Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy Effective Date: 1st May 2026 Version: 1.0 Responsible Organizations / Joint Controllers: Prime Minister’s Office and TouchStar Robotics and AI 1. Introduction This Acceptable Use Policy defines the rules for using the Pearly Citizen App, including the web and mobile versions of the app. Pearly is provided to allow citizens, residents, and visitors in Barbados to submit, track, and receive updates about public service issues and related reports. Users must use Pearly lawfully, responsibly, and only for its intended purpose. 2. Definitions Pearly The Pearly Citizen App, including the web and mobile versions. User Any person using the Pearly Citizen App. Report A complaint, emergency report, idea, suggestion, media upload, comment, reply, or other submission made through Pearly. Content Text, photos, videos, documents, location information, or any other material submitted through Pearly. Institution A government department, public body, contractor, service provider, or authorized responder that may receive or process reports. 3. Policy Requirements 3.1 Permitted Use 3.1.1 Legitimate Public Service Use Users may use Pearly only for legitimate public service reporting, communication, and related service functions supported by the platform. 3.1.2 Genuine Reports Users may submit genuine reports about public service issues such as potholes, burst mains, traffic obstructions, infrastructure concerns, and other supported categories. 3.1.3 Accurate and Relevant Information Users must provide information that is truthful, relevant, and made in good faith to help Pearly and relevant institutions understand and process the issue. 3.1.4 Relevant Evidence and Location Information Users may upload evidence and provide location information only where it is relevant to explain, route, or resolve the reported issue. 3.1.5 Tracking and Communication Users may track report progress, respond to follow-up questions, and receive notifications about submitted reports and supported public alerts. 3.2 User Responsibilities 3.2.1 Lawful Use Users must use Pearly in accordance with applicable Barbados law and must not use the app for unlawful, abusive, malicious, or misleading purposes. 3.2.2 Accurate Reporting Users must submit truthful, relevant, and good-faith reports and must not knowingly submit false, fabricated, or misleading information. 3.2.3 Account Protection Users must protect their account access, including one-time passcodes, email access, device access, and phone access, and must not share account access with another person. 3.2.4 Correct Contact Information Users must provide accurate contact details where required for authentication, follow-up, or service delivery. 3.2.5 Respect for Privacy Users must avoid submitting unnecessary personal information about other persons and must not use Pearly to expose, collect, or distribute personal information without a legitimate reporting reason. 3.2.6 Responsible Use of Emergency Features Emergency or urgent reporting features must only be used for genuine urgent, safety-related, or emergency matters. 3.2.7 Reporting Misuse Users must report suspected unauthorized access, false reports, abuse, or security concerns through Pearly’s approved support or reporting channels. 3.3 Prohibited Use 3.3.1 False, Misleading, or Abusive Reports Users must not: • submit false reports • submit misleading information • abuse emergency reporting features • spam the platform with duplicate, irrelevant, automated, or nuisance submissions • harass, threaten, shame, intimidate, or target another person through reports, replies, or media 3.3.2 Privacy Misuse Users must not: • submit unnecessary personal data about other persons • upload intrusive or unnecessary images of uninvolved persons • upload children’s images unless genuinely necessary for the report • publish or expose confidential, medical, financial, identity, or private communications without proper justification • use Pearly to track, profile, or gather personal information about another person without authority 3.3.3 Offensive, Illegal, or Harmful Content Users must not submit content that is: • threatening or abusive • discriminatory or hateful • obscene or exploitative • defamatory or malicious • unlawful or intended to support unlawful conduct 3.3.4 Security Misuse Users must not: • upload malware, phishing links, malicious files, scripts, or harmful documents • hack, scan, probe, brute force, exploit, or bypass Pearly security controls • attempt unauthorized access to admin systems, another user’s account, restricted application programming interfaces, or non-public data • interfere with service availability through flooding, denial-of-service behavior, or excessive automated requests • circumvent rate limits, one-time passcode protections, upload controls, or other technical safeguards • reverse engineer restricted systems to extract secrets, keys, internal logic, or protected workflows 3.3.5 AI, Automation, and Workflow Abuse Where Pearly uses AI-assisted or automated workflows, users must not: • manipulate automated systems through crafted or deceptive inputs • attempt prompt injection or attempts to override system instructions • use unauthorized bots, scripts, or automated tools to submit reports or interact with Pearly • treat AI-assisted responses as official emergency, legal, medical, or government advice unless confirmed by an authorized person 3.4 Media Upload Rules 3.3.1 Relevance Requirement Users may upload media only where it is relevant to the report. 3.3.2 Prohibited Media Users must not upload: • malware or unsafe files • unrelated personal images • unnecessary images of uninvolved persons • images of children unless necessary for the report • medical, identity, or financial documents unless genuinely required • offensive, unlawful, or exploitative media • excessive, duplicate, or storage-abusive files 3.3.3 Platform Controls Over Uploads Pearly may scan, reject, remove, restrict, or retain uploaded files where necessary for security, investigation, legal compliance, or report handling. 3.5 Location Feature Rules 3.5.1 Honest Location Use Users must provide location information honestly and only for legitimate reporting purposes. 3.5.2 Prohibited Location Misuse Users must not: • submit fake or misleading locations • use location features to harass, target, or expose another person’s private location without a legitimate reporting reason • submit unnecessarily precise private locations where a general location is sufficient • misuse emergency location features 3.6 Notifications, Alerts, and Public Information 3.6.1 Responsible Use of Alerts and Subscriptions Users must not misuse notifications, subscriptions, reactions, or public information features to harass, spam, manipulate engagement, stalk, shame, or target another person. 3.6.2 No Impersonation Users must not pretend to speak on behalf of Pearly, a government department, an emergency responder, or another institution. 3.7 Account Security Rules 3.7.1 OTP Protection Users must keep one-time passcodes private and must not share them with anyone. 3.7.2 Personal Account Use Only Users must use their own account and must not use another person’s account or allow another person to submit reports as them. 3.7.3 Unauthorized Access Reporting Users must notify Pearly if they believe their account, email, phone, or device has been compromised. 4. Contact Information For questions about this policy or to report misuse, contact: The Pearly Team Controller: TouchStar Robotics and AI Email: Support@pearly.bb