1. What this policy covers
This policy explains how to report content hosted on a SinceCode-built site that you believe:
- Is illegal in the UK (including content that breaches the Online Safety Act 2023);
- Infringes intellectual-property rights you own or represent (copyright, trade marks, designs);
- Defames you or another identifiable person;
- Sexualises or endangers a child;
- Threatens you with imminent harm; or
- Otherwise breaches our Acceptable Use Policy.
You do not need a SinceCode account to use this policy. If you are reporting on someone else's behalf (for example as a solicitor or rights-holder agent), say so in your report.
2. Where to report — the contact routes
| Type of report | Send to | Use this when… |
|---|---|---|
| General AUP / illegal content / defamation / threats | abuse@sincecode.com | Default route for everything that is not a copyright takedown. |
| Copyright / trade-mark takedown | copyright@sincecode.com | You own (or represent the owner of) the work and the SinceCode-built site is using it without permission. |
| Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) | report.iwf.org.uk (IWF) — and abuse@sincecode.com in parallel | Always report to the IWF first. We will remove on receipt and report onward to NCA-CEOP. |
| Imminent risk to life or safety | Police on 999 first, then abuse@sincecode.com | You believe someone is in immediate danger. |
| Data-protection complaints about a SinceCode-built site | The site owner first (they are the controller); then the ICO | Our DPA makes the site owner the controller for visitor data; we are the processor and cannot decide their lawful basis for you. |
3. What to include in a report
To act quickly we need:
- The exact URL(s) of the content you are reporting (the public address of the page, not just the domain).
- What the problem is — one or two sentences is fine. Identify the law, right or AUP rule you believe applies.
- Your contact details — a working reply-to email, your name (or your organisation), and your relationship to the matter (rights-holder, agent, affected person, member of the public).
- If the content is alleged to be illegal, a brief statement that you believe in good faith that it is illegal.
- For a copyright report: identification of the original work, your authority to act for the rights-holder, and a signed (electronic signature is fine) statement that the information is accurate and the use is not authorised.
Anonymous reports are accepted but make appeals and follow-up harder; we will still triage them.
4. What happens after you report
- Acknowledgement — within 24 hours on UK working days, 72 hours otherwise. You get an automatic ticket reference.
- Triage — we assess severity, jurisdiction and clarity. Reports that are clearly illegal or that depict child sexual abuse are actioned immediately.
- Decision — within 5 UK working days for most reports; complex cases may take up to 20 working days, in which case we will tell you.
- Action — if we agree, we will take down the content, restrict the page or site, or close the account, as appropriate. If we disagree, we will tell you why.
- Notice to the site owner — unless notice would prejudice an investigation or breach a court order, we notify the site owner with a redacted copy of your report so they can respond or appeal.
5. Appeals
If you are the site owner and you believe a takedown was wrong, reply to the takedown email within 14 calendar days. Include:
- The ticket reference;
- Why you believe the content does not breach the AUP or any law;
- Any supporting evidence (licence, written permission, court decision, retraction).
We aim to acknowledge appeals within 2 working days and decide within 10 working days. Where possible, we will reinstate the content while the appeal is pending; we will not reinstate content that is clearly illegal or that depicts child sexual abuse pending review.
6. Misuse of this process
Filing reports you know to be false, abusive or repeatedly vexatious is itself a breach of the Acceptable Use Policy if you do it through a SinceCode account. We may decline to act on reports from sources with a pattern of bad-faith reporting.
7. Records
We keep takedown reports, our decisions and the actions taken for at least 12 months, longer where required by law (for example HMRC, safeguarding or police investigations). Your contact details are used solely to handle your report and any appeal.
8. Transparency
We aim to publish a basic annual transparency note (counts of reports received, by category, and actions taken) once we have a meaningful volume.
9. Changes
We update this policy from time to time. The version history is at /takedown/history.