Last Updated: August 25, 2023 Advertising Policies and Standards Overview

We have created our advertising policies to provide guidance on the type of ad content we permit.  

Our advertising policies require all advertisers comply with the laws of their jurisdiction and the jurisdictions in which any advertisement will be presented.  It is an advertiser’s responsibility to comply with our policies as well as all laws and regulations applicable to them.

Our policies are subject to change without prior notice. 

The Ad Review Process 

We review individual ads and also may monitor and investigate advertiser behavior.  We may disapprove of or suspend ads that violate our policies as well as suspend accounts for repeat or egregious violations of our policies. Our ad review may include review of specific components of an ad, such as images, video, text and targeting information as well as an ad’s associated landing page or other destination pages. We restrict certain kinds of businesses from advertising with us to prevent users from being exploited, even if individual businesses appear to comply with our policies.  

Our review process may not detect all policy violations, as such ads remain subject to re-review and may be rejected at any time.  

Advertisers whose ads are rejected will typically be provided an opportunity to edit their ads in order to bring them in compliance. If you believe the ad was incorrectly rejected or suspended you can request a review of the decision.   Additionally, you can appeal an account suspension. 

We reserve the right to reject, approve or remove any ad for any reason, in our sole discretion.  

Intellectual Property 

Copyrights

We abide by applicable copyright laws and protect rights of copyright holders.  We do not allow ads that use unauthorized copyrighted content.  

Counterfeit Goods

Ads may not contain content that infringes upon or violates the intellectual property rights of any third party, including trademarks or copyrights.  The promotion or sale of counterfeit goods is strictly prohibited.  Counterfeit goods contain a trademark or logo that is identical or substantially identical to the trademark or logo of another party. The advertising or sale of products described as knock off, replica, imitation, clone, faux, fake, mirror image or use similar terminology when referring to a brand name or product in an attempt to pass themselves off as genuine products of the brand owner are not allowed.  Non-genuine products that mimic the brand features in an attempt to pass themselves off as the genuine product of the actual brand owner are not permitted to be promoted or sold on Berify. If we find violations of this policy, we will suspend your account upon detection and without prior warning and you will be prohibited from advertising with us again.  We may review information from multiple sources including your website and third party sources in making this determination.  

Trademarks

We follow applicable trademark laws and protect rights of trademark owners.  We do not allow ads that infringe on the trademark rights of others nor ads that use a trademark in a confusing, deceptive or misleading way.  We will permit advertisers to use trademarks that belong to others if it is identifying a product that they resell or if the landing page of the ad using the trademark is primarily dedicated to selling products or services, components, replacement parts or compatible products or services corresponding to such trademark.  

Prohibited or Unacceptable Content and Practices

Ads must not constitute, facilitate or promote illegal activities, products or services.  This includes, but is not limited to, products or services that help users mislead others, such as creation of fake or false documents, aids to pass drug tests, paper-writing or exam-taking services, selling falsified user activity in the form of invalid clicks, reviews or social media endorsements, or hacking services. 

Ads must not discriminate or encourage discrimination against people based on personal attributes such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, disability, medical or genetic condition.  This means that advertisers cannot use our tools to wrongfully target specific groups for advertising or wrongfully exclude specific groups from seeing their ads or to harass, provoke or disparage people or engage in predatory advertising practices.  You are required to comply with all laws that prohibit discrimination, including laws that discriminate against people in connection with housing, employment and credit. 

Ads must not direct people to non-functional landing pages, including landing page content that interferes with a person’s ability to navigate away from the page.

Ads must clearly represent the company, product, service or brand that is being advertised. Advertisers must use authentic user accounts to set up business assets and run ads. If we find inauthentic user accounts we may restrict or remove such accounts.  You must not sell, rent, buy or exchange accounts or account privileges, such as administrative access.  

Advertisers must not evade or attempt to evade our review process and enforcement actions.  If we find an ad account, user account or business account is evading our review process, an advertiser may face restrictions.  You also may not help anyone evade or circumvent our enforcement of our policies or terms of service.  

Deceptive Content

Ads must not promote products, services, schemes or offers using deceptive or misleading practices, including those that try to scam people out of money or personal information.  Scamming users by concealing or misstating information about the advertiser’s business product or services is prohibited. Advertisers must use authentic business assets to run ads across Berify.  

Ads may not contain promises or suggestions of unrealistic outcomes, such as those for weight loss or economic opportunity.  Ads should clearly and conspicuously disclose the payment model or full expense that a user will pay.  Ads should not promise products, services or promotional offers in the ad that are not available or aren’t easily found at the ad destination.  Ads should not use clickbait tactics or sensationalist text or imagery. 

Ads must not use tactics that are intended to circumvent our ad review process.  This includes techniques that attempt to disguise the ad’s content or destination (landing page).  Ads must not contain spyware, malware or any software that results in an unexpected or deceptive experience.  Ad destinations should not use “phishing” techniques to gather user information.  

Objectionable Content

Ads must not contain adult content.  This includes nudity, depictions of people in explicit or sexually suggestive positions or activities that are overly suggestive or sexual.

Ads must not contain profanity.  Ads must not contain shocking, sensational or excessively violent content. 

Content-Specific Restrictions

Alcohol/Vape/Tobacco

Ads that promote or reference alcohol, vaping or tobacco must comply with all applicable laws, required or established industry codes, guidelines, regulations, licenses and approvals, including, but not limited to, age and state or country targeting criteria consistent with applicable law.  At minimum, ads in the United States may not be targeted to people under the age of 21 years.  Targeting persons below legal drinking or smoking age in any country, portraying excessive drinking favorably, showing alcohol consumption in conjunction with operating a vehicle or implies that drinking alcohol, vaping or using tobacco products can improve social, sexual, professional or athletic ability or standing are strictly prohibited. 

Branding and informational ads, including which promote brand awareness, but which do not offer them for online sale are permitted; provided, that they are permitted in the applicable jurisdiction.

Adult Products or Services

Ads must not promote the sale or use of adult products or services.  Ads must not contain adult content, including nudity, depictions of people in explicit or suggestive positions, be overly suggestive or sexually provocative.  Ads for dating motivated by sexual encounters, such as swinger dating or fling dating sites are prohibited.  

Additionally, the following sexual content is restricted:

• Partial nudity that displays partially exposed intimate body parts
• Online or offline sexually suggestive entertainment, such as strip clubs, sexually suggestive live streaming or live chat or adult movie festivals
• Sexually suggestive elements or themes in text, images, audio or video, such as lewd language, mimicking sexual positions, or touching covered intimate body parts

Ads promoting sexual or reproductive health, like contraception, must be targeted to people 18 years or older.  

Cosmetic Procedures and Wellness

Ads marketing weight loss products and services, cosmetic surgeries and procedures and dietary, health or herbal supplements must be targeted to people at least 18 years or older.

Ad content must not imply or attempt to generate negative self-perception in order to promote diet, weight loss or other health related products. 

Ads promoting cosmetic services or plastic surgery focused on intimate body parts are restricted. Examples include, but are not limited to, female breast augmentation, penis enlargement surgery or buttock implants. 

Financial and Insurance Products and Services 

Ads promoting credit cards, loans or insurance services must be targeted to people 18 years or older and must not request input of personally identifiable information within the ad’s landing page. Advertisers must demonstrate that they are authorized by the relevant regulatory agency where this is a requirement.  Ads must disclose associated fees and provide legitimate contact information for a physical location. 

Cryptocurrency

Ads may not promote cryptocurrency trading platforms, software and relates services and products that enable monetization, reselling, swapping or staking of cryptocurrencies.  Ads for hardware wallets designed to hold private keys for cryptocurrencies, NFTs or other crypto based assets may be permitted.  

Firearms, Ammunition or Explosives

Ads must not promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition or explosives.  This includes ads for weapon modifications. 

Hemp and Related Products

Ads may not promote or offer the sale of THC products or cannabis products containing related psychoactive components.  Ads that promote or offer the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) or similar cannabinoid products are only allowed with prior written permission.   Ads that promote or offer the sale of hemp or CBD products must comply with all applicable laws, required or established industry codes and guidelines and cannot target people under the age of 21.  Ads must target approved countries. 

Online Gambling

Ads that promote online gambling and gaming are only allowed in specific instances.  Online gambling includes any Internet based game where money or other items of value are paid or wagered in exchange for the opportunity to win real money or prizes based on the outcome of the game.  This includes fantasy sports, online tournaments or match three video games.

Promotion of physical establishments is permitted, such as casinos or events at casinos.  Authorized advertisers must follow all applicable laws and cannot target people under the age of 21 years old.  Gambling ads must target approved countries.  

Prescription Drugs and Over-the-Counter Medicine

Ads may not promote prescriptions drugs.  Online pharmacies, telehealth providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers may be exempt.  Permitted ads may not target people under the age of 18 years old. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are prohibited from advertising prescription opioid painkillers. Ads may not target locations where you are not licensed. 

Over-the-counter medicines may only be advertised in countries where legally permitted.  Ads regarding non-government approved products that imply they are effective as prescription drugs or controlled substances or are marketed in a way that implies that they are safe or effective for use in preventing, curing or treating a particular disease or ailment are prohibited. Ads with products with names that are confusingly similar to an approved pharmaceutical or controlled substance are also prohibited. 

Ads must not promote the sale or use of illicit or recreational drugs, or other unsafe substances, products or supplements, as determined by us in our sole discretion.

Other Restricted Businesses

We restrict certain kinds of businesses from advertising with us to prevent users from being exploited.  We continuously review ads and take into consideration feedback from users and government agencies.  If we feel that certain kinds of businesses pose an unreasonable risk, then we may limit or stop related ads from running.  

Advertising for Children

Advertising intended for children must not be deceptive, unfair or inappropriate for its intended audience and must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.  Advertising must not use third party tracking or attempt to collect personal information without first obtaining parental consent. 

Any types of advertising listed under “Content-Specific Restrictions” is prohibited to be targeted towards people under the age of 13.  

In addition, the following categories are restricted for advertising for children content:

Age Sensitive Media Content: Media that is sensitive to show users under the age of 13. This includes movies, TV shows with ratings greater than G or PG, fictional material, books, comics, or video games. 

Astrology/Occult/Paranormal: Advertisements for content relating to astrology, the occult or the paranormal.

Body modification, wellness and supplements: Ads for body modification products or services, such as tanning, piercing, tattoos or cosmetic procedures.  Ads for pharmaceuticals or medications, vitamins and nutritional supplements. Ads for reproductive health, substance abuse, eating disorders, diet and nutrition and weight loss. 

Contests and sweepstakes: Contests or sweepstakes promotions, even if free to enter.

Dangerous Content: Content that is dangerous or inappropriate for users under the age of 13 or that generally requires adult supervision, such as weapons or weapons accessories, fireworks etc.

Dating and Relationships:  Ads for dating services, matchmaking, or relationship advice or counseling.

Death:  Ads which reference death, murder, funerals or natural disasters.

Mobile Subscriptions: Offers which are billed via recurring mobile phone add-on charges.

Online or Virtual Communities: Ads for platforms or services that primarily exist to allow users to connect and communicate with other users. This includes, but is not limited to, communication with strangers, virtual worlds and platforms for users to broadcast live streams.

Political Ads: Political ads of any kind, including about political candidates or their policy positions or personal action committees.  

Religion: Religious ads of any kind.

Surveillance: Offers for services that imply they will help you spy on a person or find non-shared personal information about a third party. 

Video Games: Ads for video games prohibited if the industry rating of the game is not suitable for audiences 12 years or under. 

Violent or Graphic content:  Violent and/or graphic content that is not suitable for users under the age of 13. 

Advertising for teens

Any types of advertising listed under Content-Specific Restrictions is prohibited to be targeted towards people under the age of 18.  

In addition, the following types of ads are prohibited to target people under the age of 18:

Body modification, wellness and supplements: Ads for body modification products or services, such as weight loss, tanning, piercing, tattoos or cosmetic procedures.  Ads for pharmaceuticals or medications, vitamins and nutritional supplements.

Contests and sweepstakes: Contests or sweepstakes promotions, even if free to enter.

Dangerous Content: Content that is dangerous or inappropriate for users under the age of 18 or that generally requires adult supervision, such as weapons or weapons accessories, fireworks, etc.

Dating and relationships:  Ads for dating services, matchmaking, or relationship advice or counseling.

Surveillance: Offers for services that imply they will help you spy on a person or find non-shared personal information about a third party. 

Violent or graphic content:  Violent, gruesome, graphic, obscene, profane and other content that could be shocking. 

Virtual world’s and chat rooms intended for adults:  Ads for platforms or services intended for adults that primarily exist to allow users to connect and communicate with strangers.