Content Policy

In short. This policy says what may and may not appear on FactsFigs, and how we review it. We ban unlawful, harmful, deceptive, infringing and low-quality content. Every piece is reviewed by an editor before publication for craft, originality and sourcing — every figure must trace to a named, public, already-published source a reader can open. FactsFigs is the publisher and answers for what it publishes; we take responsibility for provenance rather than for re-running other people's research. Sponsored stories are clearly labelled, and sponsorship buys the work rather than the conclusion.

This Content Policy applies to all content on FactsFigs and is incorporated into the Terms of Service. It applies to creators, to sponsored stories, and to FactsFigs' own publishing.

1. Prohibited content

You may not create, upload, or publish content that:

• is unlawful, or promotes or facilitates illegal activity;
• infringes copyright, database rights, trademarks, or other intellectual-property or contractual rights (including using datasets you have no right to use);
• is plagiarised or not original (see Section 3);
• is defamatory, harassing, hateful, or incites violence against people or groups;
• invades privacy or misuses personal data, or discloses private information without a lawful basis;
• is deceptive — including fabricated data, falsified figures, doctored sources, or misleading chart design intended to distort (e.g. truncated or manipulated axes presented to mislead);
• is sexually explicit, exploitative, or endangers minors;
• contains malware, or attempts to compromise the service or users; or
• violates the sanctions, export, or other laws applicable to FactsFigs or its users.

2. Quality and formatting standards

Everything on FactsFigs' public pages, sponsored or not, must meet baseline standards:

• clear, legible, well-composed visuals that follow the FactsFigs design and formatting guidelines;
• accurate, non-misleading presentation of data (honest scales, labelled axes, clear units);
• a complete attribution block naming the data source(s) in the required format; and
• language and structure consistent with a professional data story.

Low-quality, incomplete, or guideline-non-compliant submissions may be rejected or removed.

3. Originality

• Everything we publish must be original work by the creator who made it, or properly licensed and credited.
• Originality is checked before anything is approved, not cleaned up afterwards. A piece that fails goes back to its creator with notes; nothing is spent by trying.
• Reworking another person's article, visual, layout, or dataset compilation without rights and credit is prohibited. Properly attributed quotation or use of openly-licensed material is allowed within the terms of that license.

4. Data sources, attribution, and maps

• Cite sources. Every visual must credit its data source(s) in the attribution block, in the format specified for that source. Attribution is baked into downloadable files.
• Database rights & third-party terms. Respect the EU/UK sui generis database right and any attribution or use conditions attached to third-party datasets. See the Creator Terms.
• Maps. Downloadable/exportable maps must be based on OpenStreetMap (ODbL, attribution) or public-domain sources (e.g. Natural Earth), never on providers whose terms forbid downloading or offline reuse of rendered tiles.

5. Review, and what FactsFigs answers for

Every piece is reviewed by an editor before it is published, and nothing reaches readers without that approval. Review covers craft — is it clear, well made, readable, within this policy — originality, and sourcing: every figure must trace to a named source that is public, already published, and open for a reader to check.

FactsFigs is the publisher, and takes responsibility for what it publishes. Our creators work for us, so their work is our work; we do not answer a reader by pointing at the person who drew the chart. What we take responsibility for is provenance — that a dataset is real, public, correctly named, and faithfully read, including its date, units, and coverage.

We do not re-run other people's research, and publishing a figure is not a claim that the underlying study is right. It is a claim that we have reported the source accurately and shown you where to look. Where sources disagree or a figure is an estimate, we say so rather than presenting it as settled. If we get something wrong, we correct the piece and say what changed.

6. Sponsored and featured content

• A sponsor can commission a data story, often on a dataset they hold or care about, and pay for the work (see Sponsor a data story). Sponsorship buys the work, not the conclusion: the piece is researched, built, and reviewed to the same standard as anything else, and if the data does not say what the sponsor hoped, the story says what the data says.
• Sponsored stories must be clearly and conspicuously labelled as sponsored/paid, in line with advertising-disclosure rules.

7. Sensitive topics: health, medical, and financial

Content making health, medical, or financial claims carries heightened duties in many jurisdictions. Such content may require additional review, sourcing, or disclaimers, and must not be presented as professional medical, legal, or financial advice.

8. Moderation, enforcement, and discretion

• FactsFigs may review, reject, remove, unpublish, or restrict content at its discretion where it violates this policy or applicable law, or on receipt of a valid notice.
• Nothing publishes without editorial approval (see Creator Terms). Plagiarism, fabricated or unsourced figures, and policy violations may end an engagement.
• We act on illegal content when we obtain knowledge of it, consistent with applicable intermediary regimes.

9. Reporting and takedown

To report content that violates this policy, infringes rights, or is illegal, use the Notice & Takedown procedure or email ai@factsfigs.com. We aim to acknowledge and act on valid reports promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

FactsFigs reserves the right to change this Content Policy at any time, at its sole discretion, including what is prohibited, how content is reviewed, and how enforcement works. Updates take effect when posted on this page; material changes will be notified as described in the Terms of Service. Content already published may be re-reviewed against the current version of this policy.