Ika Content Guidelines

Effective Date: July 24, 2025

Welcome to Ika. Our mission is to provide writers with the tools to build sustainable subscription businesses. We are a platform that supports independent publishing and a direct connection with your audience.

These Content Guidelines are a core part of our Terms of Service and are legally binding. They explain the rules of the road for all Creators, ensuring Ika remains a safe, legal, and trusted environment for everyone. By using Ika, you agree to these guidelines.

We have the exclusive right to interpret and enforce these rules. If we determine that any content violates these guidelines, we may remove it, limit its visibility, or suspend or terminate the associated account. If you encounter content that you believe violates these guidelines, please report it to us at irakli@ika-media.com.

1. Fundamental Principles

  • You Are Responsible for Your Content: You are solely responsible and legally liable for the content you publish on Ika. You agree to indemnify Ika against any claims related to your content.
  • Respect the Law: Do not publish anything that is illegal in South Africa or any other jurisdiction where your content may be read.
  • Respect Intellectual Property: Do not publish content that infringes on someone else's copyright or trademark. Post your own original work or content you have explicit permission to use.
  • Respect Privacy: Do not publish other people's private information without their consent.

2. Prohibited Content Categories

The following types of content are strictly prohibited on Ika:

Hate Speech

Ika is not a place for content that promotes violence, incites hatred, threatens, or dehumanizes individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, including:

  • Race or ethnic origin
  • Religion or belief
  • Disability or health status
  • Age
  • Nationality
  • Sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation

Harassment and Bullying

We do not permit credible threats of physical harm, targeted harassment of private individuals, or content that exists solely to bully or incite violence against others.

Private Information (Doxing)

You may not publish or post another person's private, non-public information without their express consent. This includes, but is not limited to, home addresses, private phone numbers, identity documents, and private images or videos.

Impersonation

You may not impersonate other people, brands, or organizations in a manner intended to mislead, confuse, or deceive others. Parody and satire are permitted, but it must be clear to the audience that it is not genuine.

Sexually Explicit Content

Pornography is not allowed. We do not permit any content depicting sexual acts for the primary purpose of sexual gratification. While we allow depictions of nudity for artistic, educational, or journalistic purposes, we reserve the right to limit the visibility of such content in public discovery features.

Harmful or Illegal Activities

We do not allow content that promotes, threatens, or depicts harmful or illegal acts. This includes:

  • Content that advocates for or glorifies self-harm or suicide.
  • Content facilitating the sale of regulated or illegal goods and services.
  • Any material that constitutes or facilitates child sexual abuse or exploitation.

3. Platform Integrity and Authentic Engagement

We are committed to helping you build a legitimate business while protecting our community from inauthentic activity.

  • Mailing Lists: If you import a mailing list, you must ensure it is composed of people who explicitly opted-in to receive emails from you. We do not allow the use of purchased or scraped email lists.
  • Phishing and Fraud: You may not use Ika to create publications for the purpose of phishing, fraud, or other deceptive schemes.
  • Spam and Inauthentic Activity: Your publication's primary purpose must be to provide valuable content. We do not permit publications that exist solely to advertise external products, function as low-quality affiliate marketing, or exist only to manipulate search engine optimization.

4. Paystack Restricted Activities

As stated in our Terms of Service, all payments on Ika are processed by Paystack. Therefore, you may not use Ika to create or fund content related to activities on Paystack's Prohibited Businesses list. It is your responsibility to review this list and ensure your content is compliant. This includes, but is not limited to, content related to unlicensed financial services, gambling, and illegal products.

5. Community and Comment Moderation

These guidelines apply to all community interactions, including comments and discussion threads. As a Creator, you are best equipped to moderate your own community, and you have the tools to manage comments and participants in your publication's spaces.