Acceptable Use Policy

This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) governs the use of Hostchain India’s web hosting services, including cloud hosting, VPS, and domain services. Violations may lead to suspension or termination of your account. In case of disputes regarding this AUP’s interpretation, Hostchain India’s reasonable judgment shall prevail.

Prohibited Content

You may not publish or transmit via Hostchain India’s services any content that we reasonably deem:

Constitutes or promotes child sexual abuse material, in violation of Indian laws such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO). Hostchain India will fully cooperate with law enforcement investigations regarding such violations. Customers are responsible for their clients’ actions on our network and liable for illegal content posted by their clients.
Includes adult content, excessive violence, incites violence, promotes hate speech, or contains harassing material.
Is deceptive under Indian consumer protection laws, such as pyramid schemes or chain letters.
Is defamatory, invades privacy, or compromises personal or public safety, national security, or law enforcement investigations.
Exposes trade secrets, infringes trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property rights, or facilitates bypassing copyright protections.
Promotes illegal drugs, gambling, arms trafficking, or other activities prohibited under Indian law, including the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Is malicious, fraudulent, or likely to provoke retaliation against Hostchain India.

Content “published or transmitted” includes web content, email, forums, chats, or any transmission using Hostchain India’s services. Report violations to abuse@hostchain.in.

Security Requirements

Users must implement reasonable security measures, including safeguarding passwords and updating them regularly to protect account integrity.

Bulk Commercial Email

Bulk commercial email requires prior approval from Hostchain India, granted only if you demonstrate:

Recipients have provided explicit consent (e.g., via opt-in mechanisms).
Consent verification ensures the email address owner’s authorization.
Evidence of consent is retained and provided within 72 hours upon request.
Emails include details on how the recipient’s address was obtained (e.g., “You opted in via our website”) and a contact for consent verification (abuse@hostchainindia.com).
Clear opt-out mechanisms (e.g., unsubscribe links or “Remove” instructions) are provided, with revocations honored within 72 hours.
A privacy policy is posted on each associated domain, and an abuse@hostchainindia.com email is listed on the website’s homepage, registered at abuse.net.
Compliance with India’s IT Rules, 2021, and other applicable laws, including anti-spam regulations.

These rules apply to emails sent via Hostchain India’s services or referencing sites hosted by us. Third-party email services must follow similar standards. Hostchain India may monitor compliance, including requesting opt-in records.

Unsolicited Email (Spam)

Sending unsolicited commercial email (spam) through Hostchain India’s servers or using our email addresses is prohibited. Using another provider’s service to spam while directing responses to a Hostchain India-hosted site is also a violation. Violators face a minimum fine of INR 15,000 and immediate account suspension. Emails for domains not hosted on our servers are considered spam, leading to immediate suspension.

If an account is compromised (e.g., via stolen passwords or insecure scripts) and used for spam, the account holder is fully responsible. A reinstatement fee of INR 5,500 applies, and account data may be held until payment. Non-payment within 30 days results in account and data deletion, with no liability to Hostchain India.

Spamvertising

Hosting a website on Hostchain India’s servers that is promoted via spam from another server (spamvertising) is prohibited. Verified complaints will result in account suspension and termination.

Email-Only Hosting

Hostchain India does not permit using our servers solely for email hosting. Websites must be hosted with us to use our email services.

Copyrighted Material

You may not distribute copyrighted material (e.g., music, software, art) unless explicitly authorized by the copyright owner or permitted under Indian copyright law. To report infringement, send a notice to abuse@hostchain.in, including:

A signature of the authorized representative of the copyright owner.
Identification of the infringed work and the infringing material.
Contact details and a statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized.

Repeat infringers will have their services terminated.

Server Resource Usage

Websites consuming excessive server resources (e.g., CPU, memory, network) that impact other clients may be suspended. Hostchain India determines acceptable usage levels and may terminate accounts disrupting normal operations.

Internet Abuse

Prohibited activities include unauthorized system access, network scanning, data monitoring, service interference (e.g., mail bombing, flooding), forging TCP-IP headers, or any conduct risking retaliation against Hostchain India’s network.

Prohibited Programs and Sites

Background daemons (e.g., IRC bots, eggdrop) and certain sites/scripts are banned, including:

Topsites, ranking sites, or web directories.
Bruteforce programs, proxy scripts, or anonymizers.
Warez, pirated software, or hacker-focused sites.
Sites promoting illegal activities, gambling, or hate speech.
Image hosting scripts, autosurf/PTC sites, or HYIP/investment schemes.
Commercial audio streaming, game servers, or shoutcast servers on shared plans.
Fraudulent, lottery, or loan sites collecting sensitive data.

Reseller Responsibilities

Resellers are fully accountable for their clients’ compliance with this AUP, including any fines or legal obligations arising from violations.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting accounts may not resell hosting or host business accounts for others. Reseller accounts are required for such activities. Non-compliant accounts may be suspended or terminated.

Warez Sites

Sites hosting or linking to warez, pirated software, or copyrighted material are prohibited. Violators face account termination, data seizure, and reporting to Indian authorities.

Policy Modifications

Hostchain India reserves the right to modify this AUP at any time without notice.