Acceptable Content Policy (US)

The Knot Worldwide Inc. (“TKWW,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) offer an innovative community and marketplaces for the wedding industry, expectant parents, and for other important life events, where prospective brides and grooms, newlyweds, wedding guests, people hosting an event, cohabitants of a residence, and expectant parents (collectively, “Members”), and companies and other third parties offering products and services related to weddings or other important life events (collectively, “Vendors”) (all of the foregoing, including Members and Vendors, are referred to collectively, herein as “Users”) can interact and collaborate with one another to bring an important life event to life. As operators of The Knot, WeddingWire, WeddingPro, Simply Eloped, The Bump, and other services we may own and operate from time to time in the United States of America (the “Services”) we dedicate ourselves to helping each User to connect easily with one another. We believe that the most important part of communication between Users is a space where all are respected and a safe and inclusive environment is maintained. Our Users’ trust in us is based on the foundation of consideration for every User.

We believe that finding a means of balance between personal expression and the rights and freedoms of other Users is essential to provide the Services. In order to maintain a space of trust and consideration, we have implemented this Acceptable Activities Policy for all Users of our Services. This policy is incorporated into our Terms of Use for each of the Services (Collectively, the “Term of Use”) and applies to the information, text, messages, photos, videos, graphics, audio, files, links, other media or materials uploaded or downloaded on or through the Services, and any activity taken on or through the Services by our Users (“Content”).

1. Application and Enforcement of Our Policies

   
   1.1. Applicability.

   This Acceptable Activities Policy applies to all Users of our Services. Our Services are intended for the safe enjoyment of all Users, and we reserve the right to remove any Content posted by Users for any reason or no reason. While this policy is intended to provide clear rules regarding the acceptable use of the Services, the enforcement of this policy to specific factual scenarios is difficult and involves making decisions based on sometimes limited, often unverified or unvetted information in contexts which are not always obvious or clear. We do our best to promote fairness for all of our Users. When enforcing this Acceptable Activities Policy, our privacy policies for The Knot, WeddingWire, WeddingPro, Simply Eloped, The Bash and The Bump (collectively, the “Privacy Policy”), our Terms of Use, Terms of Purchase, and other applicable policies, we may rely on the advice and counsel of other parties, including health and safety experts, personal rights experts, legal counsel, and other trusted partners. Our goal is to provide our Users with a fair application of these rules. Our Acceptable Activities Policy applies to all Content posted on or through the Services, including chats, direct communications, public, semi-public, or private posts or comments, the subject matter of any User-to-User communications, User profiles, media such as videos, photos, audio files, links to third party websites, apps, or content.

   
   1.2. Investigation and Enforcement.

   If we become aware of Content or activities that violate our Acceptable Activities Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Terms of Purchase, or other policies, we will investigate such reports as soon as possible. Ourinvestigation process involves reviewing the activity and/or Content in the context of the relevant circumstances and whether such activity or Content is a matter of legitimate public interest. We may request additional information from our Users to assist in investigations. If we determine that activity or Content violates our Acceptable Activities Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Terms of Purchase, or other policies, the Content may be deleted by us and the account(s) of the offending User(s) may be suspended or terminated. In addition, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate any User account which contains Content in violation of such policies and terms. We also reserve the right to report any conduct, including and especially illegal activities, to law enforcement. While we endeavor to enforce this Acceptable Activities Policy to the best of our ability, we are not liable to you for any action or inaction with respect to the enforcement of this Acceptable Activities Policy.

   
   

2. Reporting Violations
   Because the Services are used by many different types of people and businesses, we work hard to block out all harmful Content. The understanding and active cooperation of Users is extremely crucial as well. We hope that all Users will share Content that is appropriate so that all Users can continue to use the Services. Users can report violations of this or any other applicable policy by emailing policy@theknotww.com. We will process the report as soon as possible and take steps to protect the identity of the person submitting the report when possible. However, it is not always possible to protect the reporting person from direct or indirect identification. Reporting of an activity does not always result in a determination that a policy has been violated, and not all violations result in suspension or termination of an account or User.

   
   

3. Automatic Content Filtering
   In addition to the reporting service, we also block problematic Content and member activity through an automatic detection system. The automatic detection system is founded on the results of disciplinary actions taken from past reports by Users and self-moderated content according to our policies and uses machine learning services to detect and dispose of such Content. This is an AI method that filters out problematic Content and enforces disciplinary action throughout the system. Harmful Content shared in the system is quickly removed, and to prevent additional problems the system filtering applies to all registered Content on the Services, whether the communication is public or private. Like any automatic content filtering system, our content filtering system may filter out otherwise permissible conduct or may not filter out Content which violates our policies.

   
   

4. Prohibited Activities

   
   4.1. Illegal and Other Prohibited Activities

   
   We require our Users to abide by the laws applicable to us and to them. Activities which are prohibited under the laws of Users’ jurisdiction, or ours, are prohibited on the Services. We may remove Content if it relates or pertains to activities, including the sale of goods or services, that are illegal or regulated in a particular jurisdiction. We also reserve the right to remove Content if it involves legal activity but is interpreted by us to be against our interests as an online marketplace. Illegal activities include criminal activities. We do not wish to promote, normalize, or condone criminal activities such as harashment, theft, assault and battery, sexual abuse, rape, human exploitation or other criminal endeavors.

   You may not post Content which:
   • Distributes unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of duplicative or unsolicited messages.
   • Promotes, glamorizes, recommends, or encourages criminal conduct, such as assault, battery, kidnapping, or rape.
   • Offers, advertises, promotes or facilitates the purchase, sale, or barter of unlawfully acquired goods or controlled substances.
   • Instructs, explains, or otherwise conveys how to engage in criminal or illegal activity.
   • Promotes or condones human exploitation.
   • Promotes or condones human exploitation.
   • Promotes or condones terrorism, terrorist groups, or extremist violence.
   • Promotes or facilitates the prostitution of another person.
   • Promotes or advertises threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person.
   • Promotes or advertises any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person.
   • Glamorizes or promotes sexual abuse or drug use.
   • Depicts or glamorizes sexual assault, including sexual violence, rape, and gang rape graphically or in detail.
   • Promotes or facilitates sexual activities including prostitution, cyber-sex, or explicit sexual dialogue.
   • Directs Users where to find obscene information or locations of adult entertainment establishments.
   • Sells or publicizes illegal products to Users.
   • May lead to monetary transactions related to the human body, including the sales of ovum, organs, or surrogate mothering.
   • Encourages speculative activities such as gambling.

   
   You are prohibited from using the Services for the purposes of engaging in commerce of goods or services if such commerce is restricted or prohibited in the United States or under the laws applicable to you or us. This includes engaging in the purchase or sale (or encouraging, facilitating, or assisting in the purchase or sale) of the following:
   • Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, or psychotropic drugs or medication.
   • Guns, blades, explosives, spray guns, electroshock weapons, crossbows, and imitation firearms that resemble actual firearms.
   • Prescription glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses
   • Electrical appliances or industrial products without safety certification mark(s) that require relevant safety certification, electrical appliances or industrial products without self-regulatory safety confirmation declaration mark(s) that require self-regulatory safety confirmation declaration, and goods without child-resistant packaging marks that require such markings.
   • Goods or service protected by intellectual property rights like trademark, copyright, trade secret, or patent, when such use in commerce violates such rights.
   • Military uniforms and goods.
   • Hazardous food, tainted meat, or synthetic products made with unapproved chemicals.
   • Health supplements and medical devices.
   • Stolen or lost property.
   • Endangered or protected wildlife, processed goods, or tools for wildlife capture.

   
   4.2. Sensitive Content Involving Minors.

   
   We are committed to keeping children safe from abuse and harm. We do not permit any predatory, salacious, or indecent behavior toward or by minors. We do not permit Content that depicts or disseminates child abuse, child nudity, or sexual exploitation of children in any manner, including in graphic depictions (cartoons or digital renderings), real life depictions, or child pornography in any form. We will report such Content which we believe is illegal to relevant legal authorities. The following are examples of some specific types of Content regarding minors that we deem inappropriate for our Services.
   
   

   • Content that depicts and/or simulates or suggests minors engaging in or subjected to explicit sexual acts.
   • Content that encourages child abuse or neglect, which means an act or failure to act which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor.
   • Content that depicts the unclothed or exposed sexual organs of minors. This may include Content that contains images of clothed people where an emphasis is placed on the male/female sexual organs or where the sexual organ’s outline or curves are revealed due to close-range photography.
   • Content that depicts sexual fetishes involving minors.
   • Content that depicts the minors in states of arousal.
   • Content that depicts minors possessing or engaging in the use of illegal or illicit substances. Depictions of minors consuming alcohol or tobacco, vaping, or engaging in other activities which may be permissible for youths under the age of 18 in some jurisdictions may be considered in violation of our policy in some contexts.
   • Content that directly portrays sexual activities or masturbation of minors.
   • Content that portrays minors as subjects of sexual entertainment.
   • Content that provides detailed description of inhumane sexual activities, including adultery or incest, or portrays such information for the sake of arousing interest.
   • Content that portrays illegal sexual activities such as prostitution of minors.
   • Content that provides a link to other websites that contain obscene Content involving minors.
   
   

   If you are aware of Users of the Services violating or contributing to the violation of our policy, please contact us immediately to report such violations.

   
   4.3. Abuse/Harassment

   
   Abusive or harassing behavior is not permitted on the Services. You may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone or encourage others to do so. Attempts to harass, intimidate, or silence someone else’s speech are prohibited. We also prohibit the use of the Services to engage in activity which is intended to develop relationships with other in order to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual harassment or abuse, sexual exploitation, or sexual trafficking.

   
   4.4. Hateful Conduct/Speech

   
   Speech or Content that expresses or conveys hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on characteristics such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation or preference, age, identity, national origin, gender, disability, disease, color, or other protected classification, or that is otherwise in violation of our Terms of Use, is prohibited. You may not post Content that includes violent threats against an identifiable person or group. Violent threats include:
   
   

   • Content which contains statements of intent to inflict injuries or serious bodily harm or death, e.g., “I will kill you”.
   • Content which contains statements wishing, hoping, or inciting physical or emotional harm upon a group or individual.
   • Content which contains statements regarding acts of violence (riots, murders, acts of terrorism) where protected groups have been the primary targets or victims.
   • Content which contains imagery intended to promote malice or hatred toward an individual or group.
   • Content which contains statements using non-consensual slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes, or degrading words, when such Content is intended to promote or affirm such statements.
   • Content which contains statements to incite fear within a protected person or group.
   
   When investigating violations of this Section 4.4, we take efforts to ensure that our interpretation of the facts and circumstances is as complete as possible. It is not always clear whether Content involves hateful intent, and we use commercially reasonable efforts to look at the allegedly prohibited Content in the light of the relevant context and circumstances when evaluating the Content and determining an enforcement option hereunder.

   
   4.5. Speech Glorifying or Promoting Violence

   
   We prohibit Content that is gratuitously shocking, sadistic, or excessively graphic, appeals to the prurient interest, or glorifies or promotes violence against humans or animals. Examples of this type of behavior include:
   
   

   • Content portraying violent or accidental death or serious bodily injury to people or animals.
   • Content portraying dismembered, mutilated, charred, or burned human, or animal remains.
   • Content portraying depictions of physical (including sexual) violence.
   • Content that portrays obscene or outrageous materials that may shock the conscience of others.
   
   

   When evaluating such Content under this Section 4.5, we may consider factors such as whether the depiction is fictional, stated, involves sporting events or the historical context or circumstances.

   
   4.6. Private/Intimate Material

   
   We prohibit posting Content which would invade the privacy of others, whether it be informational privacy, location privacy, bodily privacy, or emotional privacy. This includes the following:
   
   • “Doxxing,” which we define as broadcasting private or identifying information (especially personally identifying information) about an individual or organization in a manner or in a context which suggests (in our determination) an intent to inflict harm, shame, harassment, extortion, coercion, or promote violence or abuse against the person or individual. Examples of Doxxing include, but are not limited to, posting an unlisted street address of a person, their Social Security number, financial account numbers, or health records or information.
   • Posting Content which was sent to a User in confidence, privately, or with instructions that such Content should not be further disseminated.
   • Posting Content that is pornographic and/or may be intended to cause sexual arousal without the permission of the person depicted.

   
   4.7. Content Glorifying or Promoting Self-Harm or Suicide
   
   

   We do not allow acts that involve, request, encourage or promote self-harm or suicide. Acts that involve, request, encourage, or facilitate death or murder of humans or animals are strictly prohibited. Distribution of information linked to terrorism is also prohibited. Content that displays or refers to suicide, attempted suicide, suicidal tendencies, or that may encourage participation in such activities (by the author or others) will be removed. Content that praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide, or instructs others on how to commit suicide, is prohibited. If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, please reach out to the following organizations for assistance.
   
   

   Organizations for report/support regarding suicide issues
   
   

   National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
   http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
   1 800 273 8255
   
   

   Veteran/Military Crisis Line (for active U.S. service members, veterans, and
   family members)
   http://www.veteranscrisisline.net
   1 800 273 8255
   SMS: 838255
   
   

   The Trevor Project (for LGBT youth, friends, and family members)
   http://www.thetrevorproject.org
   1 866 488 7386
   
   

   Crisis Textline
   SMS: Text "HERE" to 741741

   4.8. Impersonating Others or Providing False Information

   When using the Services, one must enter accurate information. Discovery of false or fraudulent information may lead to suspension or termination of your account or reporting to law enforcement authorities. We do not tolerate Users impersonating other individuals or organizations in order to deceive the public or our Users.

   
   4.9. Spamming/Commercial Activities

   
   You may not use the Services for the purpose of spamming anyone. Spam is generally defined as unsolicited advertisements (whether commercial or non-commercial) in bulk or using aggressive tactics that attempt to manipulate or disrupt our Services or the experience of other Users. Users are also prohibited from using the Services to engage in illegal, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive activities. This includes, but is not limited to, illegal multilevel marketing activities, posting sponsored or commercial posts which are not properly designated as such, and engaging in phishing, spear-phishing, or social engineering.

   
   4.10. Content That May Harm the Services.

   
   Engaging in activity which may cause or contribute to the proper functioning of our Services or the services of our Users is prohibited. Furthermore, posting or linking to information which promotes, explains, facilitates or describes the illegal hacking or disruption of our Services is prohibited.

   
   

5. Intellectual Property

   
   You may not violate others’ intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark.

   
   5.1. Copyright.

   
   We respect the copyrights of others. We respond to copyright complaints submitted under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). Section 512 of the DMCA outlines the statutory requirements necessary for formally reporting copyright infringement, as well as providing instructions on how an affected party can appeal a removal by submitting a compliant counter-notice. Please see our Terms of Use for more information on how to submit and respond to a DMCA takedown notice. We will respond to reports of alleged copyright infringement consistent with our rights and the law.

   
   5.2. Trademark.

   
   You may not use another’s trademark in a way that may mislead or confuse people about your affiliation with the trademark owner or licensee. However, mere use of a trademarked material is not automatically a violation of trademark law. For example, using a trademark in a nominal manner or for parody, satire, commentary, or other permissible fair use, is not a violation of this policy. We investigate requests of trademark violation that are submitted by trademark holder or their authorized representative e.g., a legal representative or other representative for a brand. If we determine that you violated our trademark policy, we may remove the Content, suspend or terminate your account. In other instances, an account may be permanently suspended upon final review.

   Users can report violations of this or any other applicable policy by emailing policy@theknotww.com. This Acceptable Activities Policy may be updated from time to time by TKWW with or without notice.

   
   Date of implementation: May 23, 2025
   Last Updated: May 23, 2025