SPILL is visual conversation at the speed of culture. It is a place to create memes, hot takes, gems, and community surrounding what’s happening in the world today. And like any community, we have a few guidelines about what’s allowed (and what isn’t) to help keep SPILL safe and authentic for everyone.
We believe that amazing communities are built on a foundation of safety. For us, that means creating an inclusive space that centers the experiences of the people that are typically left behind by social media platforms (despite quite often setting the trends that define online culture). Bottom line: These rules exist to stop the harms that disproportionately impact vulnerable, overlooked, and typically marginalized groups online — especially Black women, the queer community, and other historically marginalized groups around the world.
To keep SPILL safe while also leaving plenty of space for hot takes and debate, we use a few different tools to enforce our guidelines. We’ll always be clear about what the consequences for breaking our rules are; there’s no shadowbans here. Behavior that’s directly dangerous or harmful — like making violent threats or attacking someone for their identity — will be removed by us, and could result in an account ban. Less severe violations of our guidelines — like posting a misleading rumor — will impact your standing on the app, and will result in having some features (like quoting) disabled. Additionally, any content or account that does not fall in accordance with our guidelines or creates an unsafe environment for our community will be removed. Any accounts found in multiple violations of any policies will be removed from the platform.
So, here’s what you need to know as you’re using SPILL:
Safety and belonging
- Hate: You may not use SPILL to spread, promote or incite hatred based on identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, health status, weight, socioeconomic status, or any other protected characteristic. We will not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, supremacy, or dehumanization targeting individuals or groups on the basis of their identity -- this includes deadnaming and misgendering.
- We do not allow information endorsing or promoting conversion therapy, which hatefully suggests that a person's gender expression, sexual orientation, or gender identity need to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms.
- Violence and Extremism: The promotion or glorification of violence is strictly prohibited on SPILL. Any content that includes threats or wishes of physical harm (both explicit and implied), promotes violence against individuals or groups, glorifies violent acts or actors, or features graphic or gratuitous violence will be removed. SPILL does not tolerate the dissemination or endorsement of extremist or supremacist ideologies, or the promotion of groups or organizations that promote violence, terrorism, or harm to others. Content that supports or glorifies terrorism, hate groups, or extremist activities will be promptly removed. We may consider off-platform evidence of violent or extremist conduct as part of our enforcement of this rule.
- Harassment: Criticism and holding people accountable for their actions is an essential part of how communities operate, but you can’t cross the line into abusive behavior. You may not use SPILL to organize, incite, or engage in repeated abusive conduct targeting a specific person or group of people. Harassment or bullying in any form, including personal attacks, dehumanizing insults, malicious targeting, intimidation, personalized threatening language, and intentional humiliation that may cause harm to others is prohibited.
- Unwanted/Uncivil Behavior and Personal Attacks: We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the SPILL without having to endure unwanted behavior or repeated personal attacks, nor do we intend for the platform to be a welcome playground for trolls who get their kicks from wantonly insulting or creating an inhospitable environment for members of the community. We reserve the right to remove any content or accounts that demonstrate this behavior entirely at our discretion. The SPILL team also welcomes constructive feedback from members with the interest of making the platform an exceptional place for all. That said, when the feedback crosses the line of uncivil behavior into personal attacks, it will also be subject to content and/or account removal and bans. We’re not here for it.
- Encouraging self-harm: We’re committed to user safety and well-being. Any content that promotes or encourages self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or other conduct that could jeopardize someone’s safety or well-being will be swiftly removed. We take these matters seriously and will provide resources and support to individuals in need.
Identity and authenticity
- Impersonation: Don’t pretend to be someone else on SPILL. Creating accounts or profiles that impersonate individuals, organizations, or entities isn’t allowed.
- Misleading identities: You don’t have to use your real name on SPILL, but you can’t misrepresent who you are, either. We expect people to provide accurate and honest information about themselves and their identities, and will remove accounts that misrepresent who they are — especially when it comes to things like race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.
- Rumors and misinformation: The conversation on SPILL moves fast, and we know that involves information that might not be confirmed or totally true. We aim to foster a reliable and trustworthy environment, and may label or restrict posts that spread rumors or other types of misinformation that may deceive or harm others.
- SPILL recognizes the risks associated with AI deepfakes and AI-generated content. Content that could cause harm, spread misinformation, or incite violence is strictly prohibited on SPILL. This includes any explicit material generated without consent involving real individuals, particularly public figures.
- Spam and manipulation: We don’t allow spamming, phishing, or engaging in any form of manipulative behavior that disrupts the experience of other people on SPILL. Users are not allowed to use automated tools or software to artificially inflate engagement, distribute unsolicited commercial content, or engage in fraudulent activities.
Sensitive and illegal content
- Child sexual exploitation: SPILL has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of child sexual exploitation. Sharing, distributing, or promoting any kind of explicit or suggestive content involving minors, is strictly prohibited. We also do not allow grooming of minors, including any attempts to establish trust with the intention of engaging in sexual exploitation. We will promptly report any such activities to the appropriate authorities and cooperate fully in their investigations.
- Any AI-generated content that may harm minors, regardless of consent, is strictly prohibited and will be subject to immediate action. We are committed to creating a safe environment and employ a zero tolerance policy on all content that jeopardizes the wellbeing of children.
- Nudity and adult sexual content: SPILL doesn’t allow explicit adult sexual content at this time. This means no pornography — meaning, text or media that includes graphic depictions of sex (intercourse, oral, etc). Sexually suggestive content that was created and posted consensually, or content that includes nudity in artistic, political, scientific, or documentary contexts is allowed, provided you mark it as potentially sensitive at the time of posting. What’s the line between suggestive and explicit? In general, this is the difference between showing nudity or describing sexual activity in detail (explicit), as opposed to only showing or describing shapes, contours, or movements associated with sex (suggestive).
- SPILL recognizes sex work as a valid labor issue and supports discussions that promote the rights, health, and well-being of sex workers. We welcome conversations about societal and regulatory aspects of sex work, including personal stories, resources, and advocacy efforts. Explicit language is permitted when used in the context of health education, advocacy, or storytelling, as long as it does not promote sexual solicitation or graphic sexual encounters. Content that explicitly promotes or solicits sexual services or includes language that may be interpreted as solicitation is prohibited. To ensure our policies remain equitable and supportive, SPILL collaborates with advocacy organizations while maintaining a safe platform for all.
- Illegal activities: Don’t use SPILL to engage in unlawful commercial activity. SPILL is required to comply with applicable local laws, and there may be cases where we have to restrict content that promotes, facilitates, or engages in content that is illegal in a jurisdiction where we operate. Whenever possible, we’ll make it clear where and why this happens.
- Copyright and trademark: Respect the intellectual property rights of other artists and creators. Sharing content that infringes on copyright or trademark laws, including unauthorized use of copyrighted images, videos, music, or other protected materials, is not allowed. Repeat offenders may face account termination, and we will respond to valid and properly filed infringement reports.
- Private information and doxxing: Content posted with malicious intent that includes otherwise not public personal information that could potentially expose users to fraud, identity theft, phishing, stalking, or financial exploitation is strictly prohibited by SPILL. This includes revealing personal information and sensitive information, direct contact details, full name on government records, and login credentials.