Acceptable Use Policy

1. Overview

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs the use of all services provided by Voiping through voip.ing, including SMS messaging, voice calling, cloud communication, and API services. This AUP is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service.

All customers, users, and API consumers must comply with this AUP. Violation may result in immediate suspension or termination of services as outlined in Section 7 below.

2. Prohibited SMS Content and Practices

You must not use our SMS services to send messages that:

• Spam: Unsolicited commercial messages sent without the recipient's prior express consent.
• Phishing: Messages designed to trick recipients into revealing personal information, credentials, or financial data.
• Fraud: Messages promoting fraudulent schemes, fake products, deceptive offers, or misleading claims.
• Illegal Content: Messages promoting or facilitating illegal activities, including drug trafficking, weapons sales, or exploitation.
• Malware Distribution: Messages containing links to malicious software, viruses, or other harmful code.
• Hate Speech: Messages promoting hatred, violence, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics.
• Impersonation: Messages that impersonate another person, company, or organization without authorization.

Additionally, the following SMS practices are prohibited:

• Sending messages to numbers on do-not-call or do-not-message registries.
• Using misleading sender IDs or alphanumeric sender names that impersonate other brands.
• Sending high-volume messages without proper throughput agreements.
• Snowshoeing (spreading messages across many numbers to evade carrier filters).

3. Consent Requirements

All SMS and voice communications sent through our platform must comply with applicable consent laws:

For SMS Messages:

• Marketing messages require prior express written consent from the recipient (opt-in). You must maintain records of consent.
• Transactional messages (order confirmations, delivery updates, account notifications) may be sent based on an existing business relationship, but recipients must be able to opt out.
• OTP/Verification messages are sent at the recipient's explicit request and do not require separate marketing consent.

For Voice Calls:

• Automated or pre-recorded calls require prior express consent from the recipient.
• Robocalling for marketing purposes is strictly prohibited unless the recipient has provided explicit consent.

You must comply with all applicable regulations including but not limited to: GDPR (EU), TCPA (US), CASL (Canada), PECR (UK), and local telecommunications laws in the recipient's jurisdiction.

You must provide a clear opt-out mechanism in every marketing message (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe") and honor opt-out requests within 24 hours.

4. Prohibited Voice Usage

You must not use our voice services for:

• Robocalling: Automated, unsolicited voice calls for marketing, survey, or political purposes without prior express consent.
• Caller ID Spoofing: Manipulating the caller ID to display a number or name you are not authorized to use, particularly to deceive the recipient.
• Toll Fraud: Exploiting our network to generate fraudulent toll charges, including international revenue sharing fraud (IRSF) or Wangiri (one-ring) schemes.
• Traffic Pumping: Artificially inflating call volumes to generate interconnection fees or revenue share payments.
• Wiretapping: Recording calls without the knowledge and consent of all parties as required by applicable law.
• Service Abuse: Using voice services to harass, threaten, or intimidate any person.
• PBX Hacking: Using compromised PBX credentials to place unauthorized calls through our network.

5. Rate Limiting and Fair Use

To ensure service quality for all customers, we enforce the following fair use policies:

• SMS: Default sending rate limits apply per account. Higher throughput is available upon request and approval. Sudden spikes in volume without prior notification may trigger automatic throttling.
• Voice: Concurrent call limits apply per SIP trunk or account. Exceeding your provisioned capacity may result in call rejection (SIP 503).
• API: Rate limits apply per API key. Current limits are published in our API documentation. Exceeding limits returns HTTP 429 responses.

If you anticipate a significant increase in usage (e.g., for a marketing campaign), please contact us in advance so we can provision adequate capacity.

6. Monitoring and Enforcement

We actively monitor our network for compliance with this AUP:

• Automated monitoring: We use automated systems to detect spam patterns, unusual traffic, and potential fraud in real time.
• Carrier feedback: We monitor carrier complaint rates (spam reports, opt-out rates) and may take action if your traffic exceeds acceptable thresholds.
• Content sampling: We may review a sample of message content to verify compliance with this AUP. We do not systematically read message content.
• CDR analysis: We analyze call patterns to detect toll fraud, traffic pumping, and other voice abuse.

We may investigate any suspected violation of this AUP and may cooperate with law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies as required.

7. Consequences of Violation

Violations of this AUP are handled as follows, depending on severity:

• First Offense (Minor): Written warning via email with a requirement to remedy the violation within 48 hours.
• Repeat Offense or Failure to Remedy: Temporary suspension of the affected service(s) until the issue is resolved.
• Severe Violations: Immediate suspension of all services, including but not limited to cases involving fraud, illegal content, or activities causing significant harm to our network or other customers.
• Termination: Persistent violations or severe single incidents may result in permanent account termination. No refund will be provided for prepaid credits or subscription fees upon termination for AUP violation.

We reserve the right to escalate directly to suspension or termination without prior warning in cases of severe violations that pose an immediate risk to our network, our customers, or third parties.

8. Reporting Abuse

If you become aware of any misuse of our services, or if you receive unwanted communications sent through our platform, please report it to us:

• Email: abuse@voip.ing
• Subject Line: Include "AUP Violation Report" and the relevant phone number or sender ID.
• Information to Include: Date and time of the incident, the phone number or sender ID involved, a description of the violation, and any supporting evidence (screenshots, message content).

We will acknowledge abuse reports within 24 hours and investigate promptly. Reports can also be submitted anonymously.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time to reflect changes in regulations, industry practices, or our services. Material changes will be communicated via email or through a notice on our website at least 14 days before they take effect.

Continued use of our services after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated AUP.