Acceptable use policy
Last updated:
This policy applies to everyone who uses SendTheStuff, and it's part of our Terms of Service. It lists what you can't send or do, what happens automatically when a transfer is flagged, and how to report abuse.
SendTheStuff is for sending files to people. It isn't for storing files or hosting them publicly.
What you can't send or do
- Child sexual abuse material. Any image, video or other file that sexually exploits a child. We report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the account is blocked for good.
- Malware. Viruses, ransomware, spyware and other harmful software, or files meant to deliver it.
- Phishing and scams. Files or messages that trick people into giving up passwords, money or personal information, or that pretend to come from someone else.
- Spam. Email transfers to people who didn't ask for them, such as bulk sends to strangers.
- Copyright infringement. Files you don't have the right to share, such as pirated films, music, software or books. See our Copyright Policy.
- Intimate images without consent. Nude or sexual images of someone who hasn't agreed to them being shared.
- Threats and harassment. Files or messages that threaten, harass or intimidate someone, or that expose someone's private information to harm them.
- Anything else illegal to send or possess in the United States.
- Getting around limits or blocks. Using extra accounts or variants of an email address to get past a limit or a block, or using SendTheStuff after we've blocked you.
- Automating the service. Using scripts or bots to create accounts or send transfers.
- Harming the service. Probing, overloading or breaking into our systems, guessing links, or trying to get harmful files past our scanning.
- False reports. Reporting a transfer you know is fine, to get it suspended.
What happens automatically
Nobody at SendTheStuff opens flagged or reported files. These steps happen automatically, or are decided from records such as account age, account history and what a scanner detected.
| What happens | What we do |
|---|---|
| A file matches known child sexual abuse material | The transfer is suspended at once, and its files are preserved in locked storage for 1 year. The account is blocked, along with any account using a variant of the same email address, and their other transfers are suspended and preserved. We report it to NCMEC. |
| Anyone reports a transfer for child abuse | The transfer is suspended at once and preserved for 1 year. We check it with every matching tool we have, and report it to NCMEC even if nothing matches. If a file matches, the account is blocked as above. |
| Our virus scanner detects a virus | The transfer is blocked before anyone can download it. The sender gets an email naming the file and what was detected. Recipients see "This transfer was blocked because it contained a virus." The files are deleted within a day. An account that sends viruses repeatedly is blocked. |
| Reports of phishing, malware or spam from several different people | The transfer is suspended, and recipients see "This transfer is unavailable." We scan it again with the newest virus signatures. It stays suspended until it would have expired. An account with repeated suspensions like this is blocked. |
| A copyright notice | The link is taken down and its files are deleted. An account with 2 upheld notices within a rolling 12 months is blocked. See our Copyright Policy. |
Files that can run on a computer, and files we can't fully scan, are allowed, with the warning "Only open this if you trust the sender.".
A blocked account can't sign in or send files. The block also covers the same email address written differently, such as with a "+tag", or with dots removed for Gmail addresses. The account sees: "This account can't send files. If you think this is a mistake, write to support@sendthestuff.com."
Other breaches of this policy. When a report or complaint shows another breach, we may remove the transfer or block the account.
How to report abuse
- On any download page, choose "Report abuse" and pick a reason: phishing, malware, copyright, child abuse, spam or other. The emails we send for email transfers have a "Report abuse" link too.
- You can send up to 5 reports an hour.
- Child abuse: the transfer is suspended as soon as you report it. You can also report it straight to NCMEC's CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
- Copyright: the "copyright" reason is recorded, but it isn't a copyright notice, and we don't take the link down for it. To have a link taken down, send a notice as our Copyright Policy describes.
- Anything else: write to support@sendthestuff.com with the link and what's wrong.
We look at other reports from their details, never by opening the files.
Appeals
- Write to support@sendthestuff.com from the account's email address.
- We decide appeals of virus, spam and copyright blocks from records such as account age, account history and what was detected, never by opening files.
- Blocks for child sexual abuse material are never reversed, and we don't discuss them.