Guideline on Inappropriate and Sensitive Online Content: GrabAds and GrabFood

Last modified: 21 October 2022 

Introduction

Please read this Guideline on inappropriate and sensitive online content: GrabAds and GrabFood (“Guideline”) carefully. By using our Service (as defined in our Terms of Service), in particular for GrabAds and GrabFood, you are deemed to have read, agreed and understood the terms and conditions in this Guideline which are applicable to you. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions of this Guideline, please do not use or continue using our Platform or Service.

The following are illustrative and non-exhaustive examples of inappropriate content which are strictly prohibited when using our Platform or Service:

1. Obscene and Indecent Content

Content that is contrary to social and moral norms, common sense of decency and modesty. Such content includes, among others, nudity, sexually explicit images or messages, lewd, sexual activity and rape.

2. Offensive and Menacing Content

Content that has the tendency to annoy, harass, abuse or threaten any party or is generally against the current standard of morally accepted behaviour. Such content includes, but is not limited to, inappropriate elements that (i) threaten national security or public order; (ii) are political in nature or includes criticism of the Government or rulers; (iii) promote undesirable traits such as supporting or expressing sympathy or support to terrorist acts or organisations; (iv) disregards the sensitivity of the community and social norms of the country in which the content is exhibited; or (v) depicts criminal and immoral activity.

3. Violent Content

Content that promotes violence, be it physical, verbal and psychological that induces fear or imitation. Such content includes advertisement of products such as weapons or contains visuals like blood and injuries.

4. False Content

Content that is fake or contains a significant degree of inaccuracies or false or incomplete or misleading information. These include sales of replica products such as replica antiques, products that do not have the required approval or license from the relevant government agencies, ‘miracle’ products that promise for instance, great health.

Further, any claims made in an advertisement should not fall into any act contrary to the provision of the Law on the Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services and Law on Consumer Protection such as claim is associated with dishonest acts, dishonest practice, misleading representation, bait advertisement, false promise to give gifts and prize, dishonest persuasive sale etc., and other relevant applicable laws and regulations.   

5. Content with Bad Language

Content with offensive, inappropriate, profane or crude language. Such content includes inappropriate naming of a product or food item or unsavoury description of a product.

6. Religious Content

Content that refers to a particular religion or contains the image of a religious personality whether past or current or which quotes religious texts to bolster the sale of a product. This category shall include advertisement of religious products. 

7. Content with Children

Content which is aimed at young children or depicts visuals of children must be handled with more care and sensitivity as they are easily influenced, impressionable and less matured/developed in thinking. Such content includes depictions of a child engaging in a dangerous activity, displaying a child in a degrading manner or exploitation of children. 

8. Content with Illegal / Prohibited Products

The following products are generally prohibited from being advertised or are otherwise considered inappropriate:

• Cigarette, tobacco, and vaping products;

• Illicit drugs;

• Alcoholic Products for underaged users;

• Displaying the form of alcohol products (e.g., show a bottle of beer);

• Firearms, weapons, other explosive material/products designed to explode, and services which instruct/teach production/enhancement of such products including fireworks;

• Marriage agencies and ‘friendship’ clubs;

• Pornographic materials and sexual products and services (sex toys, books, videos, etc.);

• Gambling;

• Products with inappropriate wording such as t-shirts;

• Fortune telling, astrology services;

• Unregistered medicines;

• Exotic meat, endangered animals and products of wildlife trafficking, illegal hunting and poaching of endangered species such as marine mammals, shark fins, rhino horns, ivory, deer musk, bear bile, tiger penis, and any similar products;

• Unlicensed enterprises/products such as money lending agencies, weight loss programmes, gyms, health supplements, travel agent, shares and indices trading platforms and deceptive business practices such as Ponzi / pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, guaranteed results, investment or trading courses and services;

• Cryptocurrencies, digital assets and forex trading;

• Counterfeit or IP infringed products;

• Specially controlled or dangerous drugs e.g. birth control pills;

• Abortion services;

• Breastmilk substitutes;

• Birth control products (Condoms, IUD etc).

9. Non Denigration or Disparaging Content

The content of an advertisement should not have the aim of attacking or discrediting its competitors. While comparison is good to promote vigorous competitions, it should be based on the principle of fair competition instead of outright mockery, ridicule or attack.

10. Use of People in Advertisement

Content where there is the use of women and children (see Paragraph 7 above) should be handled with more care. Advertisements should not portray women as an object of sex or in an exploitative manner. People with disabilities should be portrayed in a positive light and racial profiling and discrimination must be avoided.

11. Satirical Content

An advertisement can be funny and satirical. However, extra care must be taken. It is advisable to avoid having well known public/political figures as the center of the joke. The list of such people includes government leaders, politicians, religious and community leaders, activists and competitor’s business leaders.

12. Unauthorized Use of Brands

Content that uses other parties’ registered trademarks without appropriate approval. 

13. Abuse of “Halal” Content

False content that reflects the product they are offering is Halal to attract consumers.

We reserve the right to add, amend or remove this Guideline at any time, without the need for prior notice. If you do not agree to any of the changes, you must stop using our Platform and Services. Please note that your continued use of our Platform and Services will mean that you have agreed and consented to any changes to this Guideline.