FixMyStreet Conditions of Use
Violation of any of the below rules is likely to lead to the immediate suspension of your account so you will no longer be able to make reports or updates on FixMyStreet. In some cases, breaking these rules could lead to legal action being taken against you by the authorities or an aggrieved party. Please be aware that in exceptional circumstances FixMyStreet could be legally obliged to reveal your registration information and/or IP address to the authorities.
Keep your reports and updates civil, tasteful and relevant. Please:
- No defamatory comments. A defamatory comment is one that is capable of damaging the reputation of a person or organisation. If successfully sued you could be held liable for considerable damages and costs.
- Do not implicate other people in your reports. FMS should not be used for reports that implicate a person; you should never identify anyone as a wrongdoer by name, description or address. Reports about anti-social behaviour, animal cruelty, parking offences, criminal activity etc should not be reported on FixMyStreet - you’ll often find that your council has a hotline for these types of issues, or it may be better to report them directly to the police.
- Do not post messages that are unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, homophobic or racially offensive.
- Do not impersonate other people. Reports or comments deliberately intended to look as though they are coming from someone else may leave you liable to defamation law.
- Do not use the website as a place to air personal grievances about other people or organisations.
- No swearing. People of all ages read and contribute to FixMyStreet. Please don't use profanities or other words which might offend them.
- No spamming or flooding. Don't repost the same message, or very similar messages, more than once.
- Be aware that FixMyStreet reports and updates are displayed publicly on the website. For this reason, please do not include personal details such as your (or another person’s) address or telephone number in your initial report - these can be provided when the council get in touch with you. This is for your own safety and that of everyone who uses this service. All reports and updates can be made anonymously by unticking the ‘Display my name publicly’ box.
- Talk to other people online with the same degree of civility as you would offline. FixMyStreet does allow for anonymous commenting but anonymity should never be used as a cover for inappropriate or abusive comments.
As with all mySociety services and activities, users of FixMyStreet must abide by the organisation's Code of Conduct. This code applies to all activity related to the service, including correspondence with mySociety staff.
Where a user sends a message that is intended to harass, threaten, abuse or distress a member of mySociety staff, we will, at our discretion, cease communication. We may also ban the correspondent from future use of the site.
Where a message is of particular concern, we will forward details of the correspondence to the police.