Hateful, Spam or Other Inappropriate Behaviour

WeChat prohibits a range of behaviour and content which is, in our view, inappropriate to be shared via the WeChat platform, as described further in the subsequent parts of this section.

Hate speech and discrimination

Hate speech refers to a direct attack against people on the basis of certain protected characteristics, including but not limited to age, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, immigration status and serious disease. This could be by way of violent or dehumanising speech, harmful stereotypes, statements of inferiority, expressions of contempt, disgust or dismissal, cursing and calls for exclusion or segregation.
You are not allowed to upload, share, publish, transmit, stream or otherwise make available on or through the WeChat platform any content that:

a) Contains or incites hatred or discrimination against any persons due to any of the protected characteristics set out above; or

b) is, or could reasonably be interpreted as being, hateful, harassing, abusive (physical, sexual or verbal), racially or ethnically offensive, discriminatory towards a particular class, individual or group, defamatory, humiliating or disrespectful to other people, local ethics or customs (publicly or otherwise), threatening, profane or otherwise objectionable, including dehumanizing speech or imagery, mocking of victims of hate crimes and derogatory remarks about physical appearance or intellectual capacity.

Gambling

Gambling, as commonly understood, means risking money or something of value in games of chance or luck for money, other property or benefit. You may not upload, share, publish, transmit, stream or otherwise make available on or through the WeChat platform any content that:

a) Depicts gambling activities (including but not limited to private gambling, red packet gambling using the red packet functions on WeChat, chess gambling and H5 platform gambling);

b) Entices others to gamble; or

c) Promotes casinos, sports betting, poker, lotteries, gambling-related software and apps, or other gambling services.

However, on a case-by-case basis, exceptions may be allowed for:

a) Content relating to legally permitted forms of gambling (e.g. legalised public lotteries or lucky draws), provided that such content does not have the effect of promoting any form of gambling, and there is no association whatsoever with other forms of gambling which may be illegal or otherwise not permitted on the WeChat platform; and

b) Content which educates the public on the dangers of gambling or gambling addictions.

Self-harm or suicide

WeChat prohibits content depicting or encouraging self-harm or suicide. Self-harm is defined as the intentional and direct injuring of the body, including self-mutilation and eating disorders. Specifically:

a) You may are not allowed to upload, share, publish, transmit, stream or otherwise make available on or through the WeChat platform any content that promotes, encourages, glorifies or depicts suicide, self-harm or other risky

b) Any content that encourages suicide or self-harm that experts tell us might lead others to engage in similar behavior is prohibited, including graphic imagery and real-time depictions of suicide and self-harm, instructions on how to die by suicide or engage in self-harm, suicide notes or letters without sufficient context and discussion on suicide or self-harm methods, locations and hotspots. However, we want WeChat to be a space where people can share their experiences, raise awareness about these issues, and seek support from one another, which is why we may, at our discretion, allow people to discuss suicide and self-injury in limited situations which do not involve encouraging or promoting suicide or self-injury.

c) Any content that identifies and negatively targets victims or survivors of self-harm or suicide seriously, humorously, or rhetorically is prohibited.

d) Any content that promotes, encourages, glorifies or depicts risky behaviour is prohibited. We define risky behaviour as intentional acts conducted in a non-professional context or without the necessary skills and safety precautions that may lead to severe physical injury, serious mental distress or death.

e) Any content that calls for self-injury or suicide of a specific person or group of people is prohibited.

If you require assistance relating to self-harm or suicide, whether for yourself or others, we encourage you to refer to the resources provided by Befrienders Worldwide, which includes information on suicide hotlines in various countries.

Spam

Spam refers to unsolicited and usually commercial messages sent over the internet (such as emails, text messages, or Internet postings), typically to a large number of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware etc. Examples of behaviour which constitute spam and are not allowed on the WeChat platform include:

a) Sending unauthorised or unsolicited messages and spam when using the WeChat platform;

b) Posting, sharing, or engaging with content or create accounts, either manually or automatically, at overly high frequencies which amounts or may amount to spam or harassment;

c) Sharing auto-generated content excessively to the detriment of the user experience of others;

d) Promising money, products, software, or gaming perks at no charge if users install software, download an app, or perform other tasks;

e) Posting about surveys or giveaways that promote pyramid schemes;

f) Including “Pay Per Click” referral links in posts or chats;

g) Posting links to harmful software or phishing sites; and

h) Sharing links to counterfeit stores in posts or chats.

Harassment and bullying

Harassment refers to illegal behaviour towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering, which includes repeated unwanted contacts without a reasonable purpose, insults, threats, touching, or offensive language.
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. Bullying can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
You may not, nor may you permit any other person to upload, share, publish, transmit, stream or otherwise make available on or through the WeChat platform any content that targets anyone maliciously by:

a) Repeatedly contacting someone or a group of individuals in a manner that is unwanted, sexually harassing, or unsolicited;

b) Attacking someone in their capacity as a victim of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, or domestic abuse;

c) Calling for death, serious disease, disability, epidemic disease, or physical harm;

d) Attacking someone through the use of derogatory terms;

e) Releasing or threatening to release an individual's private phone number, residential address, email address, or other private information;

f) Making severe sexualized commentary;

g) Sharing derogatory sexualized photoshopped imagery or drawings;

h) Swatting;

i) Promoting, or making statements of intent to engage in, bullying and/or harassment;

j) Posting content that further degrades or expresses disgust towards individuals who are depicted in the process of, or right after, menstruating, urinating, vomiting, or defecating;

k) Making claims that the individual has or may have a sexually transmitted disease;

l) Making allegations about criminal or illegal behavior which are not based on facts or are unsupported;

m) Sharing videos of physical bullying.