Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy sets out the standards of behaviour expected from everyone who uses Treetag. Our goal is to maintain a welcoming, safe, and trustworthy community for tree enthusiasts of all ages in Charlton Kings and beyond. This policy supplements our Terms of Service.

2. Expected Behaviour

We ask all users to:

• Be respectful and considerate towards other members of the community
• Submit honest and accurate tree observations, health reports, and species identifications
• Only upload photographs that you have taken yourself or have permission to use
• Report genuine concerns about tree health, disease, or damage
• Respect the physical environment — do not damage trees, wildlife habitats, or QR code tags
• Keep your account credentials private and secure

3. Prohibited Content

You must not upload, post, or share content that:

• Is abusive, threatening, harassing, or discriminatory towards any person or group
• Contains sexually explicit material or graphic violence
• Is deliberately false, misleading, or intended to deceive other users
• Infringes the intellectual property rights of others (including photographs you do not own)
• Contains malware, viruses, or links to malicious websites
• Promotes illegal activities or encourages harm to people, animals, or the environment
• Contains personal information about other individuals without their consent

4. Prohibited Activities

You must not:

• Create multiple accounts to manipulate the points system or leaderboard
• Submit fabricated observations or spam the platform with low-quality content
• Attempt to access another user's account or personal data
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service
• Interfere with the Service's infrastructure, performance, or availability
• Use the platform for advertising, commercial promotion, or solicitation
• Tamper with, remove, or deface physical QR codes placed on or near trees
• Impersonate another person, organisation, or Treetag staff member

5. Tree & Environmental Responsibility

Treetag is a platform for observing and caring for trees, not for intervening directly. You must not:

• Attempt tree surgery, pruning, treatment, or removal based on platform observations
• Damage trees, bark, branches, or root systems while tagging or photographing
• Disturb wildlife nesting sites, habitats, or protected species
• Trespass on private land to access or photograph trees

If you are concerned about a tree's health or safety, contact Cheltenham Borough Council or Gloucestershire County Council rather than attempting to act yourself.

6. Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or behaviour that violates this policy, please report it to us at [email protected]. Include as much detail as possible, such as the username involved, the tree profile or observation in question, and a description of the issue. All reports will be reviewed promptly.

7. Enforcement

We reserve the right to take action against users who violate this policy. Depending on the severity and frequency of the violation, action may include:

• A warning or request to remove offending content
• Temporary suspension of your account
• Permanent removal of your account and associated data
• Removal of content, observations, or photographs
• Resetting or adjusting points earned through abuse

Serious violations — including harassment, illegal activity, or deliberate sabotage — may result in immediate account termination without prior warning.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact

If you have any questions about this policy, please email us at [email protected].