Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") outlines the prohibited activities on the CouthActs™ platform. All users—customers, providers, and enterprise accounts—are bound by this policy in addition to the Terms of Service. Violations may result in immediate account suspension, permanent ban, forfeiture of funds, and referral to law enforcement.

2. Prohibited Activities

2.1 Illegal Transportation

You may not use CouthActs to:

• Transport illegal substances, contraband, or controlled materials without proper licensing and documentation.
• Ship weapons, explosives, hazardous biological agents, or other prohibited goods in violation of local, national, or international law.
• Facilitate human trafficking, smuggling, or the transport of persons against their will.
• Evade customs, import/export restrictions, sanctions, or trade embargoes.
• Transport goods that violate CITES, IATA dangerous goods regulations, IMO IMDG codes, or DOT hazmat requirements without proper classification and handling.

2.2 Fraud and Misrepresentation

You may not:

• Create accounts using false identities, stolen credentials, or fabricated business registrations.
• Submit forged or altered verification documents (government ID, DOT numbers, protection certificates, business licenses).
• Misrepresent the nature, weight, dimensions, or value of cargo.
• Inflate bids, create shill postings, or engage in bid manipulation.
• Operate as a provider without the required licenses, permits, and insurance for the transportation mode.
• Falsely claim completion of a job or fabricate proof of delivery.

2.3 Harassment and Abuse

You may not:

• Threaten, intimidate, harass, or abuse any other user, whether customer, provider, or CouthActs staff.
• Use discriminatory language or refuse service based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.
• Stalk, dox, or share another user's personal information outside the platform.
• Send spam, unsolicited commercial messages, or phishing attempts through the platform's messaging system.

2.4 Circumventing Escrow

You may not:

• Arrange off-platform payments to avoid escrow protections or platform fees.
• Request or offer payment through personal Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, cash, cryptocurrency, or any method outside the CouthActs wallet and escrow system.
• Pressure another user to cancel a booking and transact directly.
• Create postings with artificially low budgets with the intent of negotiating off-platform rates.

2.5 Fake Reviews

You may not:

• Post reviews for transactions that did not occur or that you were not a party to.
• Offer or accept payment, discounts, or other incentives in exchange for reviews.
• Create multiple accounts to inflate your own ratings or deflate a competitor's ratings.
• Coordinate with others to leave false positive or negative reviews.
• Threaten a negative review to coerce a user into providing a refund or discount outside of the proper dispute process.

2.6 Automated Scraping and Abuse

You may not:

• Use bots, scrapers, crawlers, or automated tools to extract data from the CouthActs platform without written authorization.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of any CouthActs software or API.
• Overload the platform with automated requests, denial-of-service attacks, or other methods intended to disrupt service.
• Access or attempt to access another user's account, data, or private information without authorization.
• Use the CouthActs API in ways that violate our API terms or exceed published rate limits.

3. Consequences of Violations

CouthActs reserves the right to take any of the following actions in response to AUP violations, at our sole discretion:

• Warning: A formal notice requiring immediate corrective action.
• Temporary suspension: Restriction of platform access for a defined period pending investigation.
• Permanent ban: Irrevocable termination of the account and all associated accounts.
• Fund forfeiture: Escrowed or wallet funds may be held or forfeited if connected to prohibited activity.
• Legal action: We may pursue civil claims for damages or refer criminal conduct to law enforcement.
• Regulatory reporting: Violations involving licensed transportation may be reported to DOT, FMCSA, FAA, IMO, or other relevant authorities.

The severity of the response will be proportional to the nature of the violation. Repeated minor violations will be treated with increasing severity. Violations involving illegality, safety, or fraud will result in immediate permanent ban without prior warning.

4. Reporting Violations

If you witness or become aware of a violation of this Acceptable Use Policy, please report it immediately using the "Report" button on the relevant booking, profile, or review, or by contacting us directly at legal@couthacts.com. All reports are investigated by our trust and safety team. You may report anonymously.

5. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or platform notification at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. Continued use of the CouthActs platform after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.