Impersonation & Identity Abuse

Media.com is built around authentic and accountable participation.

You must not use Media.com to deceive people about who you are, who is behind an account, or whether you are authorised to represent another person or organization.

These Rules prohibit impersonation, false affiliation, identity theft and other deceptive uses of identity.

They do not prevent legitimate parody, commentary, fan accounts, professional names or other non-deceptive uses where users are not misled about who is speaking.

You do not need to present yourself in the same way in every context, but you must not deliberately create a false impression about the identity behind your Media.com account.

Do not:

• pretend to be another real person;
• falsely claim that another person controls your account;
• use another person's identity information without authority to obtain account privileges;
• use stolen or fabricated identity documents;
• misrepresent who is responsible for a profile; or
• otherwise deceive users about the person or organization behind an account.

Do not create or operate an account that is reasonably likely to make users believe you are another real person when you are not.

Media.com may consider:

• profile name;
• handle;
• profile photograph;
• biography;
• verification status;
• visual branding;
• content;
• account behaviour; and
• the overall impression created by the profile.

No single element is necessarily decisive.

Do not falsely present an account as the official profile of a:

• company;
• government body;
• charity;
• media organization;
• educational institution;
• public authority;
• association;
• brand; or
• other organization

when you are not authorised to represent it.

Do not create a materially misleading impression that Media.com has verified an organization relationship that does not exist.

Do not falsely claim to be:

• employed by;
• appointed by;
• authorised by;
• endorsed by;
• partnered with;
• affiliated with; or
• officially speaking for

another person or organization.

This includes former employees, contractors, officers or representatives who no longer hold the authority they claim.

A person may be permitted to manage or publish for an organization where they have the appropriate authority.

Media.com may require evidence of:

• identity;
• employment;
• office;
• ownership;
• agency;
• appointment; or
• another relevant relationship.

If your authority to represent an organization ends, you must not continue presenting yourself as its authorised representative.

Do not misuse Media.com's verification systems or Verified Status.

This includes:

• obtaining verification using another person's identity;
• transferring a verified account to another person;
• selling or purchasing Verified Status;
• allowing another person to present themselves publicly as the verified identity;
• changing an account after verification so that it deceptively represents someone else;
• submitting fraudulent organization-authority information; or
• otherwise using verification to create a false impression of identity or authority.

Additional requirements are set out in Media.com's Verification Rules.

Do not access, control or use another person's Media.com account without authority.

If an account appears to have been compromised, Media.com may temporarily restrict the account, require additional authentication or require re-verification while control is established.

A compromised account will not necessarily be treated as though the genuine account holder intentionally committed violations carried out by an unauthorised person.

Users may use names and handles that comply with Media.com's identity and verification requirements.

A name or handle may be prohibited where it is used to:

• impersonate another person;
• falsely suggest official status;
• create a materially misleading affiliation;
• facilitate fraud; or
• otherwise deceive users about identity.

The mere similarity of two names or handles does not automatically establish impersonation.

Media.com may permit users to display a professional, stage, pen, married, commonly known or other legitimate public name where permitted under Media.com's profile and verification requirements.

Media.com may still maintain verified identity information privately where required.

The public profile name does not necessarily need to reproduce every element of a person's government-issued legal name unless Media.com's applicable requirements say otherwise.

Parody, satire, commentary and fan accounts may be permitted where users are not materially misled into believing the account is the person or organization being discussed.

Media.com may consider whether the account:

• clearly indicates that it is unofficial, parody, satire, commentary or fan content;
• avoids deceptive verification signals;
• uses a sufficiently distinguishable presentation;
• does not falsely claim official authority; and
• does not otherwise engage in fraud or harmful impersonation.

Simply adding the word "parody" to a deceptive profile does not automatically make the account permissible.

Users may create accounts or publications that discuss public figures, organizations, brands or institutions.

Referring to another person or organization in a profile name, handle, article title or publication does not by itself constitute impersonation.

The relevant question is whether the overall presentation materially misleads users into believing the account is officially controlled or authorised by the subject.

Do not use AI-generated, synthetic, cloned or manipulated media to impersonate a real person in a materially deceptive manner.

This may include:

• cloned voice;
• synthetic video;
• manipulated photographs;
• AI-generated likenesses;
• fabricated video calls;
• synthetic spokespersons falsely presented as real people; or
• other deceptive representations of identity.

Synthetic or manipulated content may also be governed by Media.com's Synthetic & Manipulated Media Rules.

Media.com may permit memorial, archival, historical, estate-authorised or fan content concerning deceased people.

Users must not deceptively present themselves as a deceased person or falsely imply that a profile remains under that person's control.

Media.com may provide separate memorialisation or legacy-account features where supported.

Using another person's identity to obtain:

• money;
• property;
• information;
• account access;
• verification;
• commercial advantage; or
• another material benefit

may also violate Media.com's Fraud & Criminal Activity Rules.

Serious identity theft may result in immediate account-level action.

Do not use another person's photograph or likeness in a way that materially deceives users into believing you are that person.

Legitimate uses may include:

• journalism;
• commentary;
• fan accounts;
• satire;
• documentary material;
• historical content; or
• other contexts where the account's true identity is reasonably clear.

Users and organizations can report suspected impersonation or identity abuse through Media.com's Report function.

Media.com may request information reasonably necessary to determine:

• the identity of the complainant;
• the identity being impersonated;
• the relationship between the parties;
• whether authority exists; and
• other relevant circumstances.

A report does not itself establish that impersonation occurred.

Where Media.com determines that these Rules have been violated, action may include:

• requiring changes to a name, handle, image or profile information;
• removing misleading verification indicators;
• requiring additional verification;
• restricting an account while identity or control is reviewed;
• removing content;
• restricting platform features;
• removing Verified Status;
• issuing a warning;
• temporarily suspending an account; or
• permanently removing an account.

Media.com does not need to apply these measures sequentially.

Deliberate identity theft, fraudulent verification, malicious account takeover or serious impersonation used to facilitate harm may result in immediate account-level action.

Users may appeal eligible identity or impersonation decisions where they believe Media.com made an error.

Media.com may require additional identity or authority documentation as part of an appeal.

For more information, see Appealing a Media.com Decision.

These Rules should be read together with:

• Verification;
• Fraud & Criminal Activity;
• Content & Conduct Standards;
• Account Integrity & Enforcement Evasion;
• Synthetic & Manipulated Media;
• Copyright & Intellectual Property;
• Privacy & Personal Information;
• Platform Integrity; and
• other applicable Media.com Rules and Policies.