors' businesses.
• Reviews must reflect genuine first-hand experience. Compensated or incentivised reviews require disclosure.
• Reviews must address the business experience, not personally attack individual staff members.
• Businesses that believe a review is demonstrably false may report it to reviews@africanii.com.

3.5. No Reliance on Listing Standards

Users acknowledge that listing standards are not exhaustive. Africanii may remove or restrict content that is not explicitly listed in these Guidelines if it is harmful, misleading, or violates the Terms of Service.

 

 

4.  Prohibited Content

 

4.1  Hate Speech and Discrimination

Content that promotes hatred, dehumanisation, or violence against any person or group based on race, ethnicity, national origin, tribe, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, immigration status, or any other protected characteristic. This includes slurs, dehumanising comparisons, calls to discrimination, symbols of hate organisations, and denial of documented atrocities against protected groups. Educational content, counter-speech, and news reporting about discrimination are not prohibited.

4.2  Harassment and Targeted Abuse

Repeated, targeted conduct — messages, posts, or actions — that a reasonable person would experience as threatening, humiliating, or intimidating toward a specific individual. This includes coordinated pile-ons, threats of violence, posting or threatening to post intimate images without consent, and malicious use of the reporting system to target an innocent member.

4.3  Misinformation and Health Disinformation

Demonstrably false information about public health, vaccines, or medical treatments that contradicts scientific consensus and poses a risk of harm; false information about emergency situations that could cause panic; and electoral misinformation that falsely describes voting rules or election results. Satire, clearly labelled opinion, and contested policy debate are not prohibited.

4.4  Spam and Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour

Repetitive or bulk-posted listings; unsolicited mass messages; multi-level marketing recruitment disguised as community posts; coordinated networks of fake accounts designed to manipulate platform features or inflate review counts; use of automated bots or scripts to interact with the Platform.

4.5  Violent and Graphic Content

Graphic depictions of violence, gore, or injury posted for shock value; content that glorifies or incites violence against any person or group; and credible threats of physical harm directed at a specific person or group. News reporting and community safety warnings with appropriate context are not prohibited.

4.6  Sexual Content

Nudity and sexually explicit imagery; sexually suggestive listings or messages directed at another member without their consent; and any sexual content involving minors, without exception.

4.7  Illegal Content and CSAM

MANDATORY CSAM REPORTING: Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) — any visual depiction of a minor in sexually explicit conduct — is strictly prohibited under 18 U.S.C. §2256. Any CSAM detected on the Platform will be immediately removed and reported to the NCMEC CyberTipline and law enforcement. There is no appeal for CSAM-related account terminations. This policy has no exceptions.

All other content that facilitates, promotes, or constitutes illegal activity — including trafficking in prohibited goods, financial fraud, identity theft, or immigration document fraud — is also prohibited.

4.8 No Guarantee of Enforcement

Africanii does not guarantee that all violating content will be detected, reported, or removed. Users may be exposed to content at their own discretion and risk.

4.9A Off-Platform Conduct

Africanii may take action against users for off-platform conduct that creates safety risks for users or the integrity of the Platform, including fraud, harassment, or coordinated abuse connected to the Platform.

4.9B Moderation Liability Disclaimer

Africanii makes good-faith efforts to enforce these Guidelines but does not guarantee that enforcement actions will be accurate, complete, or error-free. Users agree that moderation decisions do not create liability except where required by law.

5.  AI-Powered Moderation Disclosure

 

Africanii uses AI to help human moderators manage platform content at scale. Here is exactly how it works:

• Automated triage: when content is submitted or reported, an AI system scores it for likely policy violations and assigns a priority level.
• Human review before any consequential action: Automated systems may assist in identifying potential policy violations, but enforcement decisions may involve automated tools and human review depending on the circumstances. A human moderator reviews every significant flag before action is taken. For urgent safety content (potential CSAM, threats of imminent violence), a senior moderator may take emergency action pending full review.
• Your right to appeal: if your content is removed or your account is restricted following AI-assisted review, your notice will identify the policy section. You may appeal any moderation decision.
• Fairness audits: our AI moderation tools are audited annually for bias, including bias related to national origin, language, and cultural expression. We are committed to ensuring our tools do not disproportionately penalise any community group.

5.1  AI-Generated Content Standards

If you use Africanii's generative posting tools to help draft a listing, you are responsible for reviewing and ensuring the accuracy of any AI-suggested content before posting. You may not use AI tools — Africanii's or any third party's — to generate deceptive, discriminatory, or mass-spam listings. AI-generated content is subject to the same Community Guidelines as human-authored content. Listings drafted with AI assistance will be labelled 'AI-assisted draft' visible to other users.

5.2 Abuse of Reporting System

Users may not submit false, malicious, or abusive reports. Coordinated or intentional misuse of the reporting system may result in content removal, reporting restrictions, or account suspension

6.  Moderation Process

 

Stage	What Happens	Timeframe
1 — Report Intake	Report logged; automated acknowledgement sent to reporter with reference number.	Within a reasonable time
2 — AI Triage	Automated scoring and urgency classification (Urgent / Standard / Low Priority).	Within a reasonable time
3 — Human Review	Trust & Safety specialist reviews content, report, and context.	Within a reasonable time
4 — Decision	Decision documented: No Action / Label / Restrict / Remove / Suspend / Permanent Ban.	Within a reasonable time
5 — Notification	Both reporter and subject notified of outcome. Reporter identity is not revealed to subject.	Within a reasonable time
6 — Appeal Window	Either party may appeal within 14 days of notification.	14-day window
7 — Law Enforcement	Where content involves CSAM, credible threats of violence, or active trafficking, referral to law enforcement occurs regardless of appeal status.	Concurrent with or immediately after action

6.1 Timing Disclaimer

Timeframes are operational targets only and may vary depending on volume, severity, and system conditions. Africanii does not guarantee specific review or response times.

6.2 Discretionary Enforcement

Africanii reserves the right to interpret and enforce these Guidelines in its sole discretion and may take, modify, or decline enforcement action as appropriate.

 

6.3 Appeal Finality

Africanii’s internal appeal decision is final. Additional review may be granted at Africanii’s discretion but is not guaranteed.

 

7.  Enforcement Tiers

 

Tier	Action	Example Triggers	Appeal?
1 — Warning	Content removed; formal warning; no account restriction.	Missing description; first duplicate listing; minor mislabelling.	Yes — 14 days
2 — Posting Restriction	Posting restricted for 7–30 days; existing content reviewed.	Repeated duplicates; misleading product descriptions after warning.	Yes — 14 days
3 — Account Suspension	Full account suspended 7–90 days; all listings removed.	Confirmed harassment; deceptive listing; first FHA violation; coordinated fake reviews.	Yes — 14 days
4 — Permanent Ban	Account permanently terminated; device and IP flagged.	Hate speech; confirmed fraud; repeated FHA violations; doxxing; severe harassment.	Single appeal within 14 days only
5 — Law Enforcement Referral	Immediate permanent ban + NCMEC/law enforcement referral.	CSAM; active trafficking; credible imminent threat of violence.	No appeal for CSAM or trafficking; threat cases reviewed post-referral

 

8.  How to Report Content

 

• In-Platform Report Button: every listing, post, event, business profile, and message has a 'Report' option. Use it for any content you believe violates these Guidelines.
• Email: safety@africanii.com for content violations; abuse@africanii.com for harassment; listings@africanii.com for listing concerns; reviews@africanii.com for fake or defamatory business reviews.
• Emergency Escalation: email emergency@africanii.com or call our emergency line at (210) 555-0199 if you believe someone is in immediate physical danger or you have encountered CSAM. For life-threatening situations, call 911 first.
• Anonymous Reporting: you may report without identifying yourself. Anonymous reports receive the same review as identified reports.

8.1 Reporting Abuse Prohibition

Users may not submit false, misleading, or malicious reports. Abuse of the reporting system may result in restrictions, penalties, or account suspension.

 

8.2  Copyright / DMCA Cross-Reference

Copyright complaints, including DMCA notices and counter-notices, are handled in accordance with Africanii’s Terms of Service and applicable law.

 

 

— END OF COMMUNITY GUIDELINES —

 

EXECUTION & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Community Guidelines — Effective May 1, 2026

This document is duly authorized, adopted, and published by Africanii, Inc., a Texas corporation, effective May 1, 2025, as part of Africanii's platform legal framework governing all users of africanii.com and its iOS and Android mobile applications across all 50 United States and US territories.

 

NO CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS

These Community Guidelines are intended as a description of Africanii’s policies and enforcement standards. They do not create contractual rights or obligations. Africanii may update or enforce them at its sole discretion consistent with its Terms of Service