Content, Moderation and Complaints Rules

This is a translation provided for convenience. The rules are published in Russian, and the Russian edition is the one that governs.

What this document is§

These rules describe what material may be posted on KazMaps, how moderation works, and how to complain — about material, about another user, about how the service works, or about a decision we made. The document takes into account the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 18-VIII of 10 July 2023 "On Online Platforms and Online Advertising".

The rules form part of the Terms of Service and apply to all material users post in the service: reviews, photos, replies by organisations, and edits to places on the map. Map edits are additionally governed by the Contributor Agreement.

Prohibited content§

You may not post material that:

• breaks the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• promotes terrorism, extremism, violence or drugs;
• contains threats, harassment or cyberbullying, including against children;
• incites ethnic, religious or other discord;
• discloses other people's personal data without their consent — addresses, phone numbers, documents, or images of private life;
• contains knowingly false information — about places, organisations or events;
• is spam, or advertising outside the formats the service provides;
• contains malicious links or code;
• infringes copyright or other rights.

The list is not exhaustive: material that breaks the law or the rights of other people is subject to removal even when it fits none of the items above.

Content standards§

Reviews§

A review is a personal experience of visiting a place. Reviews that are off-topic for the place, insults instead of an assessment, paid-for and fabricated reviews, and reviews of one's own organisation or of competitors are hidden.

Photos§

A photo must be taken at the place it is attached to. Other people's images, watermarks of other services, and images that expose people's private lives without their consent are not allowed.

Map edits§

An edit must reflect the verifiable state of the ground. The procedure for submitting and reviewing edits is set by the Contributor Agreement; you may submit edits from the age of 18.

How moderation works§

Material passes automatic checks before or immediately after publication: filters weed out spam, duplicates, malicious links and obvious violations from the "Prohibited content" section. Automation may hide material until it is reviewed manually.

Disputed cases, complaints and appeals are reviewed by a person. Automation does not make account blocking decisions — a member of staff does.

Hiding and removing material§

Material is hidden or removed if it:

• breaches these rules or the law;
• falls under an order of an authorised body or a court decision — such demands are met within the deadlines the law sets;
• was posted in breach of the service's technical restrictions — for example, in an automated way.

The author learns that the material was hidden and why — via a notification in the app or the account's contact details — and may contest the decision under the "Appeals" section.

Account blocks§

Repeated or gross violations restrict the ability to publish:

• temporarily — for repeated violations; the duration is stated in the blocking notice;
• permanently — for gross or systematic violations: illegal content, deliberate vandalism of the map, evading earlier restrictions, automated abuse.

A publishing block does not close access to the map and navigation, and does not cancel the right to appeal.

Repeated violations§

Violations are counted per account. The usual sequence: a warning, then a temporary publishing restriction, then a permanent block. For gross violations individual steps are skipped. A violation lifted on appeal is removed from the count.

Creating a new account to evade restrictions is a gross violation in its own right.

How to complain§

Any user may lodge a complaint:

• from the app or the website — with the "Report" button next to the material or profile;
• by email — to abuse@kazmaps.kz.

Complaints are not limited to material: they are accepted about other users' behaviour, about how the service and its interface work, and about decisions made by the service itself — including moderation decisions.

State what the complaint is about — a link to the material or a description of where it is in the service — what the violation is, and, if you need the reply outside the service, how to reach you.

Confirmation and reply deadlines§

Receipt of a complaint is confirmed automatically, as soon as it is lodged.

A reasoned reply is given no later than 20 calendar days from the day the complaint is received — the deadline is set by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Online Platforms and Online Advertising". Obvious violations are dealt with sooner, without waiting for the deadline to run out.

Appeals§

If your material was hidden or your account restricted, you may contest the decision — by replying to the decision notice or by writing to abuse@kazmaps.kz.

An appeal is reviewed by a member of staff who did not make the contested decision. The deadline and form of the reply are the same as for complaints: a reasoned reply within 20 calendar days.

Restoring material§

If a check or an appeal shows that material was hidden or removed in error, it is restored and the associated violation is removed from the count. The author is notified of the restoration.

For state bodies and rights holders§

The contact for requests from state bodies and claims from rights holders is legal@kazmaps.kz. A rights holder's claim must make it possible to establish the right, the material, and where it is located in the service.

The operator's name, BIN and postal address are given in the Privacy Policy.

Changing the rules§

We may change these rules. A new edition is published at this same address with its effective date; previous editions remain available. Significant changes are announced additionally — in the app or via the account's contact details.