Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-12

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") defines the boundaries of acceptable behavior when using Sovereign Hybrid Compute LLC ("SHC") infrastructure. We defend digital rights and free speech. We also run a reliable platform. These two things are not in conflict.

This AUP applies to all SHC services: VPS hosting, colocation, managed relay hosting, edge compute, and any infrastructure provisioned through the SHC platform or API.

2. Prohibited Activities

You may not use our services for:

Distribution of malware, ransomware, or exploit kits
Unauthorized access to systems or networks
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks or participation in botnets
Distribution, storage, or transmission of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) — zero tolerance, immediate termination, mandatory reporting to NCMEC (see Section 5)
Phishing, fraud, or identity theft
Sending unsolicited bulk email (spam)
Cryptocurrency mining that exceeds your service agreement resource limits
Activities that violate applicable US federal or state law

3. What We Defend

We do not police legal content. We do not moderate political speech, unpopular opinions, or controversial ideas. Our infrastructure is built to resist censorship and protect legitimate use cases.

AUP enforcement targets behavior — not ideas. We act at the infrastructure level. We do not read, review, or editorially judge the semantic content of data on our platform except as required by law.

4. SHC's Role as Infrastructure Provider

SHC is an infrastructure provider. We are not a publisher, editor, or moderator of content hosted on or transmitted through our services.

Where SHC hosts infrastructure that carries third-party content — including Nostr relays, VPN endpoints, or any service where end users publish data — the following applies:

SHC operates as a provider of an "interactive computer service" under 47 U.S.C. § 230. Enforcing this AUP does not make SHC a publisher of third-party content.
The client (the entity operating the relay, VPN, or application on SHC infrastructure) is responsible for content moderation decisions on their service.
SHC enforces this AUP at the infrastructure level — we may suspend a VM, block a port, or terminate a service. We do not moderate individual posts, messages, or events.

5. CSAM Detection and Reporting

Under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A, electronic service providers must report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) upon obtaining actual knowledge.

SHC is registered with NCMEC as an electronic service provider.
We run hash-matching against known CSAM databases for media stored on SHC-hosted infrastructure that handles user-generated content.
If CSAM is detected: service is suspended immediately, evidence is preserved, and a report is filed with NCMEC within the required timeframe. We cooperate fully with law enforcement.
This is the one area where we act without prior notice. There are no warnings, no remediation windows, and no appeals for CSAM violations.

6. Nostr Relay Provisions

For Nostr relays hosted on SHC infrastructure, the following additional provisions apply:

Relay policy autonomy. The relay operator (our client) sets their own relay policies — NIP-11 metadata, whitelists, rate limits, and content rules. This AUP is an overlay on top of those policies, not a replacement.
Event deletion. SHC honors NIP-09 deletion requests at the infrastructure level when technically feasible. Relay operators may implement their own deletion handling.
Pubkey blocking. SHC may block specific pubkeys from hosted relays if those pubkeys are associated with AUP violations.
Content-by-reference. Certain event kinds (e.g., NIP-94 file metadata) may reference external illegal content. AUP violations include knowingly hosting events that serve as pointers to prohibited material, not just prohibited material at rest.
Trust scoring. If a relay uses automated trust-based access control (e.g., web-of-trust scoring, DVM-based filtering), this AUP does not conflict with or override those mechanisms.

7. Takedown and Legal Process

Law enforcement. SHC responds to valid subpoenas, court orders, and law enforcement requests as required by law. We verify legal process before complying.
Copyright (DMCA). SHC maintains a DMCA designated agent registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Takedown notices should be sent to legal@sovereignhybridcompute.net.
Transparency. We publish aggregate takedown statistics in our quarterly transparency report. See our Transparency page.
Warrant canary. SHC maintains a warrant canary. If we receive a gag order that prevents disclosure, the canary's absence is the signal.

8. Resellers and Downstream Customers

If you resell SHC infrastructure or operate services with your own customers:

You are responsible for your downstream customers' compliance with this AUP. We hold the account holder accountable.
VPN services on SHC infrastructure must not be marketed for or primarily used for AUP-violating activities.
Automated provisioning abuse — spinning up infrastructure at scale for prohibited purposes — is itself an AUP violation.

9. Managed Services — Shared Responsibility

For managed services clients (Builder Program, MSP engagements):

SHC monitors infrastructure health, uptime, and AUP compliance at the infrastructure level.
You own application-level content, user behavior, and content moderation on services you operate.
This AUP is incorporated by reference into your Master Service Agreement (MSA) as a binding addendum.

10. Resource Limits

Services are subject to fair-use resource limits defined in your service agreement. Sustained resource abuse that impacts other customers may result in throttling or suspension with notice.

11. Enforcement

Violations result in:

Warning — First violation, opportunity to remediate
Temporary suspension — Repeated or serious violations
Termination — Egregious violations or failure to remediate

We contact you before taking action, except where immediate action is required to protect our infrastructure, comply with law, or respond to illegal content (see Section 5).

For SHC-hosted relays and services carrying third-party content: SHC may suspend service immediately without SLA penalty if illegal content is discovered, pending resolution.

12. AUP Updates

SHC may update this AUP with 30 days notice posted to this page. Material changes affecting existing service agreements require client acknowledgment.

13. Reporting Abuse

Report AUP violations to abuse@sovereignhybridcompute.net.

Legal process and DMCA notices: legal@sovereignhybridcompute.net.