Forum Terms of Service

These Terms of Service govern your use of the AB Electronics UK community forum at www.abelectronics.co.uk/forums (the "Forum"). By registering for or using the Forum, you agree to these Terms of Service in full. Please read them carefully before posting.

The Forum is provided by AB Electronics UK, a company based in the United Kingdom. It is a technical support community for customers and enthusiasts with an interest in our Raspberry Pi expansion boards, single-board computers, and related electronics and programming topics.

We want the Forum to be a helpful, welcoming, and safe place for everyone. These Terms of Service exist to set clear expectations for all users, to protect the Forum community, including younger members, and to meet our obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023.

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through the contact page on our website: https://www.abelectronics.co.uk/contact

Last updated: 3 May 2026

Section A - Age and Eligibility

1. The AB Electronics UK forum (“the Forum”) is open to anyone with an interest in electronics, Raspberry Pi, and related topics.
2. You must be at least 13 years old to register for and use the Forum. By registering, you confirm that you are 13 or older.
3. If you are between 13 and 17 years old, you confirm that a parent or guardian has read these Terms of Service and given their permission for you to use the Forum.
4. If you are under 13 years old, you must not register for or use the Forum. If we become aware that a user is under 13 without parental consent, we will close their account.
5. There is no upper age limit for use of the Forum.

Section B - Prohibited Content

You must not post, share, link to, or otherwise publish any content on the Forum that:

B.1 - Illegal Content

1. Promotes, glorifies, facilitates, or provides instructions for terrorism or support for a proscribed organisation;
2. Constitutes, depicts, or facilitates child sexual abuse or exploitation in any form;
3. Stirs up hatred on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics;
4. Amounts to harassment, stalking, threatening behaviour, or abuse directed at any individual;
5. Facilitates or constitutes controlling or coercive behaviour;
6. Relates to the supply, sale, or promotion of controlled drugs or psychoactive substances;
7. Facilitates the acquisition, manufacture, or use of illegal firearms, knives, or other offensive weapons;
8. Facilitates unlawful entry to the UK or fraudulent immigration;
9. Facilitates human trafficking, recruitment, or exploitation of persons;
10. Constitutes or facilitates fraud, phishing, or other financially motivated crime;
11. Constitutes non-consensual sharing of intimate images or the sending of unsolicited sexual images (cyberflashing);
12. Constitutes or depicts extreme pornography;
13. Encourages, promotes, or provides detailed methods for suicide or serious self-harm;
14. Constitutes state-sponsored foreign interference or disinformation;
15. Depicts or facilitates cruelty to animals;
16. Facilitates or glorifies serious violence against any person.

B.2 - Content Harmful to Children

You must not post any content that is harmful to children, including:

1. Pornographic content of any kind;
2. Content that encourages, promotes, or provides instructions for suicide;
3. Content that encourages, promotes, or provides instructions for deliberate self-injury;
4. Content that promotes or provides instructions for behaviours associated with eating disorders;
5. Content that is abusive or hateful towards any individual or group;
6. Content that amounts to bullying or targeting of any child;
7. Content that promotes or depicts violence against people or animals;
8. Content encouraging dangerous activities, stunts, or challenges;
9. Content promoting or encouraging the ingestion of harmful substances;
10. Content that promotes body-shaming, unrealistic body standards, or body stigma;
11. Content promoting depression, hopelessness, or despair.

B.3 - Other Prohibited Content

You must also not post content that:

1. Is spam, unsolicited advertising, or promotional material not related to the subject matter of the Forum;
2. Infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party;
3. Contains viruses, malware, or other harmful code;
4. Impersonates any person or organisation;
5. Is deliberately misleading or false;
6. Is off-topic, in that it is unrelated to electronics, Raspberry Pi, or the AB Electronics UK product range.

We reserve the right to remove any content that we reasonably consider to be in breach of these Terms of Service, even if it is not explicitly listed above.

Breach of this section may result in your post being withheld or removed, and may result in suspension or permanent closure of your account.

Section C - Moderation Policy

1. The Forum operates a pre-moderation policy. This means that all posts and replies are reviewed by the Forum administrator before they are published and become visible to other users.
2. We aim to review and publish posts promptly, but we do not guarantee any specific turnaround time. Posts that require further consideration may take longer to be reviewed.
3. We may withhold or decline to publish any post that, in our reasonable judgement:
   • Breaches Section B of these Terms of Service (Prohibited Content);
   • Is likely to be harmful to other users, including children;
   • Is off-topic or would not benefit the Forum community;
   • Contains unsafe technical advice that could lead to injury or damage to property.
4. If we withhold your post, we will endeavour to let you know. You may use the complaints process in Section E to appeal our decision.
5. We moderate the Forum in good faith and on a voluntary basis. We are not responsible for any content that is posted by users and that we have not yet had the opportunity to review.
6. We reserve the right to close, restrict, or suspend the Forum at any time.

Section D - Reporting Harmful Content

1. We want the Forum to be a safe and helpful place for everyone. If you see any content on the Forum that you believe is harmful, illegal, or in breach of these Terms of Service, please report it to us.
2. You can report content by:
   • Using the report function on the Forum (if available), or
   • Contacting us through the contact page on our website: https://www.abelectronics.co.uk/contact
3. When reporting content, please include:
   • The URL or location of the content you are reporting;
   • A brief description of why you believe it is harmful or in breach of these Terms; and
   • Your contact details, if you are happy for us to follow up with you.
4. We will review all reports and take appropriate action. We may not be able to respond to every report individually, but we will consider all reports carefully.
5. If you believe content on the Forum constitutes a serious criminal offence, such as child sexual abuse material, you should report it to the relevant authorities:
   • Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) for child sexual abuse material: www.iwf.org.uk
   • The police via 101 (non-emergency) or 999 (emergency);
   • The National Crime Agency’s CEOP command for child exploitation: www.ceop.police.uk
6. Reporting content in good faith will never result in any action being taken against you.

Section E - Complaints and Appeals

We want to handle any concerns about the Forum fairly and transparently. This section sets out how to raise a complaint or appeal a moderation decision.

E.1 - What You Can Complain About

You can use this complaints process if:

1. Your post was withheld or removed and you believe this was incorrect;
2. Your account was suspended or closed and you believe this was incorrect;
3. You have a concern about how the Forum is operated or how these Terms of Service are applied;
4. You have a concern about content on the Forum that has not been addressed after you reported it under Section D.

E.2 - How to Make a Complaint

1. To make a complaint, please contact us through the contact page on our website: https://www.abelectronics.co.uk/contact
2. Please include in your complaint:
   • Your username or registered email address;
   • A description of the issue, including the content or decision you are complaining about;
   • Why you believe the decision was incorrect or the content is problematic; and
   • What outcome you are seeking.

E.3 - How We Will Handle Your Complaint

1. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
2. We will review your complaint and respond with our decision as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any event within 28 days of receiving your complaint.
3. Our response will explain our decision and the reasons for it.
4. If your complaint relates to a withheld post, we will either:
   • Approve and publish your post; or
   • Confirm that your post has been withheld and explain the reasons.
5. We will handle all complaints confidentially and in good faith.
6. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may wish to seek independent advice or contact Ofcom (the UK communications regulator). Information about Ofcom’s role under the Online Safety Act 2023 is available at: www.ofcom.org.uk

Section F - Online Safety

1. AB Electronics UK is committed to operating the Forum in compliance with the Online Safety Act 2023 (“the Act”) and Ofcom’s codes of practice and guidance.
2. We have carried out the following assessments as required by the Act:
   • An Illegal Content Risk Assessment, assessing the risk of illegal content appearing on the Forum;
   • A Children’s Access Assessment, assessing whether the Forum is likely to be accessed by children; and
   • A Children’s Risk Assessment, assessing the risk of content harmful to children appearing on the Forum.
3. The individual responsible for online safety compliance at AB Electronics UK is: Andrew Dorey (Director / Owner). Any queries about our online safety compliance may be directed to us using the contact details above.
4. We keep records of our risk assessments and compliance activities as required by the Act. These records are available to Ofcom on request.
5. We review our risk assessments and safety measures at least annually and update them if there is a significant change to the Forum or to Ofcom’s guidance.
6. If you have a concern about our compliance with the Online Safety Act 2023, you may contact Ofcom at: www.ofcom.org.uk