Acceptable use policy
1. Introduction
This policy sets out the rules that apply when you use services provided by Telstra Ltd (“Telstra”). Telstra may change this policy at any time, effective upon the posting of the updated policy to this site. Please check regularly for updates.
2. General
You must not use Telstra’s services:
a. for any unlawful purpose;
b. to send, receive or store any material which is offensive, indecent, defamatory or menacing (as reasonably determined by Telstra); or
c. to send, receive or store any material which infringes copyright, trademark or other any other intellectual property law.
3. Email and Usenet News
You may not use any Telstra service to:
a. send duplicative, unsolicited e-mail messages (commercial or otherwise), or to collect the responses from unsolicited email;
b. send an offensive, indecent or harassing message to another user of the Internet, including any message which is offensive to people on the grounds of gender, race, colour or religion; or
c. send messages for the purpose of fraud and/or with the intention of committing a criminal offence.
You must ensure that your use of mailboxes does not adversely affect the proper functioning of Telstra’s systems, including where mailboxes:
a. receive large volumes of undeliverable mail;
b. have forwarders set to other mailboxes where mail cannot be delivered, or have forwarders or auto-responders that generate circular loops.
If you run a mailing list using our services, you should comply with Linx Current Best Practice. You are responsible for keeping records to show that each subscriber has given their consent to their inclusion on the mailing list.
You must not breach any guidelines or restrictions of any news group. The following are expressly prohibited:
a. excessive cross-posting, posting of irrelevant material or advertisements;
b. posting binaries to non-binary news groups.
c. Web Hosting
If you have purchased Telstra hosting services which include unlimited web-space, this web-space may be used for any legitimate website content but must not be used to store backups, downloads, archives or other non-web based content. Streamed multimedia content such as audio and video is acceptable, but links to HTTP download of this content is prohibited. You must only use scripts to produce web-based content.
4. Internet Access
You must not use your Internet connection, or allow or enable anther person to use your Internet connection, to:
a. attempt network scan, denial of service attack or any other possible hacking activities; or
b. send any email that breaches section 2 of this policy.
You must not use our services to send data which has forged addresses or which is deliberately constructed to adversely affect remote machines. You must not configure your PC as an open relay system.
You must ensure that any system you connect to the Internet conforms to all applicable Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards.
5. Servers
Where Telstra provides you with dedicated access to a server, you are responsible for the activities and security of the server. Where you have purchased security service from Telstra, Telstra shall be only be responsible for the security measures described in your contract.
Telstra may disconnect your server where:
a. it is used to interfere or attempt to interfere with the service of others (including such use is result of virus infection);
b. Telstra reasonably believes that the server has been compromised; or
c. where there is a sudden increase in the server’s use of network capacity which impacts other servers on the network.
6. Suspension and Termination
Your contract with Telstra requires you to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not do so, Telstra may suspend or terminate your service.
Telstra may run manual or automatic system tests (including scanning for open mail relays or unsecured proxy servers) to assess compliance.
Although Telstra reserves its right to immediately suspend or terminate services which have been used in breach of this policy, provided that the breach does not require immediate remedy, Telstra will usually contact you during business hours to inform you of the actions needed to resolve the issue before it suspends service. Otherwise, if urgent action is required, Telstra will contact you after suspension to advise what actions you need to take to rectify the situation.
Restoration of any and all services suspended as a result of breach of this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Telstra will not restore a service where there is history of similar misuse:
You are responsible for keeping your contact details with Telstra up to date. Where Telstra is unable to contract you at an address you have given, it will address any email correspondence to ‘postmaster’ at your domain address/es.
7. Internet Watch Foundation
Telstra abides by any ‘notice and take down’ recommendations communicated to Telstra by the Internet Watch Foundation.
8. Bandwidth Usage
Telstra strives to provide fast and reliable broadband to all customers, at all times. We may monitor the usage of customers who use file sharing or download large files from the Internet, particularly if these customers are doing this during the peak hours of 9.00 to 18.00 hours.
If your usage is only occasionally very high, Telstra is very unlikely to become concerned. However, in our reasonable opinion, if very high usage is occurring on a regular basis, we reserve the right to do one or more of the following: (1) impose a reasonable charge for the usage that we reasonably deem to be excessive; (2) reduce the speed of your broadband whilst we monitor your usage; (3) terminate your account on 30 days notice.
Telstra requests that you use bandwidth considerately. If you have any concerns or questions regarding bandwidth usage, please contact your Account Manager who will be able to assist you.
9. Reports