Acceptable Use Policy

How to use our services responsibly (unlike scammers)

⚖️ Rules of Engagement

These rules are pretty simple: don't be a scammer, don't abuse our services, and help make the internet safer. Revolutionary concepts, we know.

Purpose and Scope

This Acceptable Use Policy defines what you can and cannot do when using PhishDestroy services. Our mission is to fight online fraud and protect internet users—everything we do should support that goal.

Think of it as the "don't be evil" rule, except we actually enforce it.

Acceptable Uses

You may use our services for:

  • Reporting threats: Submit phishing sites, scam domains, and malicious content
  • Security research: Analyze threats for educational or defensive purposes
  • Information sharing: Share cybersecurity awareness and education
  • Collaboration: Work with other security researchers and organizations
  • Personal protection: Check suspicious links before clicking
  • Community contribution: Help improve internet security for everyone

Prohibited Uses

You may NOT use our services for:

  • Illegal activities: Any activity that violates local, state, or federal laws
  • Creating threats: Developing, hosting, or distributing malicious content
  • False reporting: Submitting fake or misleading threat reports
  • Harassment: Targeting individuals or organizations maliciously
  • Commercial abuse: Using our data for unauthorized commercial purposes
  • System attacks: Attempting to hack, disrupt, or overwhelm our services

Basically, don't do anything that would make you qualify as the kind of person we're trying to stop.

Specific Prohibitions

The following activities are strictly forbidden:

  • Submitting reports about legitimate websites to harm competitors
  • Using our threat intelligence to create or improve scams
  • Attempting to access unauthorized data or systems
  • Distributing malware, viruses, or other harmful code
  • Impersonating PhishDestroy or our volunteers
  • Selling or redistributing our data without permission
  • Using automated tools to spam our reporting systems
  • Interfering with other users' legitimate activities

Content Guidelines

When submitting content or interacting with our services:

  • Provide accurate and truthful information
  • Include relevant details to help with threat analysis
  • Respect intellectual property rights
  • Avoid sharing personal information of victims
  • Use professional language in communications
  • Follow responsible disclosure practices

User Conduct

Users are expected to:

  • Act in good faith and with honest intentions
  • Respect other users and our volunteers
  • Follow community guidelines and best practices
  • Report abuse or violations of this policy
  • Cooperate with legitimate investigations
  • Keep account information current and secure

We expect users to act like decent human beings. The bar is surprisingly low these days.

Automated Access

If you use automated tools or scripts:

  • Respect rate limits and server capacity
  • Identify your bot/script with proper user agents
  • Don't overload our systems with excessive requests
  • Follow our API terms of service if applicable
  • Contact us before large-scale automated activities

Data Usage Guidelines

When using data from our services:

  • Use data only for security and educational purposes
  • Don't redistribute raw data without permission
  • Respect privacy and confidentiality requirements
  • Provide attribution when sharing insights
  • Follow applicable data protection laws

Enforcement

Violations of this policy may result in:

  • Warning and request to correct behavior
  • Temporary suspension of access
  • Permanent ban from our services
  • Removal of submitted content
  • Reporting to appropriate authorities
  • Legal action if warranted

We're volunteers, not law enforcement, but we'll definitely make sure you can't abuse our platform.

Reporting Violations

To report violations of this policy:

  • Email us at abuse@phishdestroy.io
  • Include specific details about the violation
  • Provide evidence if available
  • Include your contact information

Appeals Process

If you believe you were wrongly sanctioned:

  • Email appeals@phishdestroy.io
  • Explain why you believe the action was incorrect
  • Provide any relevant evidence
  • Be patient while we review your case

Cooperation with Law Enforcement

We cooperate with legitimate law enforcement requests and may:

  • Preserve relevant data for investigations
  • Provide information as required by law
  • Report serious violations to authorities
  • Assist in cybercrime investigations

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements. We will notify users of significant changes through our website or direct communication.

Contact Information

For questions about this policy:

We actually respond to emails, unlike the fake contact forms on scam websites.