Abuse Handling Policy

Introduction

Core Hosting takes abuse reports seriously and investigates all complaints submitted to us. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward activities that violate Estonian legislation, European Union regulations, or our Terms of Service. This policy outlines how we handle various types of abuse, the process for submitting complaints, and the actions we take to address violations.

Where appropriate, we take action when a violation is confirmed or when required by ICANN policies, registry requirements, or applicable law. We may request additional information during our investigation and reserve the right to disclose abuse reports to the affected customer to facilitate resolution and prevent miscommunication.

Abuse Contact Points

Depending on the nature of your complaint, please use the appropriate contact address:

• General abuse reports: abuse@core.hosting
• Terrorist content (EU Regulation 2021/784): tco-contact@core.hosting
• Digital Services Act matters: regulatory-contact@core.hosting
• Law enforcement and legal requests: compliance@core.hosting

How to Submit an Abuse Report

All abuse complaints must be submitted via email to the appropriate contact address listed above. Your report must include the following information:

• Domain name and/or IP address associated with the abuse
• Detailed description of the abuse or violation
• Evidence supporting your complaint:
  • For SPAM complaints: complete email headers and message body
  • For malware/phishing: URLs and screenshots where applicable
  • For copyright violations: proof of ownership and location of infringing content
  • For other violations: any relevant documentation or proof
• Your contact information: name and email address for correspondence

We cannot process incomplete reports. Each complaint receives a unique tracking ID for internal administration. Due to privacy considerations, we may not be able to provide specific updates on the resolution of your report, but we will acknowledge receipt and inform you when the investigation is complete where appropriate.

Types of Abuse and Response Procedures

WHOIS Inaccuracy

As a domain registrar, Core Hosting is required to maintain accurate WHOIS information for all registered domains.

Investigation process:

• Upon receiving a WHOIS inaccuracy complaint, we will contact the domain registrant and request correction of the WHOIS data within 7 days
• The registrant must either update the WHOIS information or provide sufficient proof that the current data is accurate
• Failure to respond or correct the inaccuracy within the 7-day period will result in domain suspension
• The domain will remain suspended until accurate WHOIS information is provided

Unsolicited Email (SPAM)

Core Hosting maintains a zero-tolerance policy for SPAM and unsolicited bulk email. We respond to both automated blocklist notifications (such as Spamhaus, Barracuda, or other reputation systems) and individual complaints with equal priority.

Our response depends on the nature of the violation:

• Deliberate SPAM activity: Immediate suspension without prior warning. This includes commercial SPAM, bulk promotional emails, and forum/comment SPAM
• Compromised or hacked account with active abuse: If your account is compromised and used to send SPAM or engage in other unwanted activity, the service will be suspended immediately to prevent further abuse. You will be notified via ticket and must demonstrate that the security issue has been resolved and malicious content removed before reactivation can be considered
• Malware detected by automated security scanning: Our automated security scanner (ImmunifyAV+) continuously monitors for malicious files and compromised accounts. If malware is detected but no active abuse has occurred, we will notify you and require cleanup within 7 days. Failure to remove the malicious content results in suspension
• Automated blocklist reports: We treat these with the same urgency as manual complaints. If your service is listed on a major blocklist due to SPAM activity, we will investigate and take appropriate action

For SPAM complaints to be processed, you must provide complete email headers and message body. Without this information, we cannot verify the complaint or trace the source of the SPAM.

Malware, Phishing, and Fraudulent Schemes

The following activities result in immediate suspension without prior warning:

• Phishing sites: Websites designed to deceive visitors into providing personal information, credentials, or financial data
• Malware distribution: Hosting or distributing viruses, trojans, ransomware, or any malicious software
• 419 scams: Advance-fee fraud schemes and similar confidence tricks
• Hacking tools and exploits: Websites providing unauthorized access tools or vulnerability exploitation resources

If your account is compromised and used for these purposes without your knowledge, we will notify you and provide 7 days to clean the account and secure it properly. The service may be restricted during this period. Failure to resolve the issue results in suspension.

Child Abuse Content

Core Hosting has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any content exploiting minors. Any account found hosting such material will be immediately suspended and reported to appropriate law enforcement authorities, including INTERPOL and Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. This policy applies to all forms of child exploitation, including:

• Images or videos depicting minors in sexual situations
• Content involving models who appear to be under 18 years of age
• Materials promoting or facilitating child exploitation

There is no warning period or restoration option for such violations.

Terrorist Content (EU Regulation 2021/784)

In accordance with EU Regulation 2021/784 on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online, Core Hosting responds to reports of terrorist content received from competent authorities. Content identified as terrorist material will be removed or access disabled within one hour of receiving a valid removal order from a competent authority.

Reports regarding terrorist content should be sent to tco-contact@core.hosting. For more information, refer to section 3.10 of our Terms of Service.

Accounts hosting terrorist content will be immediately suspended and reported to relevant authorities.

Copyright Infringement

Core Hosting respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content hosted on our infrastructure infringes your copyright, or if copyrighted material is being distributed or downloaded without authorization, submit a complaint to abuse@core.hosting including:

• Proof of copyright ownership or authorization to act on behalf of the copyright holder
• Identification of the copyrighted work
• Location of the infringing material (URL or specific file path)
• Your contact information and a statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized

We will forward your complaint to the account holder and require removal of the infringing content within 7 days. Failure to comply results in suspension. Repeat copyright violations will result in account termination without further notice.

Other Prohibited Activities

The following violations also result in immediate suspension without prior warning:

• Content violating Estonian legislation or EU regulations
• Materials inciting ethnic, racial, religious, or political hatred
• Content calling for violence or government overthrow
• Pornographic content involving animals
• Any activity explicitly prohibited under section 3.8 (Prohibited Activities) of our Terms of Service

For a complete list of prohibited activities, refer to section 3.8 of our Terms of Service and Annex A: Acceptable Use Policy.

Investigation Process

When we receive an abuse report, we follow this process:

1. The complaint is logged in our ticketing system with a unique tracking ID
2. Our abuse team reviews the evidence and determines the nature and severity of the violation
3. For compromised accounts or first-time minor violations, we notify the customer via ticket and request corrective action within 7 days
4. For serious violations (SPAM, malware, phishing, illegal content), we suspend the service immediately and notify the customer
5. The customer has 7 days to respond to our notification with their comments or remediation plan
6. If necessary, we may validate the complaint directly with the customer to ensure accurate assessment

We aim to acknowledge receipt of abuse reports promptly, but investigation timelines vary depending on the complexity of the case and the need for additional information.

Suspension and Termination

When a service is suspended for abuse violations, the following applies:

• Suspended services are subject to the provisions of section 8.9 (Non-Payment and Suspension) of our Terms of Service
• If the underlying issue is not resolved, the service will be automatically terminated according to the timelines specified in section 8.9
• During suspension, the customer remains responsible for all applicable fees
• Suspension does not constitute termination of the service agreement

Reactivation After Suspension

Reactivation depends on the nature of the violation:

• Compromised accounts: Services suspended due to account compromise may be reactivated after the customer demonstrates that malicious content has been removed, security vulnerabilities have been addressed, and appropriate measures are in place to prevent recurrence
• WHOIS inaccuracy: Domains suspended for WHOIS violations will be reactivated once accurate information is provided
• Copyright violations: Services may be reactivated after infringing content is removed and appropriate safeguards are implemented
• Zero-tolerance violations: Services suspended for deliberate SPAM, phishing, malware distribution, child abuse content, terrorist content, or other serious violations will not be reactivated. Such accounts remain suspended until automatic termination occurs according to section 8.9 of our Terms of Service. We do not negotiate or discuss reactivation for these categories of abuse

Reactivation requests must be submitted via ticket in the Core Hosting support system. We reserve the right to deny reactivation if we believe the risk of repeated violations is substantial or if the customer has a history of abuse violations.

Law Enforcement and Legal Requests

Core Hosting cooperates with legitimate law enforcement requests in accordance with Estonian law and EU regulations. We respond to the following types of requests:

Data Requests

We respond to formal legal process for customer data, including:

• Court orders and search warrants issued by Estonian courts
• Requests from Estonian law enforcement agencies with appropriate legal authority
• International requests processed through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) or European Investigation Orders
• Other valid legal instruments recognized under Estonian or EU law

All data requests must identify the specific customer account (name, email, domain, or IP address) and the legal basis for the request. We may provide the following information in response to valid legal process:

• Non-content information: Account holder name, email addresses, registration dates, billing information, and IP logs
• Content information: Website files, email content, and other stored data (only in response to search warrants or equivalent legal instruments)

Preservation Requests

We respond to requests to preserve customer data pending formal legal process. Preservation requests must:

• Identify the specific account(s) to be preserved
• Identify the requesting agency and pending legal proceedings
• Provide assurance that formal legal process will be obtained
• Be submitted on official letterhead with valid contact information

Emergency Requests

In cases involving imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death, we may respond to emergency requests without formal legal process. Emergency requests must clearly articulate the nature of the emergency and why immediate disclosure is necessary.

Submitting Legal Requests

All law enforcement and legal requests should be sent to:

Core Hosting OÜ
Laeva 7, 10151 Tallinn
Estonia
Email: compliance@core.hosting

Customer Notification

Our policy is to notify customers when we receive requests for their data unless prohibited by law or court order. We believe customers have a right to know when their information is being requested by authorities.

Fees

We may seek reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to legal requests as permitted by Estonian law. Unusual or burdensome requests may incur additional fees to cover administrative and technical costs.

Customer Notification Policy

When we receive an abuse complaint or take action on an account, we notify the affected customer via ticket in the Core Hosting support system. This notification includes:

• Nature of the complaint or violation
• Required action (if any)
• Deadline for response or remediation
• Consequences of non-compliance

Customers have 7 days to respond with comments or remediation plans for violations that allow for corrective action. For zero-tolerance violations resulting in immediate suspension, we notify the customer of the action taken and the reason, but reactivation is not available.