LAST UPDATED · 2026-06-08

Acceptable Use Policy

this page is the line. reviews stay honest, conversations stay civil, content stays yours. break those and the account goes.

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") describes the rules you must follow when using findmymatcha (the "Service"). The AUP is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service. Violating this AUP may result in content removal, account suspension, or account termination.

1. Permitted Use

findmymatcha is a community-driven directory of matcha cafes and a personal journal for matcha drinkers. Permitted uses include:

  • Reading reviews, browsing cafes, and discovering new places to drink matcha.
  • Writing honest reviews of cafes and beverages you have personally visited or consumed.
  • Maintaining your own personal tier list, favorites, and journal.
  • Following other users whose taste you respect and sharing your profile with friends.
  • Reporting inaccurate cafe data or content that violates this AUP.

2. Prohibited Content

You may not submit, post, or share content that:

2.1 Spam and Manipulation

  • Includes promotional content, advertising, or solicitations not related to a genuine matcha experience.
  • Is duplicated, repetitive, or designed to manipulate rankings or ratings.
  • Promotes products, services, or businesses unrelated to matcha or cafes.
  • Includes affiliate links, referral codes, or sponsored content not disclosed as such.

2.2 Harassment and Abuse

  • Harasses, bullies, threatens, or intimidates another user or any third party.
  • Contains personal attacks, slurs, or otherwise abusive language directed at individuals.
  • Reveals another person's private information (doxxing).
  • Encourages or incites violence, self-harm, or harm to others.

2.3 Impersonation and Misrepresentation

  • Impersonates another person, a business, or an entity you do not represent.
  • Misrepresents your identity, affiliation, or credentials.
  • Submits false or misleading reviews — for example, reviews of cafes you have not visited, paid-for reviews, or reviews intended to harm a competitor.
  • Creates multiple accounts to manipulate ratings or evade enforcement actions.

2.4 Illegal Content

  • Violates any applicable law, regulation, or court order.
  • Promotes, facilitates, or instructs others in illegal activity.
  • Contains stolen content, including content copied from other reviews, websites, or publications.

2.5 Hateful Content

  • Promotes discrimination, hatred, or violence against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

2.6 Copyright and IP Violations

  • Infringes the copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property rights of any party.
  • Includes photographs you did not take or do not have permission to use.
  • Reproduces another publication's content without permission or proper attribution.

2.7 Adult, Sexual, or Graphic Content

  • Contains sexually explicit material, nudity, or graphic violence.
  • Is otherwise inappropriate for a general audience.

2.8 Malicious Content

  • Contains viruses, malware, ransomware, or other malicious code.
  • Includes phishing links, scams, or attempts to obtain credentials or personal data from other users.

3. Prohibited Conduct

In addition to the content restrictions above, you may not:

  • Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access the Service except via official APIs we provide.
  • Probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of any system or network associated with the Service.
  • Bypass or attempt to bypass authentication, rate limits, or access controls.
  • Interfere with other users' ability to access or enjoy the Service.
  • Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service except where permitted by law.
  • Use the Service to send unsolicited messages or spam other users.
  • Collect or harvest information about other users without their consent.
  • Resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Service or any data obtained from it without our written permission.

4. Reporting Violations

If you encounter content or conduct that violates this AUP, please report it to us at:

Email: abuse@findmymatcha.app

Include in your report:

  • A description of the violation.
  • A link to the offending content or the user's profile.
  • The date and time you observed the violation.
  • Any supporting evidence (screenshots, references).

We review reports promptly. Honest, good-faith reports help us maintain a healthy community.

5. Enforcement

We enforce this AUP at our sole discretion. Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, enforcement actions may include:

  • Removing the offending content.
  • Issuing a warning to the user.
  • Restricting the user's account features (for example, disabling the ability to post reviews).
  • Temporarily suspending the user's account.
  • Permanently terminating the user's account.
  • Reporting the user to law enforcement, in cases involving illegal activity.

Severe violations — including threats of violence, doxxing, illegal content, or coordinated abuse — may result in immediate permanent termination without prior warning.

6. Appeals

If your account or content has been actioned and you believe the action was made in error, you may appeal by contacting:

Email: appeals@findmymatcha.app

Include:

  • The action being appealed.
  • The date of the action.
  • An explanation of why you believe the action was made in error.

We review appeals in good faith and respond within a reasonable time. Our decision on appeal is final.

7. Changes to This AUP

We may update this AUP from time to time. We will post the updated AUP with a new "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after the changes become effective constitutes your acceptance.

8. Contact

For questions about this AUP that are not violation reports or appeals, contact:

Email: legal@findmymatcha.app