Exchanging email with other Internet users 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, e-mail of unwelcome types (collectively known, along with other unwelcome activity, as NET ABUSE) is sent and received.

It is not always obvious whether such mail is innocent, inadvertent, or intentional, however, certain activities will result in action being taken by SBB as described below. SBB provides e-mail services as part of the package of Internet Access services. SBB reserves the right to change this Acceptable Use Policy for email services 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:

• Chain Letters and Ponzi Pyramid-Selling Schemes:
  Such messages work (or rather, don't work) in much the same way as their paper-based cousins. The most common example of this in e-mail is MAKE-MONEY-FAST. In addition to being a waste of resources, such messages are illegal in certain countries.
• Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE):
  Unsolicited Commercial Email is advertising material received by email without the recipient either requesting such information or otherwise expressing an interest in the material advertised.
  Since many Internet users use a dial-up connection and pay for their online time, it costs them money to receive email. Receipt of unsolicited commercial advertising therefore costs them money and is particularly unwelcome.
  It should be noted that a user has not expressed an interest by the mere act of posting a news article in any particular newsgroup, unless of course they have made a specific request for information to be e-mailed to them.
• Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE):
  Similar to the above UCE but not attempting to sell anything. Its sole purpose is usually to annoy.
• Forged headers and / or Addresses:
  Forging headers or messages means sending mail such that its origin appears to be another user or machine, or a non-existent machine.
  It is also forgery to arrange for any replies to the mail to be sent to some other user or machine.
  However, in either case, if prior permission has been granted to you by the other user or the administrators of the other machine, then there is no problem, and of course "null" reverse paths can be used as defined in the relevant RFCs.
• Mail Bombing:
  Mail bombing is the sending of multiple e-mail's, or one large email, with the sole intent of annoying and / or seeking revenge on a fellow Internet user. It is wasteful of shared Internet resource as well as serving no value to the recipient.
  Due to the time taken to download it, sending long email to sites without prior agreement can amount to denial of service, or access to email at the receiving site. Note that if binary attachments are added to mail this may increase the size considerably. If prior arrangement has not been made, the mail will be extremely unwelcome.
• Denial of Service attacks:
  Denial of Service is any activity designed to prevent a specific host on the Internet making full and effective use of their facilities. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Mail bombing an address in such a way to make their Internet access impossible, difficult, or costly.
  • Opening an excessive number of mail connections to the same host.
  • Intentionally sending email designed to damage the receiver's systems when interpreted; for example, sending malicious programs or viruses attached to an email.
  • Using a smarthost or SMTP relay without authorisation to do so.
• Mailing List Subscriptions:
  Customers must not subscribe anyone, other than a user on your own host, to a mail list or similar service without their permission.
• Illegal Content:
  You must not send via email any item which it is illegal to send or possess. This includes material which is prohibited under the various Acts of Parliament dealing with material sent over a public telecommunications network, notably the telephone system.
• Breach of Copyright or Intellectual Property:
  You must not send Copyright material or Intellectual Property via email unless you have permission to do so.

Serious net abuse via SBB customer accounts will result in the following action:

• First offence:
  • The offending account will be suspended and access will not be available.
  • The customer will be required to contact Administration (telephone 01595 696297) and convince a senior member of staff that there will be no further breaches of the Conditions of Use and Acceptable Use Policies from the account.
  • If the customer fails to contact Customer Services within 14 days, the account may be terminated.
  • In no circumstances will any refund be made for the period the account is suspended under this AUP.
  • Should it, in the sole opinion of SBB, be considered necessary, then a public announcement will be made and this will include the disclosure of the abuser's identity.
• Second offence:
  • The customer account will be terminated immediately.
  • No refund of monies paid for the account will be made, except as specified in the standard Conditions of Use.
  • Should it, in the sole opinion of SBB, be considered necessary, then a public announcement will be made and this will include the disclosure of the abuser's identity.