Help keep Scout Local useful, accurate, and welcoming.

A useful local community starts here

These guidelines apply to Beacons, messages, profiles, events, photos, recommendations, reports, and other content shared through Scout Local. They apply to business owners, organizations, families, and every other community member using the app.

We ask everyone to follow five simple principles:

• Be accurate. Share information you reasonably believe is current and true. Correct mistakes when you notice them.
• Be relevant. Keep posts and messages connected to the business, event, service, or local question at hand.
• Be respectful. Communicate without harassment, discrimination, threats, humiliation, or unwanted pressure.
• Protect privacy and safety. Share only the personal or location information you have a right and a good reason to share.
• Use the app in good faith. Do not manipulate features, impersonate others, retaliate through reports, or use Scout Local to mislead the community.

Open Now Beacon guidelines

Open Now Beacons are short, time-limited updates for businesses that are actively available to serve customers. A Beacon should help someone answer a practical question: “Can I use this business right now?”

Good Beacon uses include:

• Announcing that you are open now or closing soon
• Sharing same-day availability or an appointment opening
• Highlighting a genuine, limited-time special available during the Beacon
• Providing useful location context for an approved mobile or pop-up business

When you post a Beacon:

• Make sure your business is genuinely available during the time shown.
• Keep hours, offers, availability, and location details accurate.
• Stop or update the Beacon if your availability changes.
• Use Beacons for timely availability, not as a stream of repeated general advertising.
• Share only location information that is appropriate, approved, and safe for customers and the people at that location.

Do not use a Beacon to claim you are open when you are unavailable, create false urgency, misrepresent an offer, or publish unrelated commentary.

Messages and community communication

Messages should help people ask questions, coordinate a service, or communicate about a relevant local need.

Do not use Scout Local messages to:

• Send repeated or unwanted promotions
• Harass, intimidate, shame, threaten, or discriminate against someone
• Pressure someone to respond, purchase, donate, or move a conversation off-platform
• Impersonate another person, business, or organization
• Request passwords, access codes, financial credentials, or other highly sensitive information
• Share another person’s private information without permission
• Send sexual, adult, violent, or otherwise unsafe content

Respect a person’s decision not to engage. A lack of response is not permission to keep messaging.

Profiles, events, photos, and other submissions

Content submitted to Scout Local should help the community understand what is available and what to expect.

• Use names, descriptions, categories, prices, hours, and contact details that accurately represent the business, organization, or event.
• Only upload photos and logos you own or have permission to use.
• Do not post identifiable photos of other people without appropriate permission.
• Clearly explain important limits, eligibility requirements, or conditions attached to an offer.
• Do not make misleading, guaranteed, or unsupported medical, legal, financial, safety, or income claims.
• Submit reports honestly and specifically. Reports must not be used to punish a competitor, settle a personal dispute, or target someone unfairly.

Content that does not belong on Scout Local

The following content or behavior is not allowed:

• Fraud, scams, impersonation, deceptive offers, or deliberately misleading information
• Harassment, hate, discrimination, threats, bullying, or encouragement of harm
• Sexual or adult content, graphic violence, or content that creates an unsafe environment
• Illegal goods, unlawful services, or instructions intended to facilitate wrongdoing
• Spam, repeated unsolicited promotion, or attempts to manipulate app visibility
• Political campaigning or advocacy, religious persuasion, or inflammatory messaging unrelated to the local service, event, or community resource being shared
• Misuse of exact live locations, private addresses, or other location details in a way that creates a safety or privacy risk
• Content that infringes intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights
• Attempts to evade a moderation action or regain restricted access through another account

Faith-based businesses and organizations may accurately describe their identity, services, and public events. They may not use Beacons or unsolicited messages to pressure others or turn a practical community feature into religious persuasion.

How moderation works

Scout Local may review content or activity when it is reported, appears inaccurate, creates a safety concern, or may violate these guidelines or the Terms of Service.

Depending on the situation, Scout Local may:

• Correct, label, stop, or remove content
• Stop an active Beacon
• Limit access to Beacons, messages, submissions, or another feature
• Suspend an account or feature temporarily or indefinitely
• Restore access when the concern has been resolved

We may consider the seriousness of the issue, its effect on the community, and any prior pattern of behavior. When practical, we will explain the general reason for an action. Serious safety concerns may require immediate action without advance warning.

Repeated violations, retaliation, or attempts to work around a restriction may lead to stronger action.

Think we got it wrong?

Moderation decisions involve judgment, and context matters. If you believe content or access was restricted by mistake, email hello@joinscoutlocal.com with the email address connected to your account, the business or organization name if applicable, and a short explanation of what you would like us to review.

Submitting a review request does not guarantee that content or access will be restored, but Scout Local will consider the information you provide.

Safety and related policies

Scout Local is not an emergency service. If someone may be in immediate danger, contact 911 or the appropriate local emergency service.

These Community Guidelines supplement the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. If these guidelines conflict with the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service control.

Last updated: July 17, 2026