Acceptable Use Policy
Last updated: July 2026
AfricansAsk is a space for real conversation across a wide range of topics — including ones people feel strongly about. Passionate debate is part of what makes this platform valuable, not something we want to suppress. These rules exist to keep that debate possible without it becoming abuse.
1. Never allowed, anywhere on the platform
- Harassment, threats, or targeted abuse of any person or group
- Hate speech based on ethnicity, tribe, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, or disability
- Doxxing — sharing someone's private information (address, phone number, workplace, etc.) without consent
- Spam, scams, or fake engagement (bot accounts, vote manipulation, coordinated brigading)
- Impersonating another person, organization, or public figure
- Content that sexualizes or endangers minors, under any framing
- Content that is illegal under the laws of Canada, where AfricansAsk is operated
2. Good debate vs. not allowed
Because this policy leans on judgment calls, here's what the line actually looks like in practice:
✓ This is fine
"I think the government's fuel subsidy removal was economically necessary, even if the short-term pain has been brutal — here's why."
✗ Not allowed
"Anyone who supports subsidy removal is a sellout and an enemy of the people" directed at another user personally.
✓ This is fine
"I've noticed Kenyan tech policy tends to be more startup-friendly than Nigeria's — curious why that gap exists."
✗ Not allowed
Sweeping insults about an entire nationality or ethnic group's character, intelligence, or worth.
3. Politics & Governance
This category sees the most passionate discussion on the platform, and it's held to the same standard as everywhere else, enforced a little more closely:
- Debate ideas, not people. No personal attacks, even in a heated exchange.
- Back claims with sources where you can. Unverified rumors presented as fact will be flagged.
- This is a pan-African space — disagreement about one country's politics should never become an attack on another nation or its people.
- Calls for or celebration of political violence are never allowed, regardless of which side or country is involved.
- Moderators may lock or remove threads that violate these rules without prior warning, given how quickly political threads can escalate.
4. Faith & Religion
- Respectful discussion and comparison of different faiths, denominations, and beliefs — including disagreement — is welcome.
- Mocking or demeaning someone's genuine faith, or attempting to bait believers of a specific religion into an argument for entertainment, is not.
- Sharing your own testimony or perspective is encouraged; declaring another person's faith invalid or "not real Christianity/Islam/etc." crosses into personal attack.
5. Romance & Family, Diaspora Life
- These categories often involve deeply personal situations — relationships, family conflict, cultural friction with partners abroad. Judgment is fine; cruelty is not.
- Advice should be offered in good faith, even when it's blunt. "Here's why I think that's a bad idea and what I'd do differently" is fine; personal insults about someone's choices are not.
- Sharing identifying details about a third party (a partner, in-law, or family member) who hasn't consented to being discussed publicly should be done carefully and anonymized where possible.
6. Dreams & Testimonies
- These are personal, often vulnerable posts. Interpretations and encouragement should be offered in good faith.
- Mocking someone's dream or testimony, or using this category to spread fear-based or manipulative interpretations for attention, isn't allowed.
- If you're not comfortable with an interpretation offered, you're never obligated to accept it — this is a space for perspective, not diagnosis.
7. Images & media
Don't upload images that are graphic, sexually explicit, or that you don't have the right to share. Images accompanying a post should be relevant to the discussion. Uploading someone else's copyrighted photography, artwork, or media without permission isn't allowed — see our Terms of Use for more on intellectual property.
8. Reporting
If you see something that violates this policy, use the report option on the post or comment. When reporting, it helps to note specifically what rule you believe was broken — this speeds up review. Our team reviews reports and takes action where warranted, prioritizing reports involving harassment, hate speech, and content that could cause real-world harm.
9. Enforcement
Violations are generally handled on an escalating scale, though severity can result in skipping straight to a stronger action:
1
Content removal
The specific post or comment is taken down
2
Warning
A formal note on your account explaining the violation
3
Temporary suspension
Time-limited loss of posting or commenting ability
4
Permanent ban
Reserved for severe or repeated violations
Repeat violations are treated more seriously than a first offense, and severe violations — hate speech, doxxing, threats, content involving minors — can result in an immediate permanent ban without going through earlier steps.
10. Appeals
If you believe a moderation action was made in error, you can appeal by contacting us via our Company page with your username and a brief explanation. We review appeals in good faith, though not every decision will be reversed.