Community Guidelines

Koup is a verified-student community. Membership is a privilege that depends on treating other members with respect and using the Platform lawfully and in good faith. The following principles apply across every feature:

• Be respectful. Treat other members as you would in person on campus. Harassment, bullying, intimidation, and targeted abuse are not permitted anywhere on the Platform.
• Be honest. Do not impersonate others, misrepresent who you are, or post information you know to be false or misleading.
• Be lawful. Do not use the Platform to break the law, to help others break the law, or to post content that is illegal where you or your campus are located, including under Canadian, British Columbia, United States federal or state law.
• Respect privacy. Do not share another person's private information, images, or communications without their consent.
• Keep it real. Koup is built on verified student identity. Do not create multiple accounts, share your account, or attempt to circumvent verification.

Regardless of which feature you are using, you must not post, share, or engage in any of the following. This list summarizes the conduct prohibited in Section 4.7 of the Terms and Conditions and is not exhaustive:

• Content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, sexually explicit, violent, graphically disturbing, harassing, threatening, abusive, hateful, or discriminatory;
• Harassment, bullying, stalking, threats, or doxxing (publishing someone's private information), whether directed at members or non-members;
• Discrimination or hate directed at any person or group on the basis of a characteristic protected under the BC Human Rights Code or the Canadian Human Rights Act (or, for members at US institutions, under US federal, state or local law), including race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital or family status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, and Indigenous identity;
• Impersonating any person, organization, institution, or Koup itself;
• Spam, scams, pyramid or multi-level-marketing schemes, phishing, or other deceptive or fraudulent activity;
• Malware, viruses, or any code or technique intended to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to the Platform or other users;
• Scraping, harvesting, or collecting other members' data by automated or manual means;
• Attempting to bypass security, verification, moderation, or rate-limiting systems, including through automated tools or prompt manipulation directed at safety controls;
• Sharing content that promotes, glorifies, or gives instructions for self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders (see Section 9).

The Chirp supports both anonymous and attributed posting. Anonymity applies only to how a post is displayed to other members: a post shown without your name is anonymous to other users, but Koup retains internal records for moderation, safety, and legal compliance. Anonymity is not a shield.

• Anonymity does not make you anonymous to Koup, and it does not exempt you from these Guidelines, the Terms and Conditions, or the law.
• In response to a valid court order, warrant, subpoena, or other lawful legal process, Koup may be required to disclose information that identifies the author of a Chirp post.
• Do not use The Chirp to defame, harass, threaten, or target any identifiable person, or to post hate speech, sexual content, or content involving minors.
• Do not use anonymous posting to coordinate academic misconduct or to deliver targeted psychological harm to another member.
• Koup may remove any Chirp post at its discretion and may display crisis resources on posts that appear to relate to self-harm or mental-health crises.

FlyBy is for sharing candid, ephemeral photographs with other members. Because photos can capture people who did not choose to be posted, FlyBy carries specific responsibilities. By uploading to FlyBy you take on these obligations:

• Get consent. Do not upload a photo containing an identifiable person who has not agreed to being photographed and having their image shared on a student social platform. You are solely responsible for obtaining that consent.
• Respect privacy by law. Under the BC Privacy Act, using or publishing someone's likeness without consent can be a violation of privacy, regardless of any app terms.
• At US institutions: publishing an intimate image of someone without their consent, including one created or altered with AI, is a federal crime under the TAKE IT DOWN Act and a crime in Indiana. Anyone shown in such an image can ask Koup to remove it, and Koup acts on valid requests within 48 hours (see Section 11 and Section U5 of the Terms and Conditions).
• Never use FlyBy to surveil, monitor, stalk, or track anyone.
• Do not upload photos taken where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy: bathrooms, change rooms, private residences, medical facilities, or similar spaces.
• Remember that photos may be screenshotted or saved by others before they expire. If someone reports being shown without consent, Koup may remove, blur, or restrict the photo.

Market connects student buyers and sellers. Koup is not a party to any transaction and does not offer in-app payment processing, escrow, or dispute resolution. You are responsible for the safety, quality, and legality of anything you list.

• List honestly. Descriptions, condition, price, and availability must be accurate and not misleading.
• Only sell what you own and are legally allowed to sell.
• Prohibited items may never be listed, including: weapons, ammunition, and explosives; illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, and prescription or off-label medications; alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, and cannabis; counterfeit, stolen, or pirated goods; sexual or adult content; live animals; human tissue or bodily fluids; hazardous materials; third-party personal data; and academic work or exam materials that violate an institution's academic-integrity policy. This mirrors the full list in Section 8F of the Terms and Conditions.
• At US campuses, also prohibited: firearm parts and accessories (including magazines, suppressors and parts kits), fireworks, THC or hemp-derived intoxicating products, products recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and institution property you are not allowed to resell, such as Purdue ID cards or parking permits (Section U9 of the Terms and Conditions).
• Restricted items (such as electronics, event tickets, financial products, and services) may be listed only in full compliance with the law and any required licences or disclosures.
• Stay safe. Meet in public places, bring a companion when you can, and use secure, traceable payment methods for any transaction you arrange. Koup does not handle these payments.

Nest Finder helps members find roommates and shared housing. Koup is only a technology intermediary (not a landlord, agent, or broker) and does not verify listings or the people behind them. Do your own due diligence before committing to anything.

• No discrimination. It is unlawful to deny a tenancy, or set tenancy terms, based on a protected characteristic under the BC Human Rights Code, and this applies to Nest Finder listings and messages.
• A narrow shared-facilities exception exists under section 10(2)(a) of the BC Human Rights Code for situations involving genuinely shared sleeping, bathroom, or cooking space. It is narrow, does not apply in every case, and you should seek your own legal advice before relying on it. Do not use it to disguise a non-shared tenancy.
• Even where an exception may apply, do not post listings or preferences that are derogatory, demeaning, or offensive to any group or individual.
• At US campuses, the federal Fair Housing Act and state and local fair housing laws apply instead of the BC Human Rights Code. A listing for a whole unit or a sublet must not state any preference based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. If you will share a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom or other living space, you may state a preference about your roommate's sex, but never about race, color, national origin, religion or disability. Lifestyle preferences such as sleep schedule, cleanliness, smoking, pets or budget are fine (Section U8 of the Terms and Conditions).
• Verify identity, inspect any property, and consult legal advice before signing a tenancy agreement.
• Meeting strangers carries risk. Meet in public first, consider a video call beforehand, bring a trusted person, and trust your instincts. Koup may remove any listing it believes encourages unlawful discrimination.

The Perch lists campus events. If you submit an event, you are its organizer. Koup is not a co-host and takes no responsibility for any event. Note that Koup does not currently process ticket payments through the Platform.

• Keep event details (date, time, location, capacity, price, and description) accurate and up to date.
• You are responsible for all permits, licences, insurance, and safety and noise compliance your event requires.
• At US campuses, you must also follow your institution's event, alcohol and facilities policies. Events that serve alcohol to anyone under 21, or that involve hazing, gambling or other unlawful activity, are prohibited.
• If you collect payment for tickets by any means, you are responsible for honouring those tickets and for refunds if the event is cancelled, postponed, or materially changed.
• Koup may approve, reject, or remove any event listing, and approval is not an endorsement.

Messages are private direct and group conversations; The Flock is your friend network. Private does not mean lawless.

• The rules on harassment, threats, hate, and illegal content apply in private messages just as they do in public posts.
• Koup limits its access to private messages to what is necessary to deliver them, keep the service running, respond to violations or legal process, and meet legal obligations, as described in Section 4.2B of the Terms and Conditions.
• Do not use Messages or The Flock to spam, solicit, or coordinate prohibited activity.
• Respect the network. Do not add, tag, or contact people in ways that amount to harassment.

Koup is not a mental-health or crisis service, and nothing on the Platform is professional medical or psychological advice. Please look after yourself and each other, use the Platform mindfully, and do not post content that promotes or gives instructions for self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders, or that targets someone who appears to be struggling. If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out to one of these resources right away:

Koup supports the academic integrity of the institutions in its network. You may not use any feature of the Platform to:

• Coordinate, facilitate, or solicit cheating, plagiarism, or any other academic dishonesty;
• Advertise, offer, or buy contract-cheating services, essay mills, or exam impersonation;
• Share exam questions, answers, or invigilator instructions in violation of your institution's policies; or
• Use anonymous features, including The Chirp, to coordinate academic misconduct. Koup may cooperate with institutions investigating misconduct involving the Platform, consistent with its privacy obligations.

If you see something that breaks these Guidelines, report it. Koup reviews reports and may act on content or accounts at its discretion.

• Report content using the in-app reporting tools, or email support@koup.ca with a description, the reason, and the location of the content.
• To report an intimate image shared without consent, or content that sexually exploits a child, use the matching in-app report category or email safety@koup.ca; you do not need a Koup account. These reports are reviewed first. At US campuses, each intimate-image removal request receives a reference number and valid requests are acted on within 48 hours.
• Depending on severity and history, Koup may remove content, issue a warning, restrict features, or suspend or permanently terminate an account.
• Do not misuse reporting tools by filing false, duplicative, or vexatious reports.
• Moderation may be carried out by people, automated systems, or both, and automated systems can make mistakes.

If your content was removed or your account was actioned and you believe it was a mistake, you may appeal. Submit a written appeal to support@koup.ca within 30 days of the action, including your name and username, the action taken, why you believe it was in error, and any supporting information. Koup considers appeals in good faith, but is not obligated to reverse an action, and its decision on an appeal is final. Full details are set out in Section 11.4 of the Terms and Conditions.

Koup may update these Guidelines to reflect changes to the Platform, the law, or its practices. When we make material changes, we will post the updated Guidelines with a new "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate, notify members in-app or by email. Your continued use of the Platform after an update means you accept the revised Guidelines. For questions about these Guidelines, contact Koup at support@koup.ca.