Content Moderation Policy

Anecdex Technologies (Pty) Ltd ("Anecdex", "we", "our", or "us") is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, inclusive, and legally compliant digital platform for readers, authors, students, educators, and the wider community.

This Content Moderation Policy outlines how content is reviewed, monitored, and enforced to protect users while preserving freedom of expression and creativity.

This policy applies to all content published, uploaded, shared, or communicated on Anecdex, including but not limited to:

• Books
• Book chapters
• Short stories
• Educational content
• Articles
• Audiobooks
• Images and illustrations
• Book covers
• Comments and reviews
• User profiles
• Direct messages (where applicable)
• Community discussions
• Advertisements and promotional content

All users are expected to comply with this policy when using the platform.

Anecdex is guided by the following principles:

• Protect users from harmful and illegal content.
• Respect freedom of expression within the limits of applicable law.
• Support creativity, education, and responsible publishing.
• Protect intellectual property rights.
• Apply moderation decisions fairly and consistently.
• Provide users with opportunities to appeal moderation decisions where appropriate.

The following content is prohibited on Anecdex and may be removed without notice.

4.1 Illegal Content — content that promotes, facilitates, or contains:

• Criminal activity
• Fraud or scams
• Identity theft
• Money laundering
• Human trafficking
• Child exploitation or abuse
• Terrorism or extremist propaganda
• Illegal drugs or controlled substances
• Instructions for committing serious crimes

4.2 Copyright Infringement — including unauthorised copies of books, pirated educational material, stolen artwork, and copyrighted documents used without permission.

4.3 Hate Speech — attacks or incitement of hatred or violence against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

4.4 Harassment and Bullying — threats, intimidation, targeted harassment, cyberbullying, repeated abusive behaviour, doxxing or sharing personal information without consent.

4.5 Violent or Graphic Content — content that glorifies or encourages violence is prohibited. Graphic content may be removed or restricted. Educational or historical discussions involving violence may be permitted where presented responsibly.

4.6 Sexually Explicit Content — pornographic material, explicit sexual imagery, sexual exploitation, content involving minors, and non-consensual intimate imagery are prohibited. Literary works with mature themes may be permitted where relevant and appropriately classified.

4.7 Misinformation — intentionally publishing false or misleading information that could cause significant harm (e.g., fraudulent investment schemes, dangerous medical misinformation, election-related disinformation, impersonation of public authorities).

4.8 Spam and Manipulation — creating fake accounts, artificially inflating engagement, sending unsolicited promotional content, manipulating rankings or recommendations, or using bots to interact with the platform.

Certain books may contain mature themes. Authors are responsible for selecting appropriate age ratings where applicable. Anecdex may restrict access to age-sensitive content based on user age or account settings.

Users can report content they believe violates this policy using in-app reporting tools or by contacting info@anecdex.com.

Reports may include books, chapters, comments, profiles, reviews or messages (where applicable). Anonymous reports may be accepted where appropriate.

When content is reported or identified, Anecdex follows a structured review process.

Step 1 – Detection. Content may be identified through user reports, automated detection systems, internal moderation reviews, or trusted reporting partners.

Step 2 – Review. Moderators assess the content against this Policy, the Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, and South African law. Additional context may be considered where relevant.

Step 3 – Decision. Depending on severity, Anecdex may:

• Take no action
• Remove specific content
• Restrict visibility
• Issue a warning
• Temporarily suspend the account
• Permanently terminate the account
• Refer serious matters to the appropriate authorities where required by law

Users who repeatedly violate platform policies may face progressively stronger enforcement measures, including:

• Loss of publishing privileges
• Suspension from community features
• Removal from monetisation programmes
• Permanent account termination

Users who believe moderation action was taken in error may submit an appeal. Appeals should include:

• The affected content
• A description of why the decision is believed to be incorrect
• Any supporting evidence

Appeals are reviewed by a moderator who was not involved in the original decision where reasonably practicable.

• Publish original or properly licensed content.
• Accurately categorise and describe their work.
• Avoid misleading titles or descriptions.
• Respect the rights and safety of other users.
• Cooperate with moderation investigations when requested.

Educational content must:

• Be accurate to the best of the author's knowledge.
• Avoid plagiarism.
• Respect copyright laws.
• Be suitable for the intended audience.
• Not contain harmful or discriminatory material.

Educational resources may be reviewed more closely where intended for learners.

Content created or assisted by artificial intelligence is permitted, provided it:

• Complies with this policy.
• Does not infringe intellectual property rights.
• Is not misleadingly presented as factual where it is fictional or generated.
• Does not facilitate fraud, impersonation, or other harmful conduct.

Creators remain responsible for all AI-assisted content they publish.

Anecdex is committed to consistent and transparent moderation. Where appropriate, users will be informed when content has been removed or action has been taken against their account, together with the reason for the decision.

Where required by applicable law, Anecdex may cooperate with:

• Law enforcement agencies
• Courts
• Regulatory authorities
• Child protection organisations
• Intellectual property rights holders

Such cooperation will be carried out in accordance with South African law and our Privacy Policy.

This Content Moderation Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in law, technology, industry standards, and the evolution of the Anecdex platform. Material changes will be communicated through the Anecdex website or application.

For questions or reports relating to this policy, please contact:

• Anecdex Technologies (Pty) Ltd
• Email: info@anecdex.com
• Website: www.anecdex.com