Uncook Community Guidelines

Effective Date: December 4, 2025 Last Updated: December 4, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Uncook. Our community thrives when members treat each other with respect and follow shared standards for what's appropriate. These guidelines outline expectations for all content and interactions on Uncook, whether you're sharing recipes, commenting on others' posts, or engaging with our community.

These guidelines apply to everything you post, share, or do on Uncook—including recipes, photos, videos, comments, and direct messages. By using Uncook, you agree to follow them. We take these standards seriously and enforce them consistently to keep our community safe, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone.

Compliance Note: These guidelines comply with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), and FTC requirements for transparent disclosures.

1.1 Enforcement Terminology

To ensure clarity, we use the following specific terms throughout these guidelines:

Warning: Notification that content violates guidelines. Content may be removed. No account restrictions.
Temporary Suspension: Account access is blocked for a specified period (typically 7-30 days). Account is restored after the suspension period ends.
Permanent Termination (also "Permanent Ban"): Account is permanently disabled and cannot be reactivated. User may not create new accounts.
Content Removal: Specific post, recipe, video, or comment is deleted. Account remains active and accessible.

2. Content Standards

2.1 Recipe Content

When you share a recipe on Uncook, you're helping others cook something new. That means being accurate, clear, and safe.

Original and Attributed Content

Post only recipes you've created or have permission to share.
If a recipe is inspired by someone else's work, credit them clearly in the description.
Include the original source if you're adapting a published recipe.

Accurate Ingredient Lists and Measurements

List all ingredients with precise measurements (cups, grams, tablespoons, etc.).
Don't omit ingredients or measurements to confuse others or hide a recipe's origins.
Be clear about ingredient quality (e.g., "fresh," "frozen," "canned") when it affects the recipe.

Safety Warnings Required Your recipe must include clear warnings if it involves:

Raw or partially cooked ingredients (e.g., raw eggs, undercooked meat)
Common allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy
Alcohol: any recipe containing alcohol, including recipes where alcohol will be cooked off
High-risk techniques: such as deep frying, pressure cooking, flambéing, or working with very hot sugar

Example: "⚠️ This recipe contains raw eggs. Pregnant women, young children, and people with compromised immune systems should not consume this dish."

No Dangerous Recipes

Don't post recipes intended to harm, poison, or make someone sick.
Don't post fake "recipes" with misleading safety information.
Don't include instructions that could cause burns, cuts, or other injuries.

2.2 Photos and Videos

Visuals make recipes come alive. Keep them clear, respectful, and genuine.

Ownership and Licensing

Only post photos and videos you've taken yourself or have permission to use.
Properly license or attribute any images you didn't create.
Don't repost others' content without credit.

Appropriate Imagery

Don't post explicit, violent, or disturbing images.
Don't post content that exploits, endangers, or sexualizes minors in any way.
Food photography should be clear and appetizing; don't use excessive filters that misrepresent the dish.

Food Is the Focus

Your post's primary subject should be the food. Close-up shots of the finished dish, cooking process, or ingredients work best.
People are okay to feature in cooking videos, but they shouldn't be the main focus of the post.
Avoid excessive styling, personal details, or background scenery that distracts from the recipe.

No Undisclosed Promotions

If you're being paid to promote a product or brand, you must disclose this clearly in your caption.
Don't hide sponsored content or try to make paid promotions look like honest recommendations.

2.3 Comments and Interactions

Comments make our community vibrant. Be the kind of community member you'd want to cook with.

Be Respectful and Constructive

Offer genuine feedback: ask questions, share tips, or say what you liked about the recipe.
Disagree thoughtfully—there are many ways to make a dish, and good-faith debate is welcome.

Don't Harass or Attack

No bullying, hate speech, or personal attacks on other users.
Don't target someone based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
If someone's recipe doesn't appeal to you, move on instead of being unkind.

No Spam or Self-Promotion

Don't repeatedly post the same comment or link.
Don't use comments to advertise unrelated products or services.
Don't spam replies asking people to follow you or visit your profile.

Stay On Topic

Comments should relate to the recipe, cooking technique, or the user's content.
Debates about politics, religion, or unrelated topics don't belong in recipe comments.

3. Prohibited Content

The following types of content violate Uncook's standards. We remove this content and may suspend or ban users who post it.

Illegal Activity

Content promoting, glorifying, or providing instructions for illegal activities.
Content that facilitates or encourages violations of law.

Hate Speech and Discrimination

Slurs, dehumanizing language, or calls for violence against individuals based on protected characteristics.
Content promoting discrimination or segregation.

Harassment, Threats, and Intimidation

Direct threats of violence or harm.
Coordinated campaigns to harass or intimidate someone.
Repeatedly contacting someone after they've asked you to stop.

Sexually Explicit Material

Pornographic or sexually explicit images or videos.
Sexual content involving minors in any form (illegal and immediately reported to authorities).

Graphic Violence

Graphic depictions of violence, injury, or gore.
Content glorifying violence.

Self-Harm and Eating Disorders

Content that encourages eating disorders, extreme dieting, or self-harm.
Content promoting dangerous weight loss methods.
This includes detailed "thinspo" content or content that romanticizes harmful behaviors.

Food Safety Misinformation

False claims about food safety that could cause serious harm.
Intentionally misleading information about food preparation or ingredient safety.
Note: Traditional recipes and regional cooking methods are generally acceptable even if non-standard.

Spam, Scams, and Phishing

Repeated unsolicited messages.
Links designed to steal information or money.
Fake offers or "get rich quick" schemes.

Malware and Malicious Links

Links that contain viruses, spyware, or other malicious code.
Don't post anything designed to compromise others' devices or accounts.

Impersonation

Pretending to be someone else to deceive others.
Claiming to be a celebrity, public figure, or verified creator without authorization.

Doxxing and Privacy Violations

Sharing someone's private information (address, phone number, social media handles, etc.) without consent, especially to enable harassment.
This applies even to public figures unless they've publicly shared the information themselves.

Intellectual Property Infringement

Posting content that violates copyright, trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property rights.
Stealing recipes and claiming them as your own.

4. Age Requirement

Uncook is exclusively for users 18 years old and older.

Uncook Age Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old to use Uncook
If you are under 18, you may not create an account

Age Verification Disclaimer We rely on users to provide accurate age information during signup. We do not verify ages through ID checks or third-party verification services. If you provide false age information, your account will be deleted upon discovery.

Your Responsibility

You are responsible for providing accurate age information
If you are under 18 and create an account by lying about your age, Uncook will delete your account and all associated data upon discovery

Reporting Underage Users If you discover an account belongs to someone under 18, please report it immediately to [email protected].

5. Intellectual Property

Uncook values creativity. These rules protect everyone's original work.

Only Post Content You Have Rights To

Post only recipes and content you've created or have clear permission to share.
You own the copyright to content you create, and you grant Uncook a royalty-free, perpetual license to use, modify, and distribute it within the app.
Don't post others' content without permission.

Respect All Types of Intellectual Property

Copyright: Don't repost written recipes, photos, or videos without attribution.
Trademarks: Don't use brand names or logos in misleading ways.
Patents: Don't post instructions for patented methods or products unless you have permission.

Inspired Recipes Are Fine—But Give Credit

Adapting a recipe you found elsewhere is totally acceptable.
State clearly that your recipe is based on another source: "Inspired by [Original Recipe Creator]" or "Adapted from [Source]."
If you're significantly changing a recipe, explain what you changed.

Attribution Best Practices

Link to the original recipe if it's available online.
Tag the original creator if they're on Uncook.
Be specific: "Based on Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon" is better than "Inspired by a classic recipe."

What Happens If You Infringe IP

We'll remove the content.
This counts as one strike toward enforcement action.
Repeated infringement will result in suspension or ban.

6. Authenticity and Honesty

Help us keep Uncook a place of genuine connection and authentic recommendations.

No Fake Accounts or Bots

Don't create multiple accounts to artificially boost engagement or deceive others.
Don't use bots or automation to like, comment, or follow on behalf of accounts you don't personally control.
Each account should represent one real person or one legitimate organization.

No Artificial Engagement

Don't participate in engagement pods, loops, or networks designed to artificially inflate likes and comments.
Don't buy fake followers, likes, or comments.
Don't incentivize others to engage with your content in exchange for engagement on theirs.

Paid Promotions and Affiliate Links Must Be Disclosed

If you're being paid to promote a product or brand, you must disclose this in your caption.
If you're promoting a product you have a financial interest in (including affiliate links), disclose it.
Use language like: "This post is a paid partnership with [Brand]" or "I earn a commission if you buy through this link."
Disclose this information clearly in the caption, not hidden in comments or fine print.

Accurate Recipe Representation

Post photos of what the recipe actually looks like when you make it.
Don't use heavily edited or filtered images that misrepresent the appearance of a finished dish.
Be honest about difficulty level, cook time, and ingredient cost.

7. Safety

We want everyone on Uncook to stay safe while cooking.

No Dangerous Cooking Practices

Don't post content encouraging unsafe techniques (ignoring food safety, using dangerous tools improperly, etc.).
Don't post "challenges" or viral trends involving dangerous cooking practices.
Don't provide instructions for recipes or methods you know are unsafe.

No Promotion of Illegal Drug Use

Don't post content promoting, glorifying, or providing instructions for illegal drug use.
This includes recipes designed to create drug infusions intended for human consumption outside legal purposes.

Report Safety Concerns

If you see content that poses a serious safety risk, report it to us immediately.
We take safety seriously and will review reported content quickly.

8. Enforcement

We enforce these guidelines fairly and consistently. Here's how it works.

8.1 Reporting

How to Report Content

Use the report button on any recipe, photo, video, or comment.
Select the reason for your report (hate speech, copyright, misinformation, etc.).
Provide details about why you think the content violates our guidelines.
You can also email [email protected] if you prefer.

What Happens When You Report

We review reports as quickly as possible. Most reports are reviewed within 24-48 hours
High-priority safety reports (CSAM, imminent threats, doxxing) are reviewed immediately
Other reports may take longer during high-volume periods
We determine whether the content violates our guidelines
If it does, we take action (remove content, warn the user, or ban them)
You won't be notified of the outcome. All reports are handled confidentially

Confidentiality

We don't tell the reported user who reported them (unless required by law).
Report details are kept private and not shared publicly.
Reports are retained for a reasonable time to address patterns of abuse.

8.2 Tiered Enforcement System & Consequences

We enforce our guidelines through a tiered system that balances consistency with flexibility. Violation severity determines which enforcement path applies. (See Terms and Conditions Section 5.2 for the complete tiered violation framework.)

TIER 1 VIOLATIONS (Minor) - Always Three-Strike Process

These violations follow our standard three-strike enforcement:

Spam or repetitive unwanted content
Minor policy violations or unintentional guideline breaches
Failure to properly attribute recipes or sources
Minor promotional violations

Enforcement:

1st Strike: Written warning + content removal. This is your chance to correct course
2nd Strike: 7-day account suspension. Your account is fully suspended for 7 days. You cannot view content, post, comment, like, or interact. After 7 days, your account is restored
3rd Strike: Permanent account termination and platform ban. You cannot create new accounts or access Uncook

TIER 2 VIOLATIONS (Moderate) - Discretionary Enforcement

We may skip the three-strike process for these violations:

Repeated harassment after prior warning
Multiple copyright infringement claims
Serious safety misinformation
Coordinated spam or platform manipulation
Attempting to circumvent suspensions or bans

Enforcement: We may issue a warning, proceed directly to 7-day suspension, or ban permanently based on severity and context

TIER 3 VIOLATIONS (Severe) - Immediate Permanent Ban

These violations result in immediate, permanent account termination with NO warnings:

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any content exploiting minors
Sexually explicit or pornographic content
Doxxing (sharing private information to enable harassment)
Severe hate speech or calls for violence
Content posing imminent physical danger
Illegal activity (drug sales, weapons trafficking, etc.)

Enforcement: Immediate permanent ban. Content is removed and reported to law enforcement as required by law

Ban Evasion

If you create a new account to evade a ban, we'll permanently ban the new account immediately
Repeated ban evasion may result in legal action

Determination of Tier We determine which tier applies based on context, severity, and user history. We will provide notice of the tier designation when taking enforcement action.

8.3 Abuse of the Reporting System

False and Malicious Reports

Don't report content you know doesn't violate our guidelines.
Don't repeatedly report the same content after we've determined it's acceptable.
Don't use reports to harass or target specific users.

Consequences for Report Abuse

One false report: warning.
Multiple false reports (3+): temporary suspension or permanent ban.
We may report patterns of abuse to law enforcement.

9. Appeals

Made a mistake? Disagree with our decision? You have the right to appeal.

How to Appeal

Email [email protected] with the subject line: "Appeal: [Your Username]"
Include:
- The action we took (removal, suspension, or ban)
- Why you think we made a mistake
- Any evidence, context, or information supporting your appeal
- A brief explanation of what happened

Initial Appeal

You have 30 days from the date of enforcement to submit an initial appeal
We'll review your appeal in good faith within 14 days of receiving it
We'll reverse decisions if we made an error in fact or policy application
We'll explain our reasoning whether we reverse or uphold the decision

Additional Appeals with New Evidence

You may submit ONE additional appeal if you have NEW EVIDENCE that was not available or accessible during your initial appeal
"New evidence" means facts, documents, context, or information that did not exist or was not available at the time of your first appeal
Additional appeals based on the same evidence will not be reviewed
Submit additional appeals with the same process: email [email protected] with subject "Appeal: [Your Username]"

Final Decision

After reviewing new evidence (if applicable), our decision is final
We will not review the same appeal multiple times with identical evidence

10. Changes to These Guidelines

We May Update These Guidelines

Uncook may change these guidelines at any time to keep our community safe and address new challenges
When we make material changes, we'll notify you in the app via a prominent notification and in-app message
Your continued use of Uncook after changes take effect means you accept the updated guidelines
If you do not accept material changes, you may delete your account within 30 days of notification (see Terms and Conditions Section 13)

What Counts as a Material Change Material changes include, but are not limited to:

New or expanded prohibited content categories
Changes to enforcement consequences (e.g., changing three-strike policy)
Changes to user rights or appeal procedures
Changes that significantly restrict what you can post or how you can use Uncook
Changes to our tiered violation system
Changes to data collection or sharing practices
Changes to dispute resolution or arbitration procedures
Changes to fees or payment terms (if applicable)

What Does NOT Count as Material Changes Non-material changes that do not require 30-day notice include:

Clarifications or corrections of existing language
Minor formatting or organizational changes
Addition of examples to clarify existing rules
Updates that expand user rights or reduce restrictions

Notice Period for Material Changes

We will provide at least 30 days' written notice of material changes
Notice will be provided via in-app notification, email, or both
Your continued use of Uncook after the 30-day notice period constitutes acceptance of the changes

Contact Us

Report a violation or submit an appeal:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 904-612-2303
In-app report button: Available on all content

Other questions about these guidelines:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 904-612-2303

Uncook Inc. 1427 Pine Grove Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32205