The following content is prohibited on Microsoft Start:
Section 1: Vulgar or Profane Language
Vulgarity and profanity are never allowed in titles or headlines. Profanity may appear in the body text of an article if it is starred (f*ck), or dashes (sh-t) are used to replace some letters. In video or audio content it must be bleeped. Profanity is not allowed in images like profane words graffiti on a wall in the background of an image. Clothing with profanity is not allowed.
Section 2: Content Unsuitable for Minors
No content encouraging or glorifying the use of drugs, smoking or vaping, or alcohol to minors is allowed.
Section 3: Prohibited Images and Videos
- Gratuitous images of violence
- Excessive blood or gore in images
- Gratuitous images of dead bodies or body bags
- Images gratuitously highlighting deformity or “medical voyeurism”
- Images that depict animals in extreme distress
- Images that glorify terrorists or other extremist groups
- Gratuitous images of murders and violent crimes or sexual assault
- Images that identify crime victims (unless the victims publicly identify themselves)
- Nudity or eroticism
Section 4: Terrorism or Violent Extremism
Text that glorifies the existence of terrorists or other extremist groups.
Section 5: Violence and Violent Threats
Detailed descriptions of murders and violent crimes (including sexual assault), or the identity of crime victims unless the victims have publicly identified themselves. No threats of real-world violence to individual people, groups of people or buildings and infrastructure.
Section 6: Sexually Explicit Content
- No exposed anatomy i.e. bare buttocks, female nipples, genitalia.
- No images of individuals who are nude but have their hands strategically placed over breasts, genitalia etc.
- No images of people having intercourse, performing a sexual act or simulating a sexual act (with or without clothing). This includes masturbation, bestiality, sexual bondage and prominent erection bulges.
- No pixelated/censored images/keyframes of any of the above
- No photos of people in revealing clothing (e.g. bikinis) where the primary focus is on breasts, butt, cleavage or genital areas and are sexually suggestive in nature. The exception is entertainment award shows and fashion weeks. However, the primary focus of the image cannot be close-up shots of breasts, butt, cleavage or genital areas.
- No sex toys or objects used to depict sex (e.g. banana with a condom on it)
- No cartoons, toys or artworks (including famous) of any of the above.
- No images of kissing on breasts or buttocks.
- Text or audio that includes graphic descriptions of sexual activity, where there is no aim beyond titillating the audience.
- We do allow text or audio descriptions of sexual activity that is pertinent to health education, the outcome of a court case, news about adult film stars with broader societal value, stories about the adult or pornographic film industries from a broad news perspective, provided that the content contains a graphic content warning.
Section 7: Hate Speech
Content that condones hate or incites violence based on race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation or mental or physical disability status.
Section 8: Misinformation and Hoaxes
Hoaxes, false information, propaganda, or deliberate false statements on topics such as COVID-19, Monkeypox, Elections, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, supernatural phenomena or QAnon conspiracies.
Section 9: Suicide or Self-harm
Any content that promotes or encourages suicide or self-harm (including eating disorders); provides depictions of or instructions for methods of suicide or self-harm; or belittles, mocks, or disparages suicide or self-harm. We do allow content that discusses a case of suicide and self-harm with appropriate context and news value.
Section 10: Bullying & Harassment
We prohibit bullying and harassing content that targets individual(s) or group(s) with abusive behavior. This includes body shaming; Content demeaning or harassing someone because of their appearance. This applies to both private and public figures. Revealing private information like address or email or social media handles.
Section 11: Sexual Assault
Do not name sexual assault victims or show photos of them unless they have already identified themselves publicly elsewhere.
Do not show content with explicit or graphic details of any sexual assault. Care should be taken with any sexual assault involving a child or minor.
We do allow stories containing upsetting detail about sexual assault that is either historic or has significant news value. This can include high-profile sexual assault cases with potentially upsetting details that involve politicians, business leaders and celebrities.
Suspects in sexual assault cases are OK to show/reveal if verified by legal authorities.
Section 12: Gore (text and audio)
Text or audio that includes graphic descriptions of violence or gore, with no aim beyond shocking the audience.
Medical voyeurism, such as stories that have graphic descriptions of medical conditions and injuries. This includes vivid descriptions of injured or diseased bodies which dehumanize the subject.
We do allow text or audio that contains graphic descriptions of violence if this is done in service of illustrating an important event.
Section 13: Manipulated Media
Manipulated or synthetic media will be removed unless it is clearly identified and / or labelled, and not intended to deceive or cause real-world harm.
Section 14: Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as using the work of another person or publication without permission or attribution in an attempt to pass off the work as one’s own. This includes exact copying word-for-word or scraping content. It also includes using the ideas, structure, research and newsgathering of another published work even if wording is changed to appear to be original. Material used from the original work must be attributed. This prohibition applies both to human-created content and content created with the assistance of artificial intelligence.