PadosXO Community Guidelines

Why These Guidelines Matter

PadosXO's mission is to create a trusted, helpful and respectful space where people discover nearby businesses, share authentic experiences and engage with local communities. To protect that mission, we have developed the following Community Guidelines. They explain what kinds of behaviour are encouraged, what content is prohibited, and how moderation works. These guidelines apply to all users and businesses using PadosXO.

PadosXO is built on trust. Contributions must be based on real experiences; our policy prohibits fake edits, copied or stolen photos, off-topic answers, defamatory language and personal attacks. In addition, we have zero tolerance for fake engagement, including content posted without a genuine experience or posted in exchange for incentives. Respectful interaction and authenticity are at the core of our community.

What PadosXO Communities Stand For

• Authenticity and helpfulness: Share honest experiences about places and services. Accurate, detailed reviews and tips help others make better choices. Avoid vague or generic comments that add little value.
• Respect and kindness: Treat fellow users, business owners and local residents with courtesy. We expect interactions to be civil even when there are disagreements.
• Constructive contributions: Provide practical information, constructive feedback and balanced perspectives. Highlight both positive and negative aspects in a respectful manner.
• Community safety: Foster a safe environment by discouraging harmful behaviour. Report content that violates these guidelines.

Acceptable Behaviour

The following practices are encouraged on PadosXO:

• Write thoughtful reviews and tips. Describe the setting, design, vibe, highs and lows of your experience and any other relevant details. For restaurants, mention what you ordered; for shops, describe the selection, price range and service. Avoid repetitive comments.
• Share clear and accurate photos and videos. Photos should be relevant, in focus and respectful of others' privacy. Avoid posting dark, blurry or redundant photos and do not upload images you did not take yourself.
• Be trustworthy. Contributions must reflect real experiences. Do not post content that is deliberately fake, copied from elsewhere or influenced by incentives. Do not impersonate other people or organisations.
• Respect personal information. Do not share anyone's personal data, such as full name, phone number, home address or medical information, without their consent. Sharing a business's contact information is permissible, but private details about individuals are not.
• Engage respectfully. Healthy debate is welcome, but harassment, bullying, threats or hate speech are not tolerated.

Prohibited Content and Behaviour

The following types of content and behaviour are not allowed on PadosXO. Posting such content may result in the removal of the content, warnings, suspension or ban of your account.

• Fake engagement and manipulation. Content that is not based on a real experience, posted in exchange for payment or incentives, or posted from multiple accounts to manipulate a place's rating is prohibited. Businesses may not solicit or encourage such content, nor may they discourage negative reviews.
• Misinformation and misrepresentation. False, inaccurate or deceptive information that could cause harm is prohibited. This includes manipulated news or health information and misrepresenting your affiliation to deceive others.
• Harassment and hate speech. Content that threatens, harasses, or targets individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, such as race, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, caste or nationality, is not allowed. Offensive content designed to attack or dehumanise others is also prohibited.
• Obscene, violent or illegal content. Do not post content that depicts sexual violence, promotes illegal activities or glorifies self-harm. Content must not incite violence or disturbance of public order. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules require publishers to exercise discretion when featuring content that affects the sovereignty and integrity of India, national security, or public order, and to consider India's diverse races and religions before featuring their beliefs.
• Personal data abuse and privacy violations. Publishing personal information of others without their consent, including doxxing or intimate images, is prohibited.
• Spam and promotional abuse. Unsolicited advertising, repetitive promotions, chain messages, scams and malware links are forbidden. Use the appropriate channels to promote your business through PadosXO's business listing features.
• Impersonation. Misleading others by posing as another person or organisation is disallowed.

Business Behaviour Rules

Businesses play a vital role in the PadosXO ecosystem. To ensure fairness and authenticity, businesses must adhere to the following rules:

• Honest representation: Businesses should provide accurate and up-to-date information about their services, pricing and operating hours. Misleading or false claims are prohibited.
• No incentivised reviews: Offering incentives or discounts in exchange for positive reviews or removal of negative reviews is not allowed. Businesses also must not post fake reviews on their own or competitors' listings.
• Respect user feedback: Businesses should respond politely to reviews and avoid intimidating or harassing users. Attempts to discourage or remove negative reviews through threats or bribery are prohibited.
• Privacy compliance: Businesses must respect user privacy and comply with data protection laws. They should not request or collect more personal information than necessary to fulfil a transaction.

Review and Content Authenticity

Authentic content is critical for a trustworthy platform. To maintain authenticity:

• Write from first-hand experience. Reviews, photos and pins should reflect your own experience and honest opinions.
• Avoid copying content. Do not plagiarise reviews or photos from other sources.
• Disclose conflicts of interest. If you have a personal or professional relationship with a business, disclose it. Reviews that contain a conflict of interest, for example reviewing a business you own or work for, are misleading.
• Multiple accounts and device tampering. Using multiple accounts or emulators to manipulate ratings or posting from modified devices to mimic genuine engagement is prohibited.

Reporting and Moderation Process

We rely on the community to help keep PadosXO safe and useful. You can report problematic content or behaviour through the in-app reporting tools or by emailing support@padosxo.com. Reports are reviewed by our moderation team.

Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, online intermediaries must provide a grievance redressal mechanism and address complaints within 15 days. Accordingly, PadosXO will aim to:

• Acknowledge reports promptly. We will confirm receipt of your complaint.
• Investigate complaints. Our moderators will review the reported content and may request additional information. Where content clearly violates our guidelines or applicable laws, we will remove it.
• Take appropriate action. Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, actions may include removing content, issuing warnings, or suspending or banning users temporarily or permanently.
• Respond within 30 days. We will endeavour to resolve complaints within the 30-day period mandated for intermediaries.
• Escalation mechanism. If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may request an escalation to our Grievance Officer. Our Grievance Officer will review the matter and respond with a decision. You may also take your complaint to the relevant authorities if necessary.

Enforcement

PadosXO reserves the right to enforce these guidelines at its sole discretion. Factors considered include the nature of the violation, frequency, intent and impact. Enforcement actions may include:

You can appeal enforcement decisions by contacting our support team. Decisions by the Grievance Officer are final on behalf of PadosXO, unless otherwise required by law.

• Content removal. Removal of specific posts, reviews, photos or messages that violate these guidelines.
• Warnings. A notice informing you of the violation and reminding you of the rules.
• Account restrictions. Temporary suspension of posting privileges, listing privileges or account access.
• Permanent bans. Termination of your account and removal of your content for severe or repeated violations.
• Referral to authorities. We may report illegal content or behaviour to law enforcement where required.

Respect for Local Cultures and Diversity

PadosXO serves diverse communities across India. Users should be mindful of local customs, cultural sensitivities, and language differences. The Digital Media Ethics Code stresses that publishers should consider India's multiple races and religions before featuring beliefs and practices. Avoid stereotyping or disparaging remarks about any group. Celebrate regional diversity and embrace respectful curiosity. Content that threatens the sovereignty and integrity of India, national security or public order is not allowed.

Conclusion

By using PadosXO, you agree to follow these Community Guidelines. They are designed to protect our users and ensure that PadosXO remains a helpful, trustworthy and welcoming environment. Thank you for being part of our community and helping us build a better local experience.