1. Welcome to the Rabbitohs Community

These Community Guidelines apply to all community and social features available on our website and app (as defined in the Terms of Use), including but not limited to profiles, feeds, groups, forums, direct messaging, voice and video features, reactions, comments, and other interactive tools (collectively, Community Features).

These Community Guidelines form part of our Terms of Use. By using Community Features, you agree to comply with these Guidelines. If there is any inconsistency between these Guidelines and the Terms of Use, the Terms of Use prevail.

Community Features are provided exclusively for eligible Rabbitohs members. Our goal is to create a welcoming, inclusive, and passionate community where members can connect with each other and the Club, free from harmful, illegal, or inappropriate conduct.

2. Definitions and Cross-References

For the purposes of these Community Guidelines, the following definitions apply:

"Community Features" means all community and social features available through our platforms, including profiles, feeds, groups, forums, direct messaging, voice and video communication tools, reactions, comments, and other interactive tools, as further described in the Terms of Use.

"Prohibited Material" has the meaning given in the Terms of Use and includes content prohibited under section 3.3 of these Guidelines.

"Our Platforms" means the Rabbitohs website, mobile applications, and any other digital platforms operated by or on behalf of the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Ltd where Community Features are available.

"Material" means all content, whether text, image, audio, video, code, or other form, posted to or transmitted through Community Features by any user or the Club.

"We," "Us," "Our," and "The Club" refer to the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Ltd (ACN 000 639 916) and its authorised representatives.

For further definitions and interpretations, please refer to the Terms of Use. For information about how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

3. Community Standards

3.1 Eligibility and Account Requirements

Community Features are available to registered Rabbitohs members who are aged 16 years or over.

We are required by law to prevent users under 16 from creating or holding an account on Rabbitohs Social under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 (Cth). If we identify that a user is under 16, we will remove their account without prior notice. Users aged 16 and 17 are treated as 'children' under Australian privacy law and are subject to additional protections described in our Privacy Policy.

You must use your real identity and legal name where requested. Fake, duplicate, or bot accounts are prohibited and will be removed. We reserve the right to verify your identity to ensure compliance with these requirements.

3.2 Respect Other Members

The Rabbitohs community is built on mutual respect. You must:

• treat other members with courtesy and respect, even when you disagree;
• engage in good faith and assume positive intent from others;
• respect the diversity of our community, including differences in background, opinion, experience, ability, and identity;
• refrain from personal attacks, insults, name-calling, or deliberately provocative behaviour; and
• comply with all applicable anti-discrimination legislation, including the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and equivalent NSW legislation.

  3.3 Prohibited Content

You must not post, share, transmit, or encourage others to post content that:

• is abusive, threatening, harassing, bullying, intimidating, or reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate, or intimidate another person;
• is defamatory, false, or misleading in a manner that harms reputation or causes material loss;
• is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory on the basis of protected attributes under Australian law;
• is sexually explicit, pornographic, or unsuitable for minors;
• contains nudity, non-consensual intimate images, excessive violence, graphic imagery, or gore;
• constitutes image-based abuse — sharing, threatening to share, or distributing intimate images of a person without their consent, including digitally altered images;
• sexualises, exploits, endangers, or is otherwise harmful to minors, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming content, or any content that facilitates child exploitation;
• constitutes doxxing — publishing, sharing, or linking to private or identifying information about another person (such as home address, workplace, phone number, or financial details) without their explicit consent;
• constitutes a deepfake — a digitally manipulated image, audio, or video that falsely depicts a real person in a misleading or harmful manner without their consent;
• is generated or distributed for the purpose of training, fine-tuning, or developing artificial intelligence or machine learning models using another person's likeness, voice, or personal information without their express written consent;
• constitutes misinformation or disinformation reasonably likely to cause harm, including false health or safety claims;
• promotes, encourages, or provides instructions for self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, or other harmful behaviour;
• contains or promotes gambling, betting tips, illegal wagering services, or financial schemes;
• contains unsolicited advertising, spam, commercial promotions, or multi-level marketing schemes;
• infringes any person's intellectual property rights, including copyright, trade marks, design rights, or moral rights;
• contains links to, or promotes access to, malware, viruses, phishing sites, ransomware, or other harmful code or exploits;
• constitutes terrorist content, violent extremism, or incitement to violence;
• violates the Basic Online Safety Expectations outlined in the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth); or
• otherwise constitutes Prohibited Material as defined in the Terms of Use. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and terrorist content. Any such content will be immediately removed, accounts will be permanently terminated, and the matter will be reported to the eSafety Commissioner and law enforcement authorities.

3.4 Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

• harass, stalk, bully, intimidate, or threaten other members, including through repeated unwanted contact or sustained campaigns of abuse;
• impersonate any person or entity, including the Club or its officials, or misrepresent your identity, affiliation, or qualifications;
• create or operate multiple accounts, fake accounts, automated bot accounts, or scraper accounts;
• engage in coordinated manipulation of community discussions, voting systems, engagement metrics, or algorithmic promotion;
• distribute spam, including repetitive posting, unsolicited promotions, or commercial solicitation;
• attempt to circumvent any moderation action taken against you, including by creating new accounts, using alternate identities, or evading content filters;
• collect, scrape, harvest, or systematically extract information about other members or their data without consent;
• use Community Features for any illegal purpose or activity that violates Australian law;
• facilitate or encourage others to breach these Guidelines, the Terms of Use, or applicable law; or
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to Community Features, user accounts, or backend systems.

  3.5 Direct Messaging Standards

Direct messaging is subject to the same standards as public community content. You must not use direct messaging to:

• send Prohibited Material or content that would breach these Guidelines if posted publicly;
• send unsolicited commercial, promotional, or marketing messages (including in breach of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth));
• harass, threaten, intimidate, or coerce other members;
• solicit personal information from other members, particularly minors, without legitimate purpose;
• attempt to isolate, groom, or otherwise establish inappropriate contact with minors; or
• share non-consensual intimate images, engage in image-based abuse, or engage in sexual coercion.

  3.6 Voice and Video Features

If Community Features include voice or video communication tools, the following additional standards apply:

• You must not record, stream, or transmit any voice or video content without the prior explicit consent of all participants.
• You must not use voice or video features to harass, threaten, abuse, or intimidate other members.
• You must not share recordings of voice or video communications outside the platform without the consent of all participants.
• You must not engage in any conduct in voice or video features that would breach these Guidelines if conducted through text. We reserve the right to moderate voice and video content where reports of breaches are made and to terminate access to these features for users who breach these standards.

3.7 Profile Standards

Your community profile (including your display name, profile picture, biography, cover image, and any other profile information) must comply with these Guidelines. You must not include:

• Prohibited Material;
• misleading, defamatory, or harassing content;
• sexually explicit or obscene material;
• contact details, links, or promotional content designed to solicit users off-platform;
• hate speech or discriminatory material; or
• malicious links. We may remove, restrict, suspend, or modify profile content that breaches these Guidelines, and we may take enforcement action against your account in accordance with section 6.2.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 Club Content

Content shared by the Club through Community Features (including match highlights, behind-the-scenes content, exclusive media, player interviews, promotional material, and official announcements) remains the exclusive intellectual property of the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Ltd and is protected by copyright under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

You must not:

• reproduce, redistribute, share, download, or re-upload Club content outside Community Features without our prior written consent;
• modify, adapt, or create derivative works based on Club content;
• use Club content for commercial purposes or resale; or
• remove, alter, or obscure any copyright notice, attribution, or proprietary mark. Authorised uses of Club content (such as sharing within Community Features with others, quoting in good faith, or using for personal non-commercial purposes) are permitted in accordance with copyright law and fair dealing principles.

4.2 Your Content and Licence Grant

When you post your own content to Community Features, you retain ownership of that content but grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to use, host, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and distribute your content as described in section 7.1 of these Guidelines and in the Terms of Use.

4.3 Third-Party Content Within Posts

If your posts contain links to, embed, or reference content from third-party sources, you warrant that you have the right to share such content, have provided appropriate attribution where required, and that the third-party content complies with these Guidelines. We are not responsible for third-party content you link to, but we reserve the right to remove posts containing links to illegal content, malware, or content that breaches these Guidelines.

5. Privacy and Safety

5.1 Protecting Your Privacy

• Do not share your own sensitive personal information (such as your home address, phone number, financial details, date of birth, or government-issued identification numbers) in public community spaces.
• Do not share other people's personal information without their explicit consent.
• Be aware that content you post publicly in Community Features can be seen by all community members.
• Understand that private messages and content in private groups may still be stored, moderated, and retained by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy. For detailed information about how we collect, use, disclose, and store your personal information, including your rights under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), please review our Privacy Policy.

5.2 Protecting Young Members

The safety of young members in our community is a priority. Community Features are available to members aged 16 and over. Users aged 16 and 17 are 'children' under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and are subject to additional protections. We apply the following safeguards:

Data Minimisation: We collect only the minimum personal information strictly necessary from users aged 16 and 17, and retain such information for the shortest period necessary.

Privacy for 16 and 17 year olds: Parents or guardians of members aged 16 or 17 may contact us at [email protected] to discuss privacy settings and data handling for their child's account.

Restricted Content: Content that is age-inappropriate is subject to moderation and removal.

Members must not:

• engage in any conduct directed at minors that is inappropriate, exploitative, harmful, or grooming in nature;
• attempt to isolate, establish private communication with, or develop inappropriate relationships with minors through Community Features;
• solicit personal information from minors, including location data, contact details, images, or video;
• share content that sexualises, endangers, exploits, or is otherwise harmful to minors;
• create, share, or facilitate child sexual abuse material or grooming content; or
• encourage minors to engage in illegal activity or self-harm. Any concerns about the safety of a young member should be reported immediately using the in-app reporting tools, by contacting us directly, or by reporting to the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au.

5.3 User Safety Controls

We provide users with tools to protect their safety and control their experience:

Blocking: You can block other users to prevent them from messaging you, viewing your profile, or seeing your posts.

Muting: You can mute users to stop seeing their posts and activity in your feed without blocking them.

Reporting: You can report content, conduct, or accounts that breach these Guidelines.

Privacy Settings: You can adjust your profile visibility, message permissions, and notification preferences through your account settings.

We encourage all members to use these tools to create a safe and enjoyable experience.

5.4 Reporting Concerns

If you see content or conduct that breaches these Guidelines, please report it using the reporting tools within Community Features. You can also contact us directly using the details in section 14.

When reporting, please provide a description of the concerning content or conduct, the username of the user involved, the date and time, and any supporting evidence. We take all reports seriously and will acknowledge receipt within 48 business hours. For matters involving urgent safety concerns, child safety, or potentially illegal conduct, we will escalate immediately.

We will not penalise you for making a good faith report, and we will treat your report confidentially to the extent permitted by law.

If you report a matter involving child safety or illegal conduct, we may be obligated to disclose information to law enforcement or the eSafety Commissioner, and we will do so without delay.

6. Content Moderation

6.1 Moderation Approach

We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive community. We use a combination of automated tools and human review to moderate content and conduct in Community Features.

Automated Moderation: We use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and content filters to detect content that may breach these Guidelines. Automated tools assist in identifying potential violations but are not infallible.

Human Review: Our moderation team reviews reports, appeals, and flagged content to make informed decisions about enforcement. Human reviewers consider context, intent, and the full circumstances of any breach. Serious matters, including child safety concerns and illegal content, are escalated to our Legal and Compliance teams and law enforcement where appropriate.

Transparency: We will notify you when content is removed, an account is restricted, or enforcement action is taken against you, except where notification would compromise safety or legal obligations prevent disclosure. We will explain the reason for the action and provide information about your right to appeal. We comply with the transparency and reporting requirements of the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth).

Discretion: We reserve the right to make moderation decisions at our sole discretion. We apply these Guidelines consistently and fairly, but each case is assessed on its individual merits. We may take action without prior notice where necessary to protect user safety, platform integrity, or to comply with legal obligations.

6.2 Graduated Enforcement

When a member breaches these Guidelines, we may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature, severity, frequency, and impact of the breach:

We reserve the right to skip enforcement levels and apply any action directly (including permanent termination) if the severity of the breach warrants it. For CSAM and terrorist content, we will always apply immediate permanent termination and referral to authorities.

6.3 Appeals

If you believe a moderation action taken against you was made in error, or if you wish to provide additional context, you may submit an appeal by contacting us using the details in section 14.

Appeal Process:

1. We will acknowledge receipt of your appeal within 48 business hours.
2. Your appeal will be reviewed by a person who was not involved in the original moderation decision.
3. We will use reasonable endeavours to respond to your appeal within 14 days. Complex appeals may take longer, and we will update you if additional time is needed.
4. Our response will explain the outcome and provide reasons for our decision. The decision on appeal is final and binding, unless you escalate the matter to external authorities.

External Escalation: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the eSafety Commissioner at esafety.gov.au or by calling 1800 880 176. You may also pursue remedies under Australian consumer protection laws, privacy laws, or other applicable legislation. For users subject to GDPR, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority.

6.4 Defamation Complaints and Notice-and-Takedown Procedure

If you believe content posted to Community Features is defamatory of you, you may submit a formal complaint under the Defamation Amendment Act 2023 (NSW) by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "Defamation Complaint."

To constitute a compliant complaint notice, your submission must include:

• your full name and contact details;
• a description of the content you believe is defamatory, including its location on the platform (URL or post identifier where possible);
• the reasons you believe the content is defamatory of you; and
• whether you request removal, correction, or a right of reply. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 business hours and take substantive action — including removal, retention with written reasons, or a substantive response to your complaint — within 7 business days of receiving a compliant notice. We maintain records of all complaints received and actions taken.

Submission of a defamation complaint does not constitute a finding that the content is defamatory. We will assess each complaint on its merits and in accordance with applicable law.

6.5 Member-Created Communities and Moderators

Members may create communities within Community Features. Community creators and moderators are individual members acting in their own personal capacity. They are not agents, employees, or representatives of the Club, and the Club is not responsible for decisions made by community moderators, including decisions to remove or admit members or to remove or retain content.

Community moderators must:

• comply with these Guidelines in all moderation decisions;
• keep complaint handling and enforcement decisions confidential;
• not use the moderator role for personal commercial purposes or self-promotion;
• not make defamatory statements in their capacity as moderator; and
• not unfairly exclude or target members on discriminatory grounds. The Club reserves the right to remove content, suspend or close any community, replace or remove a moderator, or override any moderator decision at any time and for any reason, with or without prior notice. Where the Club exercises this override right, it will use reasonable endeavours to notify the affected community moderator of the action taken.

7. Your Content

7.1 Content Licence

When you post content to Community Features, you grant us a licence as set out in the Terms of Use. The following tiered approach applies:

Public posts and community content: You grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide licence to use, copy, reproduce, modify, adapt, and publish your content for the purposes of operating our platforms. Upon account deletion, public content will be de-identified (your username replaced with "Former Member") rather than deleted, unless you specifically request content removal prior to account closure. De-identified content preserves community discussions and archives.

Direct messages and private group content: You grant us a limited licence solely for operating the messaging service, ensuring compliance with these Guidelines and applicable law, and as required by law. Upon account deletion, direct messages and private group content will be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy, unless retention is required for legal, compliance, or safety reasons.

Profile content: Your profile content is licensed for the purposes of operating Community Features and will be deleted upon account closure, except where retention is required for legal, safety, or compliance reasons (such as enforcement of bans).

AI and machine learning: Content posted to Community Features must not be used by any person (other than the Club for the limited purposes described above) to train, fine-tune, or develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without the express written consent of the content owner. The Club will not use member content to train AI or machine learning models without separately obtaining your consent.

7.2 Content Removal Requests

You may request removal of your own content at any time through the tools provided within Community Features, or by contacting us. We will action removal requests within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 5 business days. We may decline removal requests where retention is required for legal, safety, or compliance reasons, and will explain our reasons if we do so.

8. Notification Preferences and Marketing

8.1 Notification Settings

Community Features may send you notifications about activity on your posts, messages from other users, community announcements, and engagement updates. You can manage your notification preferences through your account settings at any time, including opting out of non-essential notifications.

8.2 Marketing and Promotional Messages

We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and will not send you marketing, promotional, or commercial messages through Community Features unless you have provided your express prior consent to receive such communications.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by:

• clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email;
• updating your notification preferences in your account settings; or
• contacting us. We will honour unsubscribe requests within 5 business days. We are required by law to send you account-related and safety notifications even if you opt out of marketing.

9. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or user feedback. Where updates materially affect your rights or obligations, we will use reasonable endeavours to notify you in advance (for example, by notification within Community Features or by email). Non-material updates (such as clarifications or formatting changes) may be made without prior notice.

Your continued use of Community Features after notification of material changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Guidelines. If you do not accept the updated Guidelines, you may close your account and cease using Community Features.

10. Accessibility and Inclusion

We are committed to making Community Features accessible to all users. We acknowledge that members have diverse needs, abilities, and identities. We design Community Features to be usable by people with disabilities, including those using assistive technologies, and we welcome feedback on accessibility issues. If you experience accessibility barriers, please contact us using the details in section 14.

11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Community Guidelines are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New South Wales, Australia. You irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and the Federal Court of Australia. For users in the European Union, where GDPR applies, any disputes relating to your personal data will be governed by GDPR and the laws of your applicable EU member state.

12. Severability

If any provision of these Community Guidelines is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be severed, and the remainder of the Guidelines will continue in full force and effect.

13. Entire Agreement

These Community Guidelines, together with the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Club concerning Community Features. In the event of any inconsistency, the Terms of Use prevail.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Community Guidelines, wish to report a concern, appeal a moderation decision, or provide feedback, please contact us:

Community Support and Reporting

South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Ltd ACN 000 639 916 417/439 Bunnerong Road, Maroubra NSW 2035

Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 8306 9922 Online Reporting: Use the reporting tools within Community Features

Response Time: We will acknowledge reports within 48 business hours of receipt. For reports involving defamatory content, illegal conduct, or urgent safety matters, we will take substantive action within 7 business days.

Privacy and Data Queries

Privacy Officer Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 8306 9922

Complaints and External Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to:

• eSafety Commissioner — esafety.gov.au | 1800 880 176
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — oaic.gov.au | 1300 363 992

These Community Guidelines should be read together with our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.