Everything that is posted to Pencil becomes a part of a public network. Anything you post or publish on Public, or write on someone’s profile, can be seen by anyone on the internet. Before you post any personal information or ideas, ask yourself “Am I okay with having my peers see this?” because they could find it.

It’s best to keep your personal information to yourself. Because of the public nature of our community, anything you post can be copied, spread, reposted, or found in ways you might not expect or intended. If you want something to stay private, don’t post it. Also, respect the privacy of other people by not posting other users private information.

Pencil is a reflection of a diverse community of cultures, ages, and beliefs. We’ve created the community guidelines so you can help us protect our community. By using Pencil, you agree to these guidelines, Our Terms & Conditions, and our Privacy Policy. We’re committed to these guidelines and we hope you are too. Not adhering to the same may result in deleted content, suspended/disabled accounts, or other restrictions depending on the situation in hand.

• Share only content that you’ve written or have the right to share: Please note that you own the content you post on Pencil. Remember to post original content. Don’t post anything you don’t have the right to post. In some rare cases, you can quote other sources, if and only if you give them credits and do not violate the Intellectual Property Rights of the owner.
• Publish content that is appropriate for a diverse community: We know that artistic and creative expressions deserve freedom. However, please try to do so in a sensitive and compassionate manner keeping in mind the sentiments of your fellow community members.
• Nurture meaningful and genuine interactions: Help us stay spam-free by not artificially collecting likes, posting repetitive comments or content, or repeatedly contacting people without their consent. Don’t post content that engages in, promotes, or facilitates the offering or trade of fake and misleading user reviews or ratings.
• Provide authentic personal information: We require you to provide us with accurate and up to date information. Do not impersonate others and do not create accounts for the purpose of violating our guidelines or misleading others.
• Follow the law: Pencil is not a place to support or praise terrorism, hate groups, organized crimes, or any other illegal activities. Any content or activity on the platform that goes against the law can be reported. In such a case, Pencil will take down the content.
• Respect other members of the Pencil community: We want to help build a positive and diverse space. We remove content that contains hate speech, credible threats, or content that targets certain communities/individuals to degrade or shame them. It's never okay to encourage violence or attack anyone based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disabilities, or diseases. When hate speech is being shared to challenge it or to raise awareness, we may allow it. In those instances, we ask that you express your intent clearly.
• Maintain our safe environment by not glorifying self-injury: The Pencil community cares for each other and is often a space where people facing difficult issues come together to create awareness, start a conversation, or find support. We may also remove content identifying victims or survivors of self-injury if the content targets them for attack or humor.
• Be Thoughtful when posting newsworthy events or starting important conversations: We might have to remove graphic images or content to ensure the content stays appropriate for everyone. Always add a trigger warning as and when appropriate.

• Each of us play an important role in ensuring that Pencil remains a safe space. If you see something that you think may violate our guidelines, please help us by reporting the same through our built in option or write to us at connect@thepencilapp.com. We have an active team that reviews the same and takes the necessary action as quickly as possible. When you report to us, try to provide as much information as possible, such as links, usernames, and descriptions of the content, so we can find and review it quickly. We may remove entire posts if either the imagery or associated captions violate our guidelines.
• You may find content you don’t like, but doesn’t violate the Community Guidelines. If that happens, you can unfollow the person.
• Many disputes and misunderstandings can be resolved directly between members of the community. You can directly reach out to the person with your concern as well. Don't target the person who posted it by posting screenshots and drawing attention to the situation because that may be classified as harassment.
• We may work with law enforcement, including when we believe that there’s risk of physical harm or threat to public safety.

If you have concerns about one of your fellow community members dealing with cyber bullying, it always helps to reach out to them and be supportive.

If you’re facing real life challenges of your own, start by talking to an adult you trust, whether it’s a parent, a teacher, or a friend. Remember that cyberbullying is just as serious as physical bullying, and you should always talk about it with a trusted adult.

1. Report violations and abusive posts
2. Never share your password with anyone (even people who claim to be from our Team)
3. Avoid revealing personal, identifying information