Pombity Acceptable Use Policy

Version 1.0. Effective date: [to be set at launch]. This policy is part of the Pombity Terms of Service.

Pombity carries messages from your application to people. The carriers that deliver those messages hold Aric responsible for everything sent through its numbers and domains, so this policy sets the rules every account must follow. Many of them are enforced by the Service itself; all of them apply whether or not the Service catches a violation.

1. Consent

1.1. Send text messages only to people who have agreed to receive them from you, for the kind of message you are sending. Agreement must be recorded before the first message, and you must be able to show it: when it was given, how, and for what.

1.2. Free accounts send live text messages only to numbers the account holder has verified as their own through the Service. Sending to the public requires a number registered to your business, which the Service arranges on a paid plan.

1.3. Do not import or upload lists of numbers you did not collect yourself with consent. Purchased, rented, scraped, or shared lists are prohibited.

1.4. For email, follow the CAN-SPAM Act: accurate headers, a working opt-out honored within 10 business days (the Service honors it immediately), and your physical mailing address in commercial messages.

2. Opt-out and identification

2.1. Every recipient can stop messages by replying STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) and get help by replying HELP. The Service handles these replies and you must not circumvent them, re-add a number that opted out, or move an opted-out recipient to another account.

2.2. Identify yourself. Messages must make clear who is sending them. The Service prefixes your organization name on text messages; do not use a name that misrepresents who you are.

3. Prohibited content

Do not send messages that contain or promote any of the following. The Service screens for some of these; the rule applies to all of them.

• Content prohibited by carrier rules for application-based messaging, including sexual content, hate speech, alcohol, firearms, tobacco or vaping, and cannabis, except where the carriers' rules specifically permit it and you have the registration they require.
• Illegal drugs, controlled substances, or paraphernalia.
• Gambling, sweepstakes, or lotteries except where lawful and registered.
• Loans, debt relief, credit repair, or other high-risk financial offers, cryptocurrency promotions, and get-rich-quick schemes.
• Phishing, impersonation of a person, business, or government agency, fraud, or deception of any kind.
• Malware, links to malicious sites, or links shortened by public URL shorteners (carriers block them).
• Harassment, threats, or content that targets a person.
• Anything that violates the law where you or your recipients are.

4. Prohibited practices

• Sending without consent, or sending more often or about more subjects than the recipient agreed to.
• Snowshoeing: spreading messages across numbers or accounts to evade limits or filtering.
• Pumping or probing: triggering verification codes or messages to numbers you do not control, or to test the limits of the Service.
• Sharing API keys with third parties, or reselling access to the Service, without a written agreement with Aric.
• Using the Service for emergency services communication where life or safety depends on delivery, or for anything requiring guaranteed delivery.
• Attempting to defeat rate limits, quotas, the content screen, quiet-hours holds, or opt-out handling.
• Sending protected health information under HIPAA, payment card numbers, government identification numbers, or passwords.

5. Timing

Non-urgent text messages are held by the Service between 8 pm and 8 am in the recipient's time zone (stricter than federal rules). A message sent in direct response to the recipient's own action within 15 minutes is delivered. Do not misuse that exemption to send unsolicited messages at night.

6. Registration and numbers

6.1. A number registered to your business under the carriers' 10DLC program, or a verified toll-free number, is required to send to the public. The registration describes your use case and sample messages; what you send must match what was registered.

6.2. Numbers are provided for your use and remain assigned to the Service's carrier accounts. A number may be reclaimed if the account is closed or suspended, after notice.

7. Enforcement

7.1. The Service refuses sends that violate enforced rules and records the refusal. We may suspend an account immediately when we reasonably believe this policy is being violated, and will notify you with the reason and what is needed to restore the account.

7.2. Repeated or serious violations, or any violation that threatens Aric's standing with the carriers, may result in termination without a cure period.

7.3. Report abuse of the Service to abuse@aricsoftware.com. Include the sending number or sender, the message, and the time received.

8. Changes

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law, carrier rules, or the Service. The current version is always at the documentation site. Material changes are announced to account holders by email at least 15 days before they take effect.

This page is rendered from acceptable-use.md, the source of record.