IMPORTANT: This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") explains what a person may and may not do on the ShieldPort Platform. It is incorporated by reference into the ShieldPort Terms of Service and should be read together with the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Compliance & Regulatory Statement, and Fee and Refund Policy.
1. Purpose and Scope
This AUP applies to everyone who accesses or uses shieldportglobal.com, its applications, dashboards, communications, marketplace features, and affiliate or referral features (collectively, the "Platform"), including Clients, Providers, visitors, applicants, and business contacts. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meaning given in the ShieldPort Terms of Service.
This AUP supplements, and does not replace, the prohibited-conduct provisions of the Terms of Service. Where this AUP and the Terms of Service address the same subject, the more specific or more restrictive provision controls for that subject, except that mandatory law always controls.
2. Eligibility and Account Integrity
- Accurate information. Users must provide accurate, current information during registration and keep it up to date, including identity, business-registration, and payment details reasonably requested for verification.
- One account per user. A user may not maintain multiple active accounts to evade a restriction, manipulate reviews or search results, or gain an unfair marketplace advantage, unless ShieldPort expressly permits separate accounts for distinct business purposes.
- No impersonation. A user may not create an account for another person without authorization, misrepresent an affiliation with a company or professional body, or pose as ShieldPort staff.
- Account security. Users must safeguard credentials, enable available security features, and promptly report suspected unauthorized access to [email protected].
3. Prohibited Content and Activity
A user may not use the Platform to post, transmit, request, or facilitate any of the following:
- Illegal goods or services, including controlled substances, weapons, counterfeit goods, stolen property, or services that are unlawful where offered or performed.
- Fraud and deception, including false statements about qualifications, results, availability, pricing, or identity, and any scheme to defraud a Client, Provider, Payment Provider, or ShieldPort.
- Malicious code, including malware, ransomware, spyware, phishing kits, credential-harvesting tools, or code designed to damage, disable, or gain unauthorized access to a system.
- Intellectual-property infringement, including unlicensed use of copyrighted material, trademarks, patents, or trade secrets, or Deliverables that the Provider does not have the rights to create or transfer.
- Sexually explicit or exploitative material, including content that sexualizes a minor in any way, non-consensual intimate imagery, or adult services.
- Hate speech and harassment, including content that promotes violence or discrimination against a protected group, or that threatens, stalks, or targets a specific individual.
- Academic or credential fraud, including preparing work for submission as another person's own where that constitutes academic misconduct, or fabricating certifications, licenses, or references.
- Regulated activity without authorization, including legal, medical, financial, or engineering services requiring a license the Provider does not hold, and sanctioned or export-controlled transactions.
- Privacy violations, including publishing another person's confidential or personal information without a lawful basis, or using the Platform for unauthorized surveillance.
4. Prohibited Technical Conduct
- No unauthorized access. Users may not probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Platform, attempt to bypass authentication or security controls, or access data or accounts they are not authorized to access.
- No disruptive activity. Users may not overload, flood, or otherwise interfere with the Platform's infrastructure, including through denial-of-service activity, excessive automated requests, or bulk messaging.
- No unauthorized scraping. Users may not scrape, crawl, or harvest data from the Platform using automated means except through an interface ShieldPort expressly authorizes, such as a published API.
- Responsible disclosure. A person who identifies a security vulnerability should report it to [email protected] rather than exploiting, publicizing, or testing it beyond what is reasonably necessary to demonstrate the issue.
5. Marketplace Integrity
- Genuine reviews only. Reviews and ratings must reflect a genuine, eligible interaction. Users may not buy, sell, fabricate, exchange, or coerce reviews, or condition a Deliverable, payment, or refund on a particular rating.
- No manipulation of search or matching. Users may not artificially inflate proposals, applications, clicks, referrals, or rankings through automation, fake accounts, or coordinated activity.
- No circumvention of Platform fees. Users may not solicit or arrange an off-platform payment for a Project introduced through ShieldPort primarily to avoid disclosed and agreed fees, consistent with Section 17 of the Terms of Service.
- Honest listings and proposals. Project postings, service listings, and proposals must accurately describe scope, price, timeline, and the Provider's actual qualifications and availability.
6. E-Commerce and Third-Party Account Access
Where a Provider is granted access to a Client's Amazon, Noon, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, advertising, or other third-party account to perform a Service, the Provider must use least-privilege access, may not change payment, ownership, administrator, security, or banking settings without express approval, and must return or remove access at the end of the engagement, consistent with Section 12 of the Terms of Service.
7. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools
Users may use generative AI and other automated tools consistent with Section 14 of the Terms of Service. A user may not use an automated tool to fabricate qualifications or evidence, create a prohibited deepfake, generate content otherwise prohibited by this AUP, or submit another person's confidential information to an unauthorized AI service.
8. Communications and Messaging
- No spam. Users may not send unsolicited bulk messages, chain messages, or promotional content unrelated to a Project or Order to another user.
- Platform for legitimate use. Platform messaging must be used for communication reasonably related to a Project, Order, application, or Platform support, and not for unrelated solicitation, malware distribution, or unlawful surveillance.
9. Reporting a Violation
A user who becomes aware of content or activity that may violate this AUP should report it through the reporting channel published on the Platform or by emailing [email protected] with reasonably sufficient detail to identify the issue. Reports should be made in good faith; knowingly false or abusive reporting may itself result in restriction.
10. Enforcement
ShieldPort may investigate a suspected violation of this AUP and may warn a user, remove or restrict content, limit features, withhold or reverse a payout to the extent contractually and technically permitted, suspend or terminate an account, and report unlawful activity to a competent authority, consistent with Sections 20 and 21 of the Terms of Service. Where appropriate and lawful, ShieldPort will provide a statement of reasons and an opportunity to appeal under the process described in the Terms of Service.
Immediate action without advance notice may occur for urgent safety, fraud, security, sanctions, legal, evidence-preservation, or repeat-violation concerns.
11. Changes to This Policy
ShieldPort may update this AUP to address new risks, features, or legal requirements. The revised AUP will state its effective date and will be made reasonably accessible through the Platform before it applies, consistent with Section 1 of the Terms of Service.
12. Contact Information
To report a violation or ask a question about this AUP, contact:
A Delaware limited liability company
Registered Office: 16192 Coastal Highway
Lewes, Delaware 19958, United States
Legal and enforcement email: [email protected]
General support: [email protected]
Website: https://shieldportglobal.com