Community Rules and Guidelines

3.2. Our Community is strictly for Adults and users are expected to be at least 18years before downloading this App.  If you are under 18 years old and are a user of the Service, you are already in violation of our Community Guidelines and Term and Conditions Of Service.

3.3. Our community take pride in quality engagement and ensures safe spaces for all. Therefore; Astroturfing, Concern Trolling, Cross platform Harassment, Cyberbullying, Cyber Mob Attacks, Cyberstalking, Deepfake, Denial of Access (False Reporting via MassReport, Message bombing/Flooding), Denial Of Service (Distributed Denial of Service inclusive), Dog Piling, Dog Whistling, Doxing, Hacking, Hashtag poisoning, Hateful Speech, Impersonation, Sexual Harassment, Phishing, Threats, Swatting and Gist bombing are all categories of online offenses in our management online harassment field manual that is evolving daily. We believe the first step to curbing harassment is to define what constitute same and how to identify it.

3.4. In general users may not engage in abuse, bullying, or harassment of any person or groups of people.

3.4.1 Abuse by definition is any attempt to bully, harass, or intimidate someone. Bullying is offensive, intimidating, insulting, or malicious behavior, or an abuse or misuse of power intended to undermine, humiliate, or injure the victim. Harassment is unwanted, unwelcome, and uninvited behavior that is demeaning, threatening, or offensive and results in a hostile environment.

3.4.2  A hostile environment is one in which the behavior is enduring and pervasive enough that a reasonable person would consider it intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Harassing behavior includes, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, ridicule or mockery, derogatory comments, slurs, lewd propositions, visual insults, and derogatory images.

3.4.3 This applies to all types of content on the service—including things said in conversations, things displayed in profile photos, and things written on profiles, in room titles (e.g., mentioning another user by name or direct reference in a room title, outside the context of a welcome room), in event titles and descriptions, and in GistRoom/House names and descriptions.

3.4.4  It must be however noted that, while we allow for creative expression including comedy and parody, we do not tolerate their use for participating in or propagating abuse, bullying, or harassment.

3.5. Users of this service are not allowed to discriminate against, engage in hateful conduct directed at, or threaten violence or harm against any person or groups of people.

3.5.1 Discrimination is the unfair treatment of any individual or a group of individuals as a result of, but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, or any status protected by law.

3.5.2 Hateful conduct includes violence and attacks directed at individuals or groups of individuals on the basis of the characteristics defined above. We prohibit the existence of accounts or use of accounts whose purpose is to promote hateful conduct, whether via imagery, text, or speech.

3.5.3 We prohibit threats of violence or harm against any individual or group of individuals, and attempts to glorify violence in any form of media or communication.

3.5.4 We prohibit all forms of terrorism or violent extremism, and the existence of accounts or use of accounts for the purpose of furthering violent or extremist ideologies or activities.

3.5.5 We prohibit all organizations that engage in or proclaim violence to have a presence on Clubhouse. This includes, but is not limited to, terrorism, hate, and organized violence or criminal activity. We further prohibit all content that represents or promotes these organizations.

3.6  This applies to all types of content on the service—including things said in conversations, things displayed in profile photos, and things written on profiles, in GistRoom titles, in event titles and descriptions, and in House names and descriptions.

a) While we allow for comedy, parody, and the discussion of controversial topics (e.g., conspiracy theories), we do not tolerate their use for participating in or propagating discrimination, hate, or harm towards any group.

b) Public rooms in GistHouse are intended to be open to all, and while Convener and GistMods reserve the right to mute or remove any user from the GistRoom, doing so solely and explicitly on the basis of race, gender, or any protected class is prohibited.

3.7.  Users are not permitted to share, must not threaten to share, or incentivize the sharing of other people’s private information without their prior permission.

a) The sharing of a person’s private information online without their consent is sometimes referred to as “doxxing” and is prohibited.

b) In determining the severity of a violation, we examine the type of information being shared, whether that information is private or public and has already been shared elsewhere online, the person sharing it, and the intent of the action.

3.8. Users are not permitted to engage in intentionally disruptive activity that negatively affects the experience of other users.

a) Intentionally disruptive activity, includes, but is not limited to, making unrelated, off-topic comments that may include profane, vulgar, abusive or hateful statements, loud noises, and room takeovers or ending of rooms. This type activity may also be known as trolling.

b) We have a zero tolerance policy for this activity; accounts in violation (including the IP address) may be permanently suspended and/or banned.

3.9. Users are not permitted to transcribe, record, or otherwise reproduce and/or share information obtained in GistHouse without prior permission of the participants and the service provider.

a) We prohibit the transcribing, recording, or otherwise reproducing, manipulating, and / or sharing of information (e.g., audio or screen recording) obtained in GistHouse, without the express authorization and/or permission of GistHouse and all users that originated this content.

b) While screenshots (images only) are not explicitly against our TOS, we reserve the right to limit or suspend any user account that utilizes them in a way that violates our Terms of Service (e.g., directed abuse or hate towards a user).

3.10. Users are not permitted to engage in any conversations or upload any content that violates any intellectual property or other proprietary rights.

a) You must adhere to all property, copyright, and trademark laws.

b) We reserve the right to suspend or remove accounts that may be in violation.

c) All original content that a user shares in GistHouse is owned by that user alone. (See TOS on Premium Services for Paid GistRooms.

3.11 Users are not permitted to spread false information or spam, or artificially amplify or suppress information.

a) We prohibit the spread of or attempts to spread false information or news.

b) Fake incident report submissions or intentional, false reports of a Rule violation are a violation of this Rule.

c) We prohibit the artificial amplification or suppression of information and any attempts to manipulate the platform to enable this.

d) We prohibit the propagation of “spam,” which is generally irrelevant or unsolicited messages shared to other users. Spam can include but is not limited to sending unwanted or inappropriate app invites, sending repeated requests to join GistRooms or Houses, and adding users as event GistMods or Gistee without their permission.

3.12.  You may not share or promote information (or synthetic or manipulated media) that is intended or likely to cause harm to any person or groups of people, including minors.

a) We prohibit the posting and sharing of media that includes excessive gore or themes of sexual violence, child sexual exploitation, or other forms of violence or adult content.

b) We prohibit the use or promotion of “synthetic” or manipulated media that is intended or likely to cause harm.

c) We prohibit the posting of content that contains full or partial nudity, graphic sexual content, profane statements, or other offensive content.

3.13. You may not use the service for the purpose of conducting any unauthorized or illegal activities.

3.13.1  We prohibit the use of our service for the purpose of conducting illegal activities, including but not limited to the promotion or sale of illegal goods and services, promotion of treasonable ideas that may truncate the democracy of any Republic or that are likely to incite the public under false pretenses.

3.13.2    We prohibit the use of our service, directly or indirectly, for the solicitation, sale, or purchase of any goods or services not specifically authorized.

a) This includes but is not limited to the following: the sale or solicitation of GistHouse access, reach, or engagement (e.g., invites, accounts, houses, follows), investment and financial schemes, content or services that are adult in nature, or funds directed towards individuals or organizations that may violate our Rules.

b) We further prohibit the use of our in-app payment service (via Stripe, PayPal, GistCoin) for any of these unauthorized uses or restricted activities and categories as outlined by the respective payment platforms.

3.14. We prohibit the use of scam tactics to solicit money or private financial information.

3.15. We prohibit the encouragement or promotion of acts of self-harm or suicide.

3.16.   We prohibit any solicitation of minors, as well as the sharing of suggestive, sexual, mature, graphic, abusive, or otherwise inappropriate content with them.

3.17.  We prohibit intentional threats to the GistHouse platform.

3.18. We prohibit intentional threats to the privacy or security of user accounts or to GistHouse employees, staff, or partners.

a) This includes, but is not limited to, unwanted attempts to contact GistHouse employees, staff, or partners via personal channels including personal email addresses, phone numbers, in person visits, or via other unauthorized or invasive methods. Attempts to do so will constitute a Rule violation and may be escalated to law enforcement.

3.19. If you witness any Rule violation, please follow the instructions below to report it.

3.20. Follow these links for our Privacy Policy  and Term and Conditions Of Service

3.21. And, if you have questions, feedback, or suggestions, please contact : info@gisthouse.com

4.0 Safety

4.1.0 Content Moderation

4.1.1 The abnormal use of anything brings about an abuse which begins to create disaffection and resentment. If someone has not violated any of the Rules, but you would still prefer not to interact with them for one reason or the other, here are some tools you can utilize.

4.2. Conveners and GistMods decide who is invited on stage in every GistRoom and who can speak:

a)Accept or reject speakers: If you are a Convener or/and GistMod you decide who can speak. If you’d like to invite someone from the audience to speak, just tap on the profile photo of that user and select “Invite to Speak.” If someone else requests to speak, you have the option to decline.

b) Mute or remove speakers: The Convener or/and GistMods can also temporarily mute a speaker or move them back to the audience. To mute the speaker, tap on their profile photo to open the half-sheet, and then tap the mute button to the right of their profile photo. To move them down to the audience, tap on their profile photo to open the half-sheet, then tap “‘Move to Audience.”

c) Remove from room: If someone is being disruptive or distressing to people in the room, the Convener or GistMods can remove them, and they will no longer see or be able to re-enter the room. To remove them from room, tap on their profile half-sheet, tap the ellipses and remove. 

4.3. Anyone can decide who they interact with:

4.3.1 Unfollow: You can unfollow a user at any time. To do so, navigate to the user’s profile and tap on the button that says “Following” to unselect it. They won’t be notified, and you won’t receive any further notifications about their activity.

4.3.2 Block: You can block a user at any time. On their profile, click on the 3 vertical dots in the top right, and select “Block.”

4.3.3 Blocked users will not be able to see or join any room that you create or in which you are a GistMod or Gister

4.3.4 If a blocked user is speaking in a room that would otherwise be visible to you, that room will be hidden from your feed by default, but there will be a capsule at the bottom of your feed to let you know that the hidden room exists. If you would like to see the room regardless, you can choose to tap that capsule and reveal the room.

4.3.5 If you are just a Gistee in the GistRoom and a blocked user enters the audience, you will not be proactively notified.

4.4. Shared block lists: If there is someone who many people in your network have blocked, there will be a “!” icon on that person’s user profile to make you aware. This is personalized to you, and is intended to help you make decisions about when to follow someone or bring them up on stage.

5.0. Incident Reporting

5.1. The Service provider depends on the vigilance of each user and the community to report violations of Rules. If you believe a user has violated a Rule, you can report a Trust & Safety incident. Note: Inappropriate use of the incident reporting system or intentional, false reports are against our rules and are taken seriously.

5.2. You can report an incident in 2 ways:

a) Report an incident in real time: From inside a room, tap on the user you want to report. A profile “half-sheet” will pop up; tap the three horizontal dots at the top right, then tap “Report an incident.” Submitting a report from inside the room prompts us to retain the temporary, encrypted audio recording for the purpose of investigating the incident, as noted above.

b) Report a past incident: To report an incident after the room has ended, you can go to the profile of the user you want to report, tap the three horizontal dots at the top right, then tap “Report an incident.” Note that when you report an incident directly from a user’s profile, we will not have access to any room’s audio to support the investigation.

5.3. Here’s what you should know about reporting another user for a Rule violation:

a) If you submit a report, we will not share your identity with the person you reported.

b) All reports that are submitted will be reviewed and investigated. The need for and type of corrective or disciplinary action needed will be determined on a case by case basis.

c) We seek to be fair, consistent, and responsive in addressing all reported incidents.

d) If the violation directly targeted you, we may share certain information about the process and resolution with you (e.g., the stage of investigation, any concerns that you may be at risk for immediate harm, information on how the resolution could impact you).

e) Intentional, false reports of violations are treated as a violation of the Rules.

5.4. If another user has reported you for violating a Rule, here’s what you should know:

a) If a report has been filed against you, we may contact you through your account with information about the nature of the report. We may keep some details private in order to protect the reporting user(s). If we are unable to reach you, we may restrict your account access temporarily until we are able to do so.

b) We will notify you of the result of the investigation and its potential impact on your activity in our community.

c) If you believe a report has been falsely filed against you or you would like to appeal a decision, please contact us, with as much context as possible.

d) Any attempt to retaliate against users who participate in reporting or investigation is a violation.

5.5. If your account has been suspended, please follow this process for inquiry or appeal:

a) If your account is flagged for a potential violation of our Rules, your account may be temporarily or permanently restricted or removed from the platform.

b) If you believe your account did not violate our Rules, contact our Trust & Safety team through info@gistHouse.com and kindly include your GistHouse username, verified email address, and reference to the original decision notification you received.

c) Please keep the following in mind when submitting an appeal:

i. Decision appeals must originate from the user who received the notice.
ii. GistHouse does not accept nor consider appeals on behalf of another user.
iii. Submitting multiple appeals concurrently may result in a delay in review.
iv. Once you submit the appeal, the GistHouse Trust & Safety Team will decide whether or not to review it based on the Rule violation in question. Kindly note that not all Trust & Safety enforcement decisions are eligible for an appeal.

5.6. The following are examples of potential consequences for Rules violations (non-exhaustive):

a) Provide a warning for a first offense of low severity and impact
b) Request the removal of or directly remove offending content
c) Restrict the ability to participate in some or all conversations
d) Temporarily or permanently disable or remove the account
e) Notify law enforcement when there is risk of physical harm or a threat to public safety

5.7. Consequences for confirmed violations may vary based on the type and severity of the violation, the impact to victim(s), the historical actions of the offending user, and the intent of the actions.

5.8. Legal note

5.8.1. Finally, please keep in mind this quick legal note on our Community Guidelines, violations, and how we may enforce them:

i. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other GistHouse users and you agree that we will have no liability or responsibility with respect to those interactions.

ii. We understand that not all GistHouse users will share our views as to what constitutes a violation of these Community Guidelines. However, to operate a functional platform, we must reserve the right to determine in our sole discretion what constitutes a violation.

iii. Our failure to enforce these Community Guidelines in each and every instance in which it might have application does not amount to a waiver of our rights under our Terms and Conditions of Service.

iv. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to change portions of these Community Guidelines at any time. When this is done, we will notify users of the changes on this page and will indicate at the top of this page the date these terms were last updated.

5.9. Acknowledgement

5.9.1. We acknowledge the pioneers of audio drop-in social media platforms like ClubHouse, Green Room and Twitter Spaces, whose adventurous journey paved way for Apps like ours with a niche of monetization and Afrocentrism. Most of the rules in this genre were influenced by the experience on their respective platforms and we evolve from there. We are also proud to state that GistHouse was built by Africans for Africans using the same open source resources that ClubHouse was built from with our own modifications and extra features. There will be more changes and updates based on iteration and experience on the app as we have started collating feedbacks from several beta testers.

5.10. Feedback

5.10.1. Our community Guidelines are sacrosanct and subject to review based on your feedback. We strictly abide by its provisions and implore all users to be mindful of them in the context of enriching conversations on the platform while creating unforgettable experience for all users. Your enquiries, contributions and suggestions are welcome via info@gisthouse.com

5.10.2. We appreciate your decision to read through this and mostly for joining us in this evolving journey into our Afrocentric themed community.