Community Guidelines for InstaCal

Last Updated: March 12, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to the InstaCal community! Our social features — including the social feed, Slides, the nearby meals map, profiles, comments, likes, and following — are designed to help you share your meals, celebrate your progress, and inspire others on their health journey. These Community Guidelines outline the standards of behavior we expect from all users. By using InstaCal's social features, you agree to follow these guidelines.

2. Be Respectful and Kind

InstaCal is a supportive space for people working toward their health and nutrition goals. We expect all users to:

  • Treat others with respect and kindness in all interactions
  • Be encouraging and supportive of others' meals, progress, and goals
  • Remember that everyone is on a different journey — avoid judgment about what others eat or how they track
  • Engage constructively in comments and avoid unnecessary negativity

3. Prohibited Content

The following types of content are strictly prohibited on InstaCal and will result in content removal and potential account suspension:

Hate Speech and Discrimination:

  • Racial slurs, ethnic slurs, or any language targeting someone's race, ethnicity, or national origin
  • Anti-LGBTQ+ slurs or content that demeans someone based on sexual orientation or gender identity
  • Content that mocks, demeans, or discriminates against individuals based on disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic
  • Nazi imagery, white supremacist language, or any symbols or terms associated with hate groups

Harassment and Bullying:

  • Targeted harassment, intimidation, or threats toward any user
  • Body shaming, weight shaming, or mocking someone's appearance
  • Repeated unwanted contact or interactions after being asked to stop
  • Encouraging others to harass or bully a user

Harmful Health Content:

  • Promotion of eating disorders, extreme restriction, or dangerous dieting practices
  • Content that glorifies unhealthy relationships with food or body image
  • Unqualified medical or nutritional advice that could cause harm
  • Promotion of unregulated supplements, diet pills, or products making unverified health claims

Spam and Misleading Content:

  • Spam, excessive self-promotion, or unsolicited advertising
  • Fake or misleading meal photos or nutrition data
  • Impersonating other users or public figures
  • Posting repetitive or irrelevant content to manipulate the feed

Explicit and Inappropriate Content:

  • Sexually explicit content, nudity, or graphic violence
  • Content depicting illegal activities or drug use
  • Any content not related to food, nutrition, fitness, or health and wellness

4. Meal and Profile Content Standards

When sharing meals, workouts, and profile information:

  • Only post photos of food, meals, nutrition labels, or fitness-related content
  • Keep meal names, descriptions, and comments appropriate for all audiences
  • Ensure your profile name and username do not contain slurs, hate speech, or inappropriate language
  • Do not use profile photos or meal images to display prohibited content

5. Slides

Slides let you share meal moments with the community. When posting Slides:

  • All content standards and prohibited content rules apply to Slides
  • Keep Slides relevant to food, meals, nutrition, or your health journey
  • Do not use Slides to advertise products, services, or external links without permission
  • Do not post Slides containing other people's content without their consent

6. Nearby Meals Map

The nearby meals map lets you discover what people are eating in your area. When using the map feature:

  • Understand that meals you log while using the map feature may be visible to other users in the area with an approximate location
  • Do not use the map to track, stalk, or identify the specific location of other users
  • Do not post misleading location data or fake meals to manipulate the map
  • Respect the privacy of restaurants and businesses — do not use the map to post negative or defamatory content about specific locations
  • You can control your map visibility through your privacy settings at any time

7. Intellectual Property

Respect the creative work and content of others:

  • Only post photos that you have taken yourself or have permission to use
  • Do not repost another user's meal photos, Slides, or content as your own
  • Do not use InstaCal to distribute copyrighted material without authorization
  • If you believe your content has been used without permission, report it to our team and we will investigate

8. Privacy and Consent

Respect the privacy of others:

  • Do not share other people's personal information without their consent
  • Do not screenshot or redistribute another user's content in a way that could be harmful or harassing
  • Do not post photos that include identifiable individuals without their consent
  • Respect users' privacy settings — do not attempt to circumvent their privacy preferences

9. Reporting and Blocking

We provide tools to help you manage your experience on InstaCal:

  • Report: If you see content or behavior that violates these guidelines, please report it through the App. We review all reports and take appropriate action.
  • Block: You can block any user to prevent them from viewing your profile, meals, or interacting with your content.
  • Privacy Controls: You can control whether your meals appear on the feed or map, and manage your profile visibility.

We take all reports seriously. Filing false or malicious reports to harass another user is itself a violation of these guidelines.

10. Enforcement

Violations of these Community Guidelines may result in the following actions, depending on the severity and frequency of the violation:

  • Content Removal: Prohibited content will be removed without notice
  • Warning: Users may receive a warning for first-time or minor violations
  • Temporary Suspension: Repeated violations may result in temporary suspension of social features
  • Permanent Ban: Severe or repeated violations will result in permanent account termination

We reserve the right to take action on any content or behavior that we determine to be harmful to the InstaCal community, even if not explicitly listed in these guidelines.

11. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines periodically as our community grows and evolves. When we make changes:

  • We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
  • For material changes, we will notify users through the App or other reasonable means.
  • Your continued use of InstaCal's social features after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated guidelines.

We encourage you to review these guidelines regularly.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Community Guidelines, need to report a violation, or want to appeal an enforcement action, please contact us at:

Email: support@theinstacal.app

Address: 2345 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA

By using InstaCal's social features, you agree to follow these Community Guidelines and help us maintain a positive, supportive community.