Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy applies to everyone using Meerkat Hosting services - hosting, domains, email, the free website offer, Website Care plans and bespoke web design and portal projects. It exists to keep our infrastructure secure, stable and fair for every customer hosted on it, and to set clear expectations for content built or hosted through us.

2. Prohibited content

You must not use our services to host, send, build or distribute:

• Illegal content of any kind under UK law
• Malware, viruses, ransomware or other malicious code
• Phishing pages or content designed to deceive or defraud
• Content that infringes someone else's copyright, trademark or other rights
• Content that harasses, threatens, discriminates against or defames any individual or group
• Adult content, gambling services, or other regulated or age-restricted content, unless agreed with us in writing in advance

3. Prohibited activity

• Sending unsolicited bulk email ("spam") or emails designed to harvest addresses
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to any system, account or network, ours or anyone else's
• Running port scans, denial-of-service attacks, or other activity intended to disrupt any network or service
• Using our services to relay or launder someone else's abusive traffic or content

4. Resource and security limits

• Shared hosting resources must be used fairly - accounts that consistently overload shared infrastructure (CPU, memory or bandwidth) may be asked to upgrade to a higher plan or be temporarily limited.
• You're responsible for keeping software you control (such as WordPress, plugins and themes) up to date and secure. Where we manage updates for you under a Website Care plan, this responsibility sits with us for the parts we maintain.
• You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any system, account or network, ours or anyone else's.

5. The free website offer

Our free website offer is intended for genuine UK businesses and sole traders who want a real website for their business. To keep the offer sustainable and fair to everyone using it:

• The business, services and information you ask us to build the site around must be genuine and accurately described.
• We may decline to build a free website where the intended content would breach this policy, including the restrictions on adult, gambling or other regulated content in section 2.
• The free website offer is for one website per business. It isn't intended to be used to mass-produce sites for resale or for unrelated third parties.

6. Email use

Email hosting must not be used to send unsolicited marketing email without a lawful basis and appropriate consent, in line with UK data protection and PECR rules. Repeated spam complaints against an account may result in suspension.

7. Enforcement

Where we reasonably believe this policy has been breached, we may:

• Ask you to remove or fix the offending content or activity
• Temporarily suspend the affected service while we investigate
• Terminate the service in serious or repeated cases

We'll usually try to contact you first, except where content poses an immediate security or legal risk, in which case we may act to protect our infrastructure and other customers before we're able to reach you.

8. Reporting abuse

If you believe a site or service hosted with us is breaching this policy, email support@meerkat-hosting.co.uk with details and we'll investigate.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, including to reflect new or changed services. The current version will always be published on this page.

10. Contact

Questions about this policy? Email support@meerkat-hosting.co.uk or use our contact form.