User Conduct Guidelines

1. Our Commitment to Community

DirConnect operates as a neutral platform that empowers local businesses and helps consumers make informed decisions. We reserve the right to moderate content and user activity to ensure compliance with legal standards and community values. Our goal is to keep the directory accurate, respectful, and free from abuse.

2. Acceptable Use & Expected Behavior

Users are expected to engage with the platform responsibly. Acceptable behavior includes:

• Providing honest, constructive reviews based on actual experiences.
• Respecting other users, business owners, and moderators in all communications.
• Using search and browsing features for legitimate personal or professional purposes.
• Keeping account information accurate, secure, and up to date.
• Complying with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

3. Prohibited Conduct

The following actions are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account suspension or permanent removal:

1. Fraudulent Reviews: Posting fake, incentivized, or coordinated reviews to artificially inflate or damage a business's reputation.
2. Harassment & Hate Speech: Threatening, intimidating, bullying, or targeting individuals or groups based on race, religion, gender, disability, or other protected characteristics.
3. Spam & Unauthorized Promotion: Flooding listings or comments with repetitive links, unsolicited advertisements, or phishing content.
4. Impersonation: Creating accounts or listings that falsely represent another individual, brand, or organization.
5. Data Scraping & Automation: Using bots, scrapers, or unauthorized third-party tools to extract data or manipulate platform functionality.
6. Illegal Activities: Promoting or facilitating any activity that violates applicable laws or regulations.

4. Business Listing Standards

Business owners and administrators must maintain accurate and professional listings. Requirements include:

• Providing verifiable business names, addresses, phone numbers, and operating hours.
• Avoiding misleading categories, keywords, or service claims.
• Responding professionally to customer feedback; retaliation against reviewers is strictly forbidden.
• Updating listings promptly when services, locations, or contact information change.

5. Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines, you can help us keep DirConnect safe by reporting it. Each listing, review, and user profile includes a "Report" button. When submitting a report, please provide:

• A clear description of the issue
• Direct links to the offending content
• Any supporting evidence (screenshots, dates, etc.)

6. Enforcement & Account Actions

Our moderation team reviews reported content and user activity on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, we may take one or more of the following actions:

• Issue a formal warning or request content removal
• Remove violating reviews, comments, or listing information
• Temporarily suspend account access or listing visibility
• Permanently ban repeat offenders or severe violators
• Cooperate with law enforcement when criminal activity is suspected

Account owners may appeal enforcement decisions by contacting our support team within 14 days of the action notification.

7. Policy Updates & Effective Date

These User Conduct Guidelines were last updated on January 15, 2025. DirConnect reserves the right to modify or update these guidelines at any time to reflect changes in law, platform features, or community standards. Continued use of the platform following posted updates constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

For questions, clarifications, or appeals, please reach out to our dedicated conduct support team.