Anti-Spam Policy

1. Our Commitment

Ping is committed to preventing spam and maintaining the integrity of our platform. We have zero tolerance for unsolicited bulk messaging and take proactive measures to ensure our services are used responsibly and in compliance with all applicable anti-spam laws, including:

• CAN-SPAM Act (United States)
• GDPR (European Union)
• POPIA (South Africa)
• PECR (United Kingdom)
• CASL (Canada)
• Other national and regional anti-spam regulations

2. What is Spam?

For the purposes of this policy, spam includes but is not limited to:

• Unsolicited Commercial Messages: Marketing, promotional, or commercial messages sent to recipients who have not explicitly opted in
• Deceptive Content: Messages with misleading sender information, false subject lines, or deceptive claims
• Mass Unsolicited Messages: Bulk messages sent to recipients without their consent, regardless of content
• Harvested Lists: Messages sent to contacts obtained through scraping, purchasing, or other unauthorized means
• Missing Opt-Out: Messages that do not include a clear, functional unsubscribe mechanism
• Affiliate Spam: Sending messages on behalf of third parties without proper authorization or consent

3. Consent Requirements

3.1 Explicit Opt-In Required:

You must obtain explicit, verifiable consent from all recipients before sending them messages through Ping. Acceptable consent methods include:

• Checkbox opt-in on web forms (pre-checked boxes do NOT constitute valid consent)
• SMS keyword opt-in (e.g., "Text JOIN to subscribe")
• Double opt-in via confirmation email or SMS
• In-person consent (with documented records)
• Existing customer relationships (where legally permitted under legitimate interest provisions)

3.2 Clear Disclosure:

At the point of consent collection, you must clearly disclose:

• What types of messages recipients will receive (marketing, transactional, alerts, etc.)
• Approximate frequency of messages
• Your business or brand name
• How to opt out
• Link to your privacy policy

3.3 Consent Documentation:

You must maintain records of consent for all recipients, including:

• Date and time of consent
• Method of consent (form, keyword, etc.)
• Exact language shown to the recipient
• IP address or location where consent was given
• Source (website URL, physical location, etc.)

Ping may request proof of consent at any time, and you must be able to provide it within 48 hours.

4. Content Requirements

All messages sent through Ping must comply with the following:

4.1 Accurate Sender Information:

• Use your real business name or brand (no impersonation)
• Provide valid contact information
• Include your physical mailing address in email messages
• Do not disguise or manipulate sender information

4.2 Truthful Subject Lines and Content:

• Subject lines must accurately reflect message content
• Do not use deceptive headers or routing information
• Clearly identify commercial messages as advertisements
• Do not make false or misleading claims

4.3 Opt-Out Mechanism:

• Every marketing message must include a clear, conspicuous opt-out method
• Opt-out must be free and easy to use (e.g., "Reply STOP" for SMS, unsubscribe link for email)
• Opt-out requests must be honored within 48 hours
• Once someone opts out, you cannot send them messages again without new consent
• You cannot require login or multi-step processes to opt out

5. Prohibited Practices

The following practices are strictly prohibited:

• Purchased or Rented Lists: Do not use contact lists purchased, rented, or obtained from third parties without verified consent
• Scraping and Harvesting: Do not use automated tools to collect contact information from websites, social media, or other sources
• Dictionary Attacks: Do not generate or guess contact information (e.g., [email protected] patterns)
• Appending Contacts: Do not add contacts to your lists without explicit consent, even if they are existing customers
• Sharing Consent: Consent obtained for one purpose cannot be transferred to unrelated third parties
• Ignoring Opt-Outs: Do not continue messaging after opt-out or bounce/complaint
• Affiliate Spam: Do not send messages on behalf of third parties without proper authorization and consent chain

6. Monitoring and Enforcement

6.1 Automated Monitoring:

Ping employs automated systems to detect spam, including:

• Content analysis for spam triggers and patterns
• Complaint rate tracking (bounces, unsubscribes, abuse reports)
• Sending pattern analysis (volume spikes, suspicious frequency)
• Engagement metrics (open rates, click rates, deletion rates)
• Blacklist monitoring and sender reputation scoring

6.2 Complaint Rate Thresholds:

• Acceptable: Less than 0.1% complaint rate
• Warning: 0.1% - 0.3% complaint rate (investigation triggered)
• Suspension: Greater than 0.3% complaint rate (immediate account review)

Complaint rate = (Spam Complaints + Hard Bounces) / Messages Sent × 100

6.3 Manual Review:

Ping reserves the right to manually review any account flagged by automated systems or user reports. We may request:

• Proof of consent for recipients
• Description of list acquisition methods
• Sample opt-in forms or processes
• Business justification for messaging campaigns

7. Consequences of Violations

Spam violations will result in the following enforcement actions:

7.1 First Offense:

• Written warning via email
• Requirement to provide proof of consent
• Mandatory review and remediation plan
• Temporary rate limiting during investigation

7.2 Second Offense:

• Account suspension for 7-30 days
• Mandatory corrective action before reinstatement
• Enhanced monitoring upon reinstatement
• Potential financial penalties or loss of prepaid credits

7.3 Third Offense or Severe Violations:

• Permanent account termination
• No refunds for prepaid services
• Ban from creating new accounts
• Reporting to relevant authorities and anti-spam organizations
• Legal action for damages to Ping's reputation or infrastructure

7.4 Immediate Termination:

The following violations may result in immediate termination without warning:

• Sending illegal content (scams, phishing, malware)
• Extremely high complaint rates (>1%)
• Using Ping for harassment or threats
• Deliberately circumventing anti-spam measures
• Repeated violations after previous warnings

8. Best Practices

To maintain good standing and avoid spam flags, follow these best practices:

• Use double opt-in for email and SMS subscriptions
• Send a welcome message immediately after opt-in to confirm and set expectations
• Honor stated messaging frequency (don't exceed what you promised)
• Segment your lists and send relevant content to each segment
• Regularly clean your lists (remove bounces, unsubscribes, and inactive contacts)
• Test messages before sending to large lists
• Monitor engagement metrics and adjust strategy based on performance
• Make it easy for recipients to manage preferences (not just binary opt-out)
• Include clear, prominent unsubscribe options in every message
• Respond promptly to individual opt-out requests even outside automated systems

9. Reporting Spam

If you receive spam sent through Ping or believe another user is violating this policy, please report it immediately:

• Email: [email protected]
• Subject: "Spam Report - [Details]"
• Include: Message content, sender information, timestamp, and any other relevant details

All reports are taken seriously and investigated promptly. We will not disclose reporter identity to the accused party.

10. Cooperation with Authorities

Ping cooperates fully with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and anti-spam organizations. We may disclose account information and message content in response to:

• Valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, warrants)
• Regulatory investigations
• Anti-spam organization requests (e.g., SpamCop, SURBL)
• Legitimate abuse complaints from Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Anti-Spam Policy from time to time to reflect changes in laws, regulations, or best practices. Material changes will be communicated to active users via email at least 30 days before taking effect.

Your continued use of Ping after policy changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.