UK Biobank Community and Forum user content policy

UK Biobank Community and Community Forum User Content Policy

Effective date: 08/01/2024

The UK Biobank Community and Forum is composed of scientists and researchers who will be exchanging information, ideas, tips and techniques about the use of the Research Analysis Platform, Access Management System, Showcase, data releases and queries relating to certain biomedical database of genetic and other health related information. The Community and Forum are not intended to be used as a forum for discussion of general topics. All discussions on the Community and Forum must be of a scientific and research nature only.

This user content policy sets out the way UK Biobank expects registered users to use the Community and Forum.  Registered users are not permitted to:

• Post, link to, or communicate any information which could identify an individual or violate their privacy rights. This includes any health records, including electronic medical records or any personally identifiable information that describes any patient health condition, disease or any medical information whatsoever.
• Use derogatory, hurtful, or harmful language which could be offensive to an individual’s backgrounds, identity, race or ethnicity.
• Harass, insult, demean, personally attack, belittle, use violence or threats of violence against other users.
• Post, link or disseminate information that is deceptive, fraudulent, threatening, libellous, harassing or hateful.
• Post or link to offensive or inappropriate content or content intended to be inflammatory.
• Post or link to content that promotes or encourages illegal activities, sexual services or products, or pornography.
• Post or link to viruses, bots, worms, trojan horses, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware or other malicious software, or use the community forum to post, link to, generate, distribute or promote any kind of spam.
• Post or link to content that violates anyone’s intellectual property rights (including copyright, patent, trademark, publicity, moral and other property or proprietary rights).
• Post on behalf of other users without their express permission.
• Post or link to confidential information of UK Biobank.
• Misrepresent yourself or lie about your identity.
• Solicit community members for any commercial purpose. 
• Advance discussions of conspiracy theories involving pseudo-science or unproven or widely discredited unscientific concepts, conclusions or messaging; 
• Misuse scientific concepts to advance a political agenda.

Reporting & Monitoring

Please use the ‘Submit a request’ function on the Community to report any issues with the Community or Forum or any posts which does not comply with this policy.  

UK Biobank will make reasonable efforts to monitor the Community and Forum and remove any material or content that does not comply with our terms. We also reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to the Community and Forum of any registered user who is, in our view, in breach of this policy.