Participating on social media web sites is generally a matter of common sense and courtesy to others.

The majority of SBB customers are able to use their own sense of what is appropriate to guide their behaviour. From time to time however, postings of unwelcome types (collectively known, along with other unwelcome activity, as NET ABUSE) are sent and received. A user of any social media service should familiarise themselves with it’s own terms and conditions of use.

It is not always obvious whether such postings are innocent, inadvertent, or intentional, however, certain activities will result in action being taken by SBB as described in below. SBB reserves the right to change this Acceptable Use Policy for use of social media at their sole discretion and without prior notice. Any decision made by SBB in relation to this service shall be final on all matters.

NET ABUSE is an abuse of Internet facilities and not necessarily abuse on the Internet. To qualify as NET ABUSE, an act must interfere with the net-use of an individual or group of individuals in some specific way. NET ABUSE also includes activities that are illegal or dishonest.

Under the terms of this AUP, NET ABUSE includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Posting material which is defamatory of any person.
• Posting any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory.
• Posting sexually explicit material or it’s promotion.
• Posting that promote violence.
• Posting discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.
• Posting infringement any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person.
• Posting information likely to deceive any person.
• Posting in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
• Posting promoting any illegal activity.
• Posting anyone else’s, personal information, such as contact details.
• Posting threatening, abusive or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety (cyber bullying).
• Posting material likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm, or annoy any other person.
• Posting items which impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person.
• Posting items which advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act.

Illegal Use:
The Crown Prosecution Service’s ‘Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media’ set out four categories of criminal offence:

1. Credible threats (to a person’s life or safety or property)
2. Communications targeting specific individuals (including persistent harassment and ongoing abuse)
3. Breach of court orders (for example identifying people protected by law)
4. Communications which are grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false