Community Guidelines

At Commu, we want to create the best possible platform for the needs of helping others. An important part of this is also the safety and comfort of the platform. In our Community Guidelines, we want to define the boundaries and instructions that we believe will keep our platform safe and pleasant.

In addition to our Terms of Service, we give our community the following guidelines. These guidelines are based on the philosophy of common sense, and they apply to all user-generated content and activity on our services. This document is treated as a living document, which we update regularly based on the development of the Commu community and service. Additional guidelines or special exceptions may apply to certain services or features of the Commu service.

Violating the Community Guidelines may result in content being edited or removed, an account being closed, or a warning being given to the user. As part of our Terms, you also commit to the Community Guidelines.

Interaction with other users

You are solely responsible for your interactions with other Users, regardless of whether the interaction takes place online or in person. You must be honest and friendly toward other users. You must not attempt to deceive or otherwise unilaterally benefit from other users. Be respectful and considerate of others.

Hate speech and harassment

We do not accept any form of hate speech or harassment. Although these are sometimes open to interpretation, for us hate speech is any content or activity that promotes or encourages discrimination, degradation, harassment, or violence based on the following protected characteristics: race, ethnicity, skin color, caste, national origin, immigration status, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, serious medical condition, and veteran status.

Harassment takes many forms, such as stalking, personal attacks, promotion of physical harm, hostile raids, and malicious false reporting. Sexual harassment may in particular take the form of unwanted sexual advances and solicitation, sexual objectification, or degrading attacks related to a person’s perceived sexual practices.

Creating listings on Commu

By creating a listing, you agree that the information you provide is accurate and truthful, that it is in the correct category, of the correct type, and that its content has not been written in a misleading way. You agree that your listings are current and that you are prepared to receive communications from users related to your listing, as well as prepared to provide or receive the service mentioned in the listing. The listing you create must not contain any of the prohibited topics mentioned in the following section. The content must not contain copyrighted material that you do not have the right to distribute further.

The location of the listing does not need to be marked as your actual location, but the location must be one where you are prepared to provide or receive the service mentioned in the listing in that area.

List of activities prohibited on Commu

  • Selling goods is prohibited
  • Prostitution
  • Any illegal activity, and requesting, directing toward, or advising on any kind of illegal activity
    • For example
    • Obtaining snus
    • Illegal substances and obtaining them
    • Alcohol, intoxicants, or tobacco for minors
    • Distributing information that violates someone’s privacy
  • We also do not allow requesting any substances classified as intoxicants on Commu
    • This includes, among other things, tobacco and alcohol.
    • This rule concerns requesting intoxicants from another user. It does not concern talking about them or offering them in return for a service.
  • Listings related to seeking casual sex partners or purely seeking a romantic relationship
  • Massage listings or offering massage
  • Tax evasion
  • Hate speech and violent content
  • Requesting or inciting dangerous activity
    • Including bullying
  • Asking people to attend demonstrations, or advertising demonstrations
    • This also includes listings aimed at activity against demonstrations
  • Spreading your own political, religious, or sexuality-related views
    • Talking about these is allowed, but activity aimed at spreading your own view is not.
    • ALLOWED: “Offering peer support for trans youth”
    • PROHIBITED: “Why should you belong to religion X?”
    • ALLOWED: “Looking for someone to talk to about climate issues”
    • PROHIBITED: “Want to share thoughts on overthrowing the government”
  • Impersonating another user, person, or organization.
  • Using another user’s account, username, or password, as well as giving your password to a third party or allowing a third party to use your account.
  • Requesting personal information from persons under 18 years of age.
  • Requesting a loan or money. Commu is not a bank.
  • Listings that count as freelance activity
    • Listings that are essentially advertising your own paid service.
  • Any activity aimed at the sexual exploitation of children, whether it be, for example, requesting/sharing images, sexual messaging, sexualization, or organizing such activity.
    • Luring a user outside the Commu platform for such activity is also especially prohibited.
    • Read more in the section: Prohibition of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Scamming, phishing, lying, bullying

As mentioned in the section “Interaction with other users,” you must be honest and act in good faith when dealing with other users. We have zero tolerance for any kind of scam attempts and are very willing to work with authorities to investigate all incidents suggestive of such activity. Likewise, we address bullying cases immediately and, where necessary, treat them as illegal activity.

Special notes

  • Do NOT initiate extensive conversation and immediately offer your contact information or ask for another person’s contact information. We consider this phishing.
  • Do NOT systematically urge users to switch communication platforms. If you suggest switching platforms, always ask whether the other user agrees to it.
  • Do NOT systematically ask users for unrelated information, such as family status, area of residence, daily activities, or schedules, etc. In moderation, we often have to assume the worst, and if you do this, your account may be banned for phishing.

Activity related to seeking casual sex, sexuality, and purely seeking a romantic relationship

Commu is not a dating app, and sexuality-related activity or discussion should not take place on our platform. So do not ask other users about their relationship status or preferences, do not ask them out on a date, and do not ask them for appearance-related material. We have zero tolerance in this regard, and violating this rule generally leads to account closure.

Prohibition of child sexual abuse and exploitation

In accordance with the previous section, it goes without saying that any activity related to, or suggestive of, the exploitation of children is strictly prohibited. In addition to the penalties mentioned above, engaging in this automatically leads to a permanent ban, and the Commu team automatically reports all such known cases to the authorities.

In this context, “automatic” means that taking action does not require the consent of the user who is the victim/target, but Commu makes decisions entirely independently. As a Commu user, you also accept that the Commu team has the unilateral right to stop providing the service to you if it suspects that this rule has been violated.

If you see such content, you can report it using the standard reporting tools available in all features that may contain user-generated content. You may also, if you wish, separately contact this person:

Sami Ekmark sami@commuapp.fi +358 44 377 4707

Rules concerning food assistance and material assistance exclusively

It is unfortunate that people have to ask for support in the form of food donations or other material assistance in order to get by. On the other hand, this type of assistance is also more prone to abuse than other kinds of help, and for this reason we have set some special rules for it:

  • You may request support in this category only a certain number of times per month. The app will notify you if the limit is exceeded.
  • You must verify your identity in order to request support.
  • Your listing must be placed in the correct category, or it will be removed.
  • All limits are PER HOUSEHOLD. Even if several of your family members may have Commu, you may not circumvent the limits through another Commu account if you live in the same household.
  • Gift cards may not be requested for this need. Gift cards may be given, but requests must focus on what kind of help is needed; it is up to the helper to decide how they wish to deliver the help.
  • This type of help may only be requested in the locality where you live. Remote helping is not allowed for goods/food assistance.
  • If the only way to help is to give you money, your listing will be removed.

Violating other rules in order to circumvent the restrictions defined in this section may be used as an aggravating factor when deciding on moderation actions.

Providing peer support

Providing peer support is, as a general rule, highly desirable activity. However, as a user, you must understand the responsibilities and obligations related to this. If you want to provide peer support to another user, you must first familiarize yourself with Commu’s peer support guide at commuapp.fi/ohjeet-vertaistukeen

If you want to request peer support on the platform, you must understand that the person responding to you may not necessarily be trained in any way to provide peer support, and the support they give may not necessarily be suitable for you. You therefore cannot hold people providing peer support in any way responsible for the advice or support they give. (An exception to this are professional representatives of associations and companies who may provide support as part of their own work. In that case, normal consumer protection laws apply.)

If, during a conversation, a suspicion arises about acute changes in your own or another person’s wellbeing, it is best not to go too deep, and if necessary, help can always be requested at tuntuu.fi/apua.html. Sometimes, when giving peer support, it is best simply to encourage the person to seek help from public services and, if necessary, to be there for support in order to lower the threshold for leaving home.

When giving peer support, remember to check in with your own capacity and resources for helping others. Be compassionate toward yourself and take the conversation only as deep as feels right to you.

At tuntuu.fi/apua.html you will find good chat services for asking for tips for yourself and for another person. Local crisis and health centers also provide guidance to the help that is needed. In emergencies, contact 112. Do not hesitate to ask for help.

In conversations, especially when it comes to peer support, it is good to be aware that they can bring up emotions. Old matters may come to mind. It would be good to always end conversations on everyday, positive things that bring a good feeling. Return to the present moment and direct your thoughts toward the future, toward pleasant things and activities.

(Community Guidelines updated: 6 August 2026 / KK)