Community Guidelines

1. Our Principles

Circlio is a space for meaningful connection within campus communities. Our guidelines are grounded in four principles:

• Safety: Every user should feel physically and emotionally safe on the platform
• Respect: Treat others as you would want to be treated, even in disagreement
• Authenticity: Be genuine. Represent yourself honestly.
• Responsibility: You are accountable for the content you post and the interactions you have

2. Safety and Violence

The following are strictly prohibited:

• Threats of violence: Any credible threat of physical harm to any person or group
• Incitement: Encouraging or inciting others to commit violence
• Terrorism and extremism: Content that supports, glorifies, or promotes terrorist organizations or extremist ideologies
• Self-harm: Content that promotes, glorifies, or provides instructions for self-harm or suicide
• Dangerous activities: Content encouraging dangerous challenges, illegal drug use, or activities that pose serious risk of injury

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact emergency services (911) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988).

3. Harassment and Bullying

Circlio has zero tolerance for harassment and bullying. This includes:

• Repeated unwanted contact or messages after being asked to stop
• Targeted insults, name-calling, or personal attacks
• Doxxing: sharing someone's private information (address, phone number, workplace) without consent
• Stalking or persistent monitoring of another user
• Coordinated campaigns to intimidate, shame, or silence another user
• Threats to expose private information or embarrassing content
• Creating accounts or content designed to mock or impersonate someone

Context matters: We consider the context of interactions, the relationship between parties, and the nature of the content. Constructive criticism, academic debate, and respectful disagreement are not harassment.

4. Hate Speech and Discrimination

Content that attacks individuals or groups based on protected characteristics is prohibited. This includes:

• Dehumanizing language directed at people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or veteran status
• Slurs used to demean or degrade
• Content promoting white supremacy, neo-Nazism, or other hate ideologies
• Denial of well-documented historical atrocities
• Stereotyping or generalizations intended to demean a protected group

Educational discussions about discrimination, historical events, and social issues are permitted when conducted respectfully and in good faith.

5. Sexual Content and Exploitation

The following are prohibited:

• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM): Any content depicting, soliciting, or sexualizing minors
• Non-consensual intimate imagery: Sharing intimate or sexual images of any person without their consent (including AI-generated or manipulated images)
• Sexual solicitation: Using the platform to solicit sexual services
• Sexually explicit content: Pornographic images, videos, or graphic sexual descriptions
• Sextortion: Threatening to share intimate images to coerce someone

6. Authenticity and Integrity

Identity

• Use your real name and identity on Circlio
• Do not impersonate other people, organizations, or institutions
• Do not create fake accounts or operate multiple accounts
• Do not misrepresent your affiliation with any school, organization, or employer

Misinformation

• Do not knowingly spread false information that could cause harm
• Clearly label satire, parody, or opinion content to avoid confusion
• Do not create or share manipulated media (deepfakes) presented as authentic

Platform Manipulation

• Do not use bots, scripts, or automated tools to interact with the platform
• Do not artificially inflate engagement metrics (likes, comments, followers)
• Do not coordinate inauthentic behavior across multiple accounts

7. Spam and Commercial Misuse

• Do not send unsolicited bulk messages, promotions, or advertisements
• Do not post repetitive content across multiple communities or conversations
• Do not use the platform to promote products, services, or businesses without authorization
• Do not engage in phishing, scams, or deceptive schemes
• Do not post links to malware, malicious websites, or deceptive downloads
• Do not run multi-level marketing, pyramid scheme, or affiliate marketing campaigns

Student organizations and campus clubs may promote their legitimate activities in appropriate communities.

8. Respecting Privacy

• Do not share another person's personal information without their consent
• Do not screenshot or reshare private messages or conversations without consent
• Do not share photos or videos of others in private settings without their permission
• Respect the visibility preferences of other users
• Do not collect, store, or share other users' personal data
• Do not share student education records (grades, enrollment information, disciplinary records) of other students

9. Intellectual Property

• Only share content you own or have the right to share
• Respect copyright, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights
• Credit original creators when sharing their work (with permission)
• Report copyright infringement through our DMCA Policy

10. Academic Integrity

As a campus-focused platform, we value academic integrity:

• Do not post or solicit answers to exams, quizzes, or graded assignments intended to facilitate cheating
• Do not offer or advertise essay writing, test-taking, or other academic dishonesty services
• Study groups, tutoring, and academic support are welcome and encouraged
• Sharing educational resources and notes for collaborative learning is permitted unless explicitly prohibited by your institution

11. Reporting Violations

If you see content or behavior that violates these guidelines:

• Use in-app reporting: Report posts, comments, messages, or profiles directly through the platform
• Email us: Contact zhangj1@wharton.upenn.edu with details and screenshots if possible
• Emergency situations: If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services (911) first, then report to us

All reports are reviewed by our team. We take reports seriously and will investigate promptly. Reporters' identities are kept confidential.

Abuse of the reporting system (filing false or malicious reports) is itself a violation of these guidelines.

12. Enforcement

When we identify violations, we may take the following actions depending on the severity:

We consider context, severity, intent, and history when determining enforcement actions. We reserve the right to take any action we deem appropriate at our sole discretion.

13. Appeals

If you believe an enforcement action was made in error, you may appeal:

• Email zhangj1@wharton.upenn.edu with your username and a clear explanation of why you believe the action was incorrect
• Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the action
• We will review your appeal and respond within 14 business days
• The decision on appeal is final