AOL Member Community Guidelines

AOL® Community Guidelines
FAQs

AOL® Community Guidelines

Welcome to the AOL® community. In order to create the best possible experience for everyone, we ask that you abide by the AOL Community Guidelines, our core “code of conduct,” in all of your activities on the AOL service. AOL offers a diverse and robust community. Specific areas, products or services may carry additional standards, and we also expect you to review and abide by the standards of the areas you frequent.

The AOL® account holder is responsible for all activity on that account. If you are the primary account holder, be sure anyone using your account, or any screen name on your account, is familiar with and agrees to abide by The Community Guidelines. You will be notified of all violations made by any screen name on your account. Violations of the Community Guidelines can lead to actions ranging from a warning to AOL® account suspension or outright termination. We expect all content and activities on the AOL® service, whether generated by AOL, its partners, or its members, to comply with the Community Guidelines. By content we mean the information, software, communications, images, sounds, and all the material and information that members and others generate online. Member-generated content areas include, but are not limited to: chat rooms, message boards, Instant Messages, member-created Web pages, and the Member Directory.

We do not pre-screen member-generated content generally, but we reserve the right to remove content that does not comport with the Community Guidelines. If you encounter content or communications that violates these guidelines, we encourage you to utilize the tools and resources outlined in the last section of this document.

Click here to review online resources and tools to help you manage your personal communications safely, easily and reliably.

Back to Top

FAQs

Back to Top

Respect Others

• Do not harass, abuse or threaten another member. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
• 
  
• Do not use hate speech. Hate speech is unacceptable, and AOL reserves the right to take appropriate action against any account using the service to post, transmit, promote, distribute or facilitate distribution of content intended to victimize, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.
• 
  
• Respect the context and intended audience of the online areas you visit. Many services and communities carry additional standards. It is your responsibility to review and abide by those standards and to ensure that your activity, language and electronic transmissions are appropriate for any particular area. What is appropriate in some areas or contexts may not be appropriate in others.
• 
  
• Do not impersonate any person, business or other entity. Doing so in an attempt to deceive, harass, or otherwise mislead another member is forbidden. You may not pretend to be an employee or representative of AOL, or any of the AOL LLC family of companies or affiliates.

Back to FAQs

Know and Abide by the Law

AOL has zero tolerance for illegal activity on the service. It is your responsibility to know and abide by the law. If you fail to do so, AOL reserves the right to take any action it deems warranted. In addition, AOL expects all members to review and abide by the AOL Member Agreement.

• You (or others using your account) may not publish, post, transmit, promote, or distribute material (including software, photos, sounds and written material) that is illegal or incites illegal activity, or use the AOL Network to conduct illegal activities. We terminate accounts and cooperate with law enforcement on such matters.
• 
  
• In addition to providing you with an easy way to report suspected illegal activity online through Notify AOL, we and our partners reserve the right to monitor public areas such as chat rooms and message boards.

Back to FAQs

Protect Your Children, Your Privacy and Your AOL Account

Children are important members of our online community. AOL takes extra steps to protect their safety and improve their online experience. In addition to the protections we and our partners put in place, we expect our members to uphold the highest standards to create a safe and rewarding online experience for children:

• We strongly recommend that parents create a separate screen name for each child using AOL and designate appropriate Parental Controls. It is important that parents recognize that children using their account without Parental Controls can access all features and areas of the service, including some content that may not be suitable for children, and will have the ability to make purchases using the credit card on file.
  
• Parents are responsible for their children’s behavior online. We expect each child’s participation on all areas of the service, including chat and message boards, to reflect the appropriate community standards. Areas created primarily for use by children and teens carry more restrictive standards, so things that may be acceptable elsewhere on the service may not be acceptable within those areas. We encourage parents to review the community standards of their child’s favorite online areas. If a child incurs a violation using any screen name on the account, AOL will notify the primary master account screen name.
  
• Protect your AOL account. Remember: AOL employees will NEVER ask for your password or billing information. Do not give your AOL password or billing information out to anyone or enter this information after clicking on a hyperlink (for example, in an e-mail or Instant Message), even if it sends you to an official-looking Website, as these can be imitated by scam artists or hackers. For your own protection, change your password often. It is forbidden to solicit password and/or billing or credit card information from AOL members.
• 
  
• Be wary of computer files, images and software from individuals you dont know. Be sure to review AOL'sSafety & Security Area to remain current on how to best protect your billing information, your account and your computer.

Back to FAQs

Exercise Responsibility & Common Sense in Your Use of the AOL Network

• As stated in the AOL Member Agreement, we prohibit unauthorized use of the AOL Network, including distribution of unsolicited commercial or bulk communications, and any material containing software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware or telecommunications equipment. We will take any and all legal and technical remedies to prevent such abuse.
• 
  
• When participating in other Internet products -- including AOL branded services such as AOL.com® and AOL® Instant Messenger® ("AIM®"), you are subject to those standards, which may be different from AOL ’s Community Guidelines.
• 
  
• There are many valuable sites on the rest of the Internet, but standards and norms vary broadly. AOL cannot remove or otherwise take action with respect to the content and conduct you may encounter. You should review the policies for each Web site you visit.
• 
  
• When visiting AOL International areas, your conduct is governed by local standards. International areas online (including AOL branded International areas) may have different rules for conducting yourself and different standards for acceptable content. You should refer to the local rules in those areas. Be aware that because of these varying country norms, you may also see programmed content not available on the U.S. AOL service.

Back to FAQs

Getting Help: Online Resources

AOL relies on its community members – you – to help maintain community standards. We strongly encourage you to use the tools and resources we provide to help ensure you and anyone using your account have the best possible online experience.

• AOL's suite of tools can help you manage your interactions with others online, protect your account and your computer. These tools include: Mail Controls to block unwanted e-mail, settings to block unwanted communication from other members, Parental Controls to safeguard children’s use of the service, Marketing Preferences and Password Protection tips. Please visit AOL® Keyword: Safety to learn more.
• 
  
• If you encounter member-generated content you find objectionable and the tools are not sufficient to address the member whom you believe is violating the Community Guidelines, you can alert AOL via AOL Keyword: Notify AOL or by clicking on the Notify AOL button. AOL will review your report. If a member violates the Community Guidelines, AOL can issue written warnings and, should the violation(s) be serious enough, suspend or terminate an account. Similarly, if someone reports you to us, believing your content or conduct has violated the Community Guidelines, we will investigate and may take action on your account.