Community Guidelines

Our Community Guidelines governs your relationship with Xenia, your use of Xenia's web site and app, and access to all services and products provided by Xenia. By accessing Xenia web site or using the Xenia App, you agree to these terms. These terms are defined and updated by the FCC, Supreme Court case outcomes, and industry best practices.

We are committed to limited moderation, keeping banning and filtering to a minimum and promoting freedom of expression in our platform, but if you insist in committing any of the actions listed ins these guidelines we will take appropriate action.

Spam

Spam is repetitive content that does not contribute to the conversation. It often comes in the form of multiple posts of repeating content that offer little to no value to the community and platform at large.

Examples:

• Soliciting advertisements or product recommendations on any kind.
• Posting or commenting any fraudulent content with the intention of taking advantage or scamming users.
• Repetitive comments or posts which are irrelevant to the conversation.
• Repetitive and persistent political activism.

Solution:

• Xenia must not be used as an advertising or marketing tool.
• Avoid repetition in the comment section of posts. Spam applies more heavily to comments then posts.
• Do not use language/visuals that are meant to take advantage of others on Xenia.
• Avoid language/visuals that solicits advertisements on other’s posts.

Terrorism/terrorist organization

Terrorist organizations officially recognized by the United States are forbidden from using Xenia. Support or marketing for any terrorist organization on Xenia will result in a ban.

Under current United States law, set forth in the USA PATRIOT Act, acts of domestic terrorism are those which: "(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended – (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

While the PATRIOT Act defines "domestic terrorism" for the purposes of authorizing law enforcement investigations, no federal criminal offense exists which is referred to as "domestic terrorism". While international terrorism ("acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries") is a defined crime in federal law, acts of domestic terrorism are charged under specific laws, such as killing federal agents or "attempting to use explosives to destroy a building in interstate commerce".

Furthermore: If an organization has not been recognized as a terrorist organization by the Unitated States yet, but we consider that it should be or that it is likely to be in the future, then we will treat it as such. At Xenia we choose to ban anyone that promotes any sort of criminal activity that may fall under the definition of terrorism either International or domestic. Xenia is nor a platform for violent political activism of any kind.

Examples:

• FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization): The account is associated with, or marketing or advocating for a recognized FTO.
• FTO fact sheet: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/IF10613.pdf
• U.S. Department of State’s current list of published terrorist organizations
• The content qualifies for: 18 USC 2331 (Definitions of Terrorism) 18 USC 2331

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals which shows support, market, or advocation for any terrorist groups recognized by the United States (see U.S. Department of States current list above).

Unsolicited advertising

Advertisements asking for any product or service in the commenting section of a post and not sponsored through Xenia’s Curated Promotional Offers are considered unsolicited advertisements.

Product or service recommendations are exempt, but only when in response to a legitimage question from other users. We do not tolerate advertising, or advertising disguised as reviews, or advertising disguised as comentary. Where it comes to advertising when in doubt we remove it and if a user insists in posting that kind of material we may remove the user as well.

Examples:

• An advertisement inside any comment section of a post whose creator is not the comment creator. This does not include legitimate individual product suggestions.
• Any advertisement of a product or service which is not owned by you or your followers. Money does not have to be exchanged.

Related Supreme Court case: PDR Network v. Carlton & Harris, No. 17-1705

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals that advertise a product not owned by you in posts.
• Do not advertise products in exchange for money on your posts.
• Do not advertise anything in the comment section of other people’s posts.
• If you want to mention your own product or service make absolutely sure that such product or service is related to the purpose of this community: Travel, hospitality exchange, cultural exchange. Do it in your posts but not the comment section of others.

Defamation, libel and slander

Both Libel and Slander are forms of Defamation. Libel is found in print. Slander is found in speech.

Under common law, to constitute defamation, a claim must generally be false and must have been made to someone other than the person defamed. Some common law jurisdictions also distinguish between spoken defamation, called slander, and defamation in other media such as printed words or images, called libel. In the United States, false light laws protect against statements which are not technically false but are misleading.

Solution:

• Do not purposefully share rumors about other users/people you know are false.
• Avoid targeting any network users with disparaging information, they are more protected under the law than famous individuals.

Fighting words or threats to harm

Fighting words are use of incitements to violence that produce a clear and present danger, or a personal assault with the intention of inviting the other party to violent conflict. Examples:

• Any direct and very personal insult with the intention of stirring and upsetting the recipient, i.e., words which would lead to violence if you were to talk in that fashion in person.
• Any visual representation of an image or symbol that we recognize to be a symbol of hatredm racism, or incitation of violence.
• A threat or advocation of violation against an individual or group. If you are unsure if your post is acceptable, replace the individual or group with another (i.e. race, group, celebrity, governing official, etc.) to gauge acceptability.

Related Supreme Court case: Terminiello v Chicago, 337 U.S. 1 (1949)

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals which suggests people should die.
• Do not use language/visuals which suggest people should be attacked.
• Avoid language/visuals which may symbolically mean someone should be attacked or killed.
• Use your words to express your opinions without the use of violence.

Blackmail

Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and may be revealed to family members or associates rather than to the general public. It may involve using threats of physical, mental or emotional harm, or of criminal prosecution, against the victim or someone close to the victim. It is normally carried out for personal gain, most commonly of position, money, or property.

Anyone who is found to be blackmailing another user will be permanently banned from Xenia.

Examples:

• Demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them; or, demanding something from someone with a threat to expose compromising information or criminally prosecuting them.

Related Supreme Court case: United States v. Nardello, 393 U.S. 286 (1969)

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals that suggests or demands payments from someone on Xenia in a threatening manner.
• Do not coerce someone to do something in a threatening manner.

Pornography, indecency and obscenity

Pornography is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Pornography may be presented as printed text description, or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity.

Porn does not require nudity. It can be an image, painting, art, or description.

Defined by the FCC under its Indecent Content Clause: “Portrays sexual or excretory organs or activities in a way that does not meet the three-prong test for obscenity.”

An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin obscēnus, obscaenus, "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. The word can be used to indicate a strong moral repugnance, in expressions such as "obscene profits" or "the obscenity of war". As a legal term, it usually refers to graphic depictions of people engaged in sexual and excretory activity.

In special regards to child pornography: Any pornographic material that includes minors will be swiftly reported to law enforcement.

Related Supreme Court Cases: Roth v. United States (1957)
Miller v. California (1973)

Examples:

• Any image, cartoon, drawing, or photograph that portrays female or male genitalia or female nipples. Also includes content that:
  • Portrays sexual or excretory organs
  • Portrays activities in a way that does not meet the three-prong test for obscenity
  • Can be a cartoon, drawing or photograph
  • Buttock is acceptable

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals which is sexual in nature.
• Do not use language/visuals that describe or show sexual organs or activity, genitalia or female nipples.
• Do not use language/visuals that are offensive and offer no literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
• Make sure everyone in your photos has clothes.

Impersonation, plagiarism, or violations of trademarks, intellectual property

Impersonation of any public official is a crime. Impersonation of any individual or firm is also a crime on a state-by-state basis. You may not use the brand or logo of any company without expressed permission.

Examples:

• Improper use of a trademark
• Pretending to be a person or firm that the user is clearly not

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals which imply that you are someone other than yourself.
• Do not use language/visuals which improperly use trademarked material.

Any other speech federally illegal in USA

This includes:

• Doxing
• Content glorifying violence against animals
• Human or sex trafficking
• Although marijuana is federally illegal, it is legal on a state-by-state basis and has yet to be challenged in the Supreme Court.

Solution:

• Do not use language/visuals which glorifies or advocates for violence against animals.
• Do not use language/visuals which markets or advocates human trafficking.
• Avoid language/visuals which offers, sells, or implies the use of marijuana if it is not legal where you reside depending on city, county, state, or country.

Solicitation for prostitution

To avoid having our network used for purposes of solicitation for prostituion, either directly or indirecly through its many euphemisms like "escorting", "sugar babies" or any other correlated term, we do not allow the user of our network for anything of that nature. Any user found to promote that in any capacity will be permanently banned from Xenia.

Latest update: October 1st, 2020