Community Guidelines

All content on the Platform must follow applicable laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, along with their rules and amendments.

We use various tools to keep Sparsha safe, including advanced AI that detects harmful content in real-time. Our team of moderators works 24/7 to review flagged content and user reports, responding quickly to any issues.

While we believe in giving users opportunities to learn from mistakes, certain violations warrant immediate and permanent action. Critical offences, including illegal activities or threats of harm, may result in immediate permanent suspension. Accounts showing consistent patterns of violations despite corrective measures may face permanent restrictions.

In most cases, users can return to the Platform after temporary suspensions, provided they demonstrate improved behaviour. However, we maintain a strict stance against serious misconduct to protect the safety and integrity of our community.

When you share content on our Platform, you keep ownership of your work. However, by posting, you give us a global, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use it — to display, modify, distribute, and use your content to improve our Services, including marketing, translations, and sharing on affiliated platforms.

This license also lets us create derivative works and transfer the rights as needed. You waive any moral rights or need for credit attribution in how we use your content. We will follow our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines when exercising any rights in relation to the content.

You are responsible for ensuring you have the rights to any content you share, including permissions for third-party materials like music or videos. We may remove or modify any content that violates the Platform Policies or others' rights.

The Platform exclusively owns all its content, including visuals, features, design elements, software, and other components (excluding user and third-party content). This content is protected by all applicable intellectual property rights worldwide, including copyrights, trademarks, and patents.

Using the Platform does not give you ownership of its content. You cannot modify, reproduce, distribute, or publicly display Platform content, other users' content, or third-party content unless you have explicit permission from the owner.

The Platform values your feedback and uses it to improve our Services. When you share ideas, suggestions, or comments ("Feedback"), you agree to the following terms:

• Your Feedback must not include confidential or proprietary information belonging to others.
• The Platform is not obligated to keep your Feedback confidential and may already be working on similar improvements.
• By sharing Feedback, you give the Platform full ownership and the right to use it in any way, without compensation or obligations to you, even if you marked it as confidential.

We address Community Guidelines violations in a measured manner, starting with content removal and escalating to temporary or permanent account bans based on the severity and frequency of issues.

We also work with law enforcement when there is a real risk of harm, public safety threats, or other legal violations.

The Platform offers premium Services and features that require payment. This includes virtual items and platform-specific coins ("Virtual Items") representing gift vouchers and subscription elements within our ecosystem. When making purchases, you authorise us or our designated payment processors to charge your selected payment method, including applicable taxes.

• All purchases are final and non-refundable once completed.
• Virtual Items represent limited-use licenses, not ownership rights.
• Users must use only authorised payment channels; any attempt to circumvent payment systems is prohibited.
• The Platform reserves the right to modify or restrict access to paid features for violations of Platform Policies.
• Purchases once made, or Gifts sent using Virtual Items, cannot be reversed or refunded.

We do not allow content that promotes violence, dangerous activities, or harmful behaviour. This includes:

• Graphic violence, display or discussion of gore or bodily conditions.
• Cruelty or mistreatment of people or animals, including violent imagery or content glorifying suffering.
• Support for terrorists, extremist groups, or criminal organisations — praising their actions or recruiting for them.
• Promotion of organised crime or encouraging involvement in violent groups.
• Instructions for making weapons, explosives, or dangerous materials.
• Content promoting criminal and illegal activities.

Sparsha has strict policies against sexual content to maintain user safety and platform integrity. All forms of sexual content are prohibited:

• Pornographic, sexually explicit, or suggestive material.
• Sexual poses, suggestive dancing, or simulation of sexual activity.
• Using intimate images or recordings to harass, threaten, or exploit others, including sharing intimate content without consent.
• Content that invades bodily privacy or shares personal information for exploitation.
• Content harmful to minors, including any material related to paedophilia, child sexual abuse, or child exploitation — whether visual, audio, or text.
• Content that depicts, promotes, or glorifies non-consensual sexual activities, rape, sexual assault, molestation, or any form of sexual violence.
• Content featuring revealing clothing, partial nudity, or any attempts to circumvent these restrictions through implied sexual content or innuendo.

We prohibit any content involving animal harm, exploitation, or abuse — including acts depicting animal cruelty, illegal trading (particularly of endangered species), or content that sexualises animals in any way. Sharing such content may lead to account restriction and may be reported to relevant authorities.

The Platform maintains strict policies against harassment and bullying. We encourage users to report content that harasses, degrades, or shames others rather than engaging with it directly. The Platform explicitly prohibits:

• Using abusive language, curse words, altered or manipulated images, and malicious recordings meant to cause harm or distress.
• Discriminating against others based on gender, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, disabilities, religion, or sexual preferences.
• Extortion or blackmail of any individual, whether generally or based on protected characteristics.
• Trying to contact users through alternate accounts after being blocked.
• Sharing personal images or information without consent, especially to harass, distress, or endanger someone.
• Spreading false information to cause emotional, physical, or mental harm or to achieve financial gain.

We do not tolerate any content that promotes discrimination, violence, or hatred against any individual or group. The Platform explicitly prohibits:

• Promoting discrimination, violence, or hatred based on protected characteristics including religion, race, caste, ethnicity, nationality, disability, disease, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
• Intimidating, demeaning, or portraying specific communities or protected groups as inferior, including through hate propaganda or negative stereotypes.
• Attempting to justify violence or promote enmity against any group, particularly content meant to incite religious or caste-based conflict.
• Making defamatory statements or otherwise false, untrue, or misleading claims.

The Platform specifically prohibits imagery or symbols of hate groups and hateful ideologies. We do not allow disrespectful comments targeting religious beliefs, including insults to Gods, religious deities, symbols, or emblems of any faith.

Our Platform strictly prohibits content showing any form of abuse or maltreatment of individuals, whether children or adults. This includes physical, mental, sexual, or psychological abuse. We do not allow content that glorifies or provides instructions for self-harm, promotes suicide, or displays abusive behaviours.

We encourage content focused on recovery, healing, and mental health awareness. Users can share personal experiences and coping strategies that help others. However, these stories should not include triggering details or identify individuals without their consent.

Our communication features are designed for social connection and entertainment purposes only. Our Services are not meant to replace regular phone services, particularly in emergency situations. You must not use our Platform to contact emergency services such as hospitals, police, medical centres, or other emergency response teams.

Our Platform safeguards user privacy by preventing screenshots and screen recordings during video calls. We also provide AI-generated avatars for profile pictures, enabling users to express themselves while maintaining anonymity.

The misuse or unauthorized sharing of personal data — including contact details, passwords, addresses, financial information, biometric data, government IDs, health information, or any private or intimate content — is strictly prohibited. Users must:

• Not post or share sensitive information about others.
• Not record or distribute interactions without consent.
• Not impersonate others or threaten to expose personal data.
• Avoid sharing personal contact information during public calls.
• Not attempt to gather personal details including login credentials, real names, or social media profiles.
• Not share links to external platforms where such information might be accessed.

The Platform prohibits the deliberate sharing of false, defamatory, or misleading content, whether in public or private communications. We do not tolerate fabricated news, hoaxes, or manipulated media — whether text, audio, or video — that could harm individuals, disrupt democratic processes, enable fraud, or incite conflict.

We take action against content that uses false claims to damage reputations or influence financial or political outcomes. While satire and parody are welcome, they must be clearly identifiable and not intended to mislead. Users are encouraged to verify their sources and present information truthfully.

Content that misleads about its source or purpose is not allowed, including deceptive promotions and content containing malicious links or phishing attempts. All promotional content must be transparent and honest. Misleading titles or descriptions that do not accurately represent content are prohibited, as are links to malware, scams, or misrepresented content. Accounts with repeated violations may face restrictions or suspension.

Our Platform is designed to promote fair and honest engagement for all users. The following activities are not allowed:

• Using unauthorized tools, programs, or modifications to alter Platform functionality or gain an unfair advantage.
• Employing automated tools, bots, or exploiting technical vulnerabilities.
• Accessing the Platform via modified or tampered devices, such as rooted or jailbroken devices.
• Creating multiple accounts, manipulating Platform metrics, or accessing other users' accounts without authorization.
• Developing tools that disrupt Platform operations or extract information without authorization.

Trading or engaging in commercial activities involving regulated or restricted items is strictly prohibited. This includes:

• Alcohol or tobacco products
• Recreational drugs
• Substances requiring special permits or licenses
• Pharmaceutical products
• Sexual services or related solicitations
• Any goods or services requiring government authorization

Users are also prohibited from sharing content depicting substance abuse or encouraging its use, including content promoting recreational drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or other harmful substances.

Activities that involve fraudulent, illegal, or unethical financial practices are strictly prohibited. This includes:

• Money laundering schemes or attempts to conceal the source of funds
• Embezzlement or misappropriation of funds
• Unauthorized gambling operations, including unofficial lotteries or betting
• Financial schemes designed to defraud users or circumvent legal restrictions

Users must respect national emblems, including the Indian national flag, national anthem, and other officially recognized symbols of national importance. Content that disrespects, misuses, or demeans these symbols is strictly prohibited.

Additionally, content that threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security, or sovereignty of India, harms friendly relations with foreign states, disrupts public order, incites cognizable offences, prevents the investigation of crimes, or insults other nations is also prohibited.

We are committed to respecting and safeguarding personal, public, and private property. Any actions or content that encourage harm to property or financial well-being are strictly prohibited. This includes:

• Threats of vandalism or property destruction
• Extortion or financial threats
• Sharing information intended to facilitate theft
• Coordinating activities that may result in financial or property loss

As an intermediary under Indian law, we provide a platform for users to connect and share content while enforcing our Community Guidelines. However, users are solely responsible for the content they create, share, or interact with, and we are not directly liable for user-generated content or actions, except as required by law.

We review reported content and take necessary action against violations, including removing content or restricting accounts. Our responsibility does not extend to third-party services or features accessed through our Platform.

We regularly review and update these Community Guidelines to better serve our community. If there are significant changes, we will notify users through official channels such as SMS or WhatsApp. By continuing to use Sparsha after any updates, you agree to the revised Community Guidelines. We encourage you to check these Community Guidelines periodically to stay informed.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless us, our subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, and their respective officers, directors, employees, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, proceedings, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, demands, or expenses, including attorney fees, arising from:

• Your access to or use of the Platform and Services
• Any breach of your obligations under these Community Guidelines
• Your violation of third-party rights, including intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or consumer protection rights
• Any violation of law or contractual obligations and any resulting claims, demands, or notices
• Your negligent acts or wilful misconduct

This indemnification obligation survives the termination of these Terms. Your acts or omissions on Sparsha may also attract civil or criminal liability. An illustrative list of applicable provisions under Rule 3(1)(b) of IT Rules, 2021: