1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Gruby is designed to be a positive, supportive community for home cooks to share recipes, plan meals, manage groceries, and connect with others. You agree to use the Service in a manner that:

• Respects other users and their content
• Complies with all applicable laws and regulations
• Does not harm or disrupt the Service or its users
• Maintains the integrity and security of the platform
• Promotes a safe and welcoming environment

2. PROHIBITED CONTENT

You may not post, upload, share, or transmit any content that:

2.1 Illegal or Harmful Content

• Violates any applicable law, regulation, or third-party rights
• Promotes or facilitates illegal activities
• Contains instructions for dangerous or illegal activities
• Promotes violence, terrorism, or extremism
• Encourages self-harm or harm to others
• Contains dangerous food safety misinformation

2.2 Abusive or Offensive Content

• Harasses, bullies, intimidates, or threatens any person
• Contains hate speech or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic
• Is defamatory, libelous, or knowingly false
• Is obscene, vulgar, or sexually explicit
• Depicts graphic violence or gore
• Exploits or endangers minors in any way

2.3 Deceptive or Fraudulent Content

• Impersonates any person, business, or entity
• Contains false or misleading information
• Is intended to defraud or scam users
• Contains phishing attempts or malicious links
• Makes false health, medical, or nutritional claims
• Misrepresents affiliate relationships or sponsorships

2.4 Intellectual Property Violations

• Infringes any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property right
• Contains content you do not have the right to share
• Copies recipes, photos, or videos from others without permission or attribution
• Uses copyrighted music, images, or other media without authorization

2.5 Privacy Violations

• Shares personal information of others without consent
• Doxes or outs individuals
• Shares private communications without consent
• Contains non-consensual intimate imagery
• Violates the privacy of minors

3. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

You may not engage in any of the following activities:

3.1 Account Abuse

• Creating multiple accounts to evade bans or restrictions
• Sharing account credentials with others
• Selling, trading, or transferring accounts
• Using automated systems to create accounts
• Accessing others' accounts without authorization

3.2 Platform Manipulation

• Using bots, scripts, or automated tools to interact with the Service
• Artificially inflating likes, followers, views, or engagement
• Coordinating inauthentic behavior or fake engagement
• Manipulating search results, recommendations, or feeds
• Exploiting bugs or vulnerabilities instead of reporting them

3.3 Spam and Commercial Abuse

• Sending unsolicited messages or communications (spam)
• Posting repetitive, unwanted, or irrelevant content
• Using the Service for unauthorized commercial purposes
• Advertising products or services without authorization
• Including affiliate links or promotional codes without disclosure
• Soliciting money from other users

3.4 Security Violations

• Attempting to bypass security measures or access controls
• Probing, scanning, or testing the vulnerability of systems
• Interfering with the Service or its infrastructure
• Launching denial-of-service attacks
• Distributing viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling the Service
• Scraping, harvesting, or collecting user data without authorization

3.5 Abuse of Features

• Misusing the reporting or moderation systems
• Filing false or malicious reports against users or content
• Abusing the direct messaging feature for harassment
• Using Gatherings or Circles for unauthorized purposes
• Manipulating cost-splitting features for fraud
• Misusing the AI Budget Coach or other AI features

4. FOOD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

When sharing recipes or food-related content, you must:

• Include accurate cooking temperatures and times for foods that require them (especially meats, poultry, eggs, and seafood)
• Clearly identify common allergens (nuts, dairy, gluten, shellfish, eggs, soy, etc.) in recipes
• Not share recipes that are dangerously unsafe when prepared as instructed
• Not make false medical or health claims about recipes or ingredients
• Not promote dangerous dietary practices

5. GATHERINGS AND CIRCLES RULES

When participating in Gatherings (collaborative cooking events) or Circles (friend groups), you agree to:

• Respect other participants and their contributions
• Not use these features for purposes unrelated to cooking or food
• Honor cost-splitting arrangements in good faith
• Not use location sharing to stalk, harass, or endanger others
• Follow any additional rules established by Gathering hosts or Circle administrators
• Report inappropriate behavior to Gruby

6. MESSAGING CONDUCT

When using direct messaging (which is end-to-end encrypted), you must:

• Only message users for legitimate, food-related purposes
• Not send spam, unsolicited advertising, or chain messages
• Not send harassing, threatening, or abusive messages
• Not share explicit or inappropriate content
• Respect users who ask you to stop messaging them

Note: While messages are encrypted, message metadata (sender, recipient, timestamp) is retained and abusive patterns may be detected and acted upon.

7. AI FEATURE USAGE

When using AI-powered features (Budget Coach, recipe recommendations, etc.), you agree:

• Not to attempt to manipulate or "jailbreak" the AI system
• Not to input harmful, illegal, or abusive content
• Not to use AI features to generate prohibited content
• To understand that AI recommendations are informational only and not professional advice
• That AI outputs should be verified, especially for dietary or health-related matters

8. ENFORCEMENT AND CONSEQUENCES

We reserve the right to take action when this policy is violated, including:

8.1 Content Actions

• Removing or hiding violating content
• Adding warnings or labels to content
• Reducing content visibility or reach

8.2 Account Actions

• Issuing warnings to your account
• Temporarily restricting account features
• Temporarily suspending your account
• Permanently terminating your account

8.3 Legal Actions

• Reporting illegal activity to law enforcement
• Cooperating with legal investigations
• Pursuing civil remedies for violations

9. REPORTING VIOLATIONS

If you encounter content or behavior that violates this policy:

• Use the "Report" feature in the app
• Email safety@gruby.app for urgent safety concerns
• Email abuse@gruby.app for other violations

Please provide as much detail as possible when reporting, including screenshots if available. We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

10. APPEALS

If you believe we took action against your account or content in error, you may appeal by emailing appeals@gruby.app within 30 days of the action. Include:

• Your username
• A description of the action taken
• Why you believe the action was incorrect
• Any supporting information

11. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a new effective date. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the changes.

12. CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, please contact us:

Gruby Trust and Safety Team
Email: safety@gruby.app