Users Reviews Policy

This User Reviews Policy (the “Policy”) sets out the rules and procedures for the collection, (where applicable) review checks, moderation, publication and removal and/or restriction of user reviews and ratings on https://tradersunion.com (the “Website”), operated by IAFT LTD (Cyprus).

The Website is an informational/educational platform and does not provide investment advice, personal recommendations, brokerage/trading platform services, portfolio management or trade execution. Reviews reflect authors’ opinions and experiences and do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by Traders Union.

This Policy aims to ensure fairness, transparency and non-misleading presentation, and to prevent manipulation and fake reviews. It should be read together with our Terms of Use, Privacy Notice, Advertiser & Affiliate Disclosure, Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action) and Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy. Where there is any inconsistency regarding personal data processing, the Privacy Notice shall prevail.

For review-related questions, moderation matters, or removal/correction requests, contact: compliance@tradersunion.com.

Contents:

1. Subject, scope and definitions

2. Nature of reviews, company profiles and data sources

3. Review submission rules and content requirements

4. Review checks, verification and anti-manipulation

5. Moderation, editing and measures relating to reviews

6. Company rights, responses and review disputes

7. Advertising, affiliate links and content separation

8. User rights, author deletion requests and appeals

9. Public interest, freedom of expression and balancing of rights

10. Independence, separation of functions and no investment advice

11. Related documents, hierarchy and privacy

12. Updates, effective date and contact

• 1.1

  Subject and scope

  This User Reviews Policy (the “Policy”) governs the collection, (where applicable) checking, moderation, publication and removal and/or restriction of user reviews, ratings and related user-generated content (“UGC”) on https://tradersunion.com (the “Website”), operated by IAFT LTD (Cyprus).

  This Policy applies to:

  • • visitors who view reviews and ratings;

  • • users who submit reviews/comments and/or ratings; and

  • • company representatives/rightsholders who submit requests relating to reviews and/or company profile information.

• 1.2

  Informational nature and no recommendations

  The Website is an informational/educational platform. We do not provide investment advice, personal recommendations, brokerage/trading platform services, portfolio management or trade execution.

  Reviews reflect authors’ opinions and experiences and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation or guarantee by Traders Union.

• 1.3

  Related documents and hierarchy

  This Policy should be read together with our:

  • • Terms of Use;

  • • Privacy Notice;

  • • Advertiser & Affiliate Disclosure;

  • • Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action); and

  • • Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy.

  In case of inconsistency:

  • • the Privacy Notice prevails for personal data processing matters;

  • • the Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action) prevails for notice-and-action/illegal content procedures; and

  • • the Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy applies to trademark/logo/brand-related complaints.

• 1.4

  Key definitions

  For the purposes of this Policy:

  • • “Review” means a user submission describing an opinion and/or experience with a company/service.

  • • “UGC” means user-generated content (including reviews, comments and ratings).

  • • “Moderation” means measures to review, publish, reject, restrict access to, edit (without changing meaning) or remove UGC in accordance with applicable law, the Terms of Use and this Policy.

  • • “Company” means an entity for which a profile is created and/or reviews are published on the Website.

  • • “Verified” (where used) means a label indicating that, under our criteria, we have obtained reasonable signals of interaction between the author and the company; details are described in this Policy.

• 2.1

  Reviews are user opinions

  Reviews and ratings on the Website are user-generated content (UGC) and reflect authors’ subjective experiences, perceptions and opinions. Even where a review describes facts, such information may be incomplete or context-dependent.

  Traders Union does not verify or guarantee the accuracy of every statement contained in reviews. The presence of a “Verified” label (where used) means only that we have obtained reasonable indications of interaction between the author and the relevant company/service, and does not confirm every detail of the review.

• 2.2

  Company profiles: purpose and non-affiliation

  Company profiles on the Website are created editorially and independently in order to:

  • • aggregate user reviews and ratings;

  • • provide a forum for consumer experiences;

  • • facilitate comparisons and display analytical information; and

  • • serve the public interest in access to information.

  Important: creating a profile and/or displaying a company name/logo does not imply affiliation, partnership, sponsorship, endorsement, or “official” status on the Website unless explicitly stated as advertising/sponsored placement.

  Profiles are created for publicly accessible entities/companies, not for private individuals.

• 2.3

  Sources used in profiles (in addition to reviews)

  In addition to user reviews, profile information may be compiled from:

  • • publicly available sources (e.g., official company websites, public registries);

  • • third-party data (e.g., metrics, traffic estimates or similar indicators), which, where used, is marked as “estimated” or “approximate” and, where possible, includes source attribution;

  • • updates provided via a verified company account (where available), which should be clearly labelled as company-provided/official company information.

  We do not claim ownership of third-party data and we use such information only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

• 2.4

  Factual corrections

  Companies and users may request corrections of verifiable factual inaccuracies (not opinions) supported by evidence. Requests are handled under our moderation process and, where applicable, our notice-and-action procedures (see Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action)).

• 2.5

  Trademarks/logos: brief note and link

  Company names and/or logos may be displayed for identification purposes. Rightsholder complaints and trademark/logo matters are handled under our separate Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy.

• 3.1

  General principle

  User reviews must be submitted in good faith, based on genuine experience to the extent possible, and must not be used to manipulate ratings or mislead other users.

• 3.2

  What is allowed

  Reviews may include:

  • • descriptions of personal experience with a company/service;

  • • opinions and value judgments; and

  • • service-related details (e.g., support responsiveness, usability, fees/terms), provided you do not disclose third-party personal data or post prohibited content.

• 3.3

  What is prohibited

  You must not post reviews/content that:

  • • include spam, aggressive advertising, or promotional referral codes/links (unless expressly allowed by Website functionality);

  • • contain hate speech, threats, harassment, discrimination or incitement to violence;

  • • disclose third-party personal data (e.g., addresses, phone numbers, emails, IDs, banking details) or otherwise breach applicable law;

  • • include knowingly false statements, defamation, or unsubstantiated criminal allegations stated as facts, or are otherwise unlawful;

  • • infringe third-party rights (e.g., copyright), except where lawful quotation applies;

  • • are fabricated, duplicated, coordinated or intended to manipulate (including “review bombing”);

  • • are posted on behalf of a company/representative without clear disclosure (see section 3.5).

• 3.4

  “One person — one experience”

  We may restrict/remove:

  • • multiple reviews by the same author about the same company where duplicative or manipulative;

  • • mass-posted reviews in a short period with identical patterns/wording; and

  • • reviews posted using technical means indicating inauthenticity (bots, proxy farms, etc.).

• 3.5

  Conflicts of interest and status disclosure

  If the author is:

  • • an employee/contractor of the company reviewed; or

  • • acting on the company’s behalf; or

  • • receiving/expecting compensation, discounts, bonuses or contest participation for posting a review,  the author must clearly disclose this in the review text.

  Reviews posted without appropriate conflict disclosure may be rejected/removed and/or labelled accordingly.

• 3.6

  Incentivised reviews

  Where incentives for reviews are used (bonuses, contests, gifts), we will ensure such reviews are:

  • • clearly labelled as incentivised/compensated; and

  • • presented in a way that does not mislead overall perception (e.g., separate presentation or additional notice).

  Where incentives are not permitted, incentivised/paid reviews are treated as a breach of this Policy.

• 3.7

  Author responsibility and verification requests

  Authors are responsible for the content of their reviews. In disputed cases, we may request additional information to confirm interaction with a company (e.g., evidence of transaction/communication), without requesting excessive data and in line with our Privacy Notice.

• 4.1

  General approach

  We aim to maintain the integrity and usefulness of reviews. However, we do not guarantee that every review is verified as coming from a “real customer” unless explicitly indicated (e.g., via a “Verified” label where applicable).

  We apply reasonable and proportionate measures to detect spam, manipulation and bad-faith practices, while respecting transparency, fairness and freedom of expression.

• 4.2

  Automated and manual checks

  Depending on the circumstances (and available tools), we may use:

  • • automated checks (anti-spam, anti-fraud, duplicate detection, anomalous posting patterns, technical signals of inauthenticity);

  • • manual review of disputed cases (e.g., following a company report or where coordinated activity is suspected);

  • • visibility restrictions, temporary holds, or requests for clarification from the author.

• 4.3

  Requests for proof of experience (disputed cases)

  Where a review is disputed (e.g., a company claims the author did not use the service) or there are indicators of manipulation, we may request reasonable evidence of interaction (e.g., screenshot of communication, account/ticket proof, redacted transaction fragment).

  We:

  • • do not request excessive personal data;

  • • recommend redacting sensitive information (IDs, payment details, addresses, etc.); and

  • • process any information provided in accordance with our Privacy Notice.

  Failure to provide evidence does not automatically mean removal, but may be considered when assessing credibility and deciding on measures (e.g., labelling, restricting or removing where warranted based on multiple factors).

• 4.4

  “Verified” and “Unverified” labels (where used)

  At present, we do not apply a formal “Verified” or “Unverified” status to all reviews published on the Website. Where such labels are used for specific sections, features, or categories of reviews, their meaning will be explained on the relevant page and/or in an updated version of this Policy.

  Where such status labels are used on the Website:

  • • “Verified” means that, under our criteria, we have obtained reasonable indications of interaction between the author and the relevant company/service. The level of verification may vary depending on the data available and the type of service;

  • • “Unverified” means that the review is published as a user opinion without separate confirmation of interaction.

  Important: a “Verified” label does not confirm every detail of the review and does not constitute a guarantee of the quality, reliability, or lawfulness of the company’s activities.

• 4.5

  Preventing fake and manipulative reviews

  We may reject/remove/restrict reviews and related accounts/activity where we identify indications of:

  • • paid/incentivised reviews without disclosure (see Article 3);

  • • scripted/coordinated posting or “review bombing”;

  • • bots, proxy farms or other forms of mass inauthentic activity; or

  • • duplicates/templates or other manipulation tactics.

  For more details, see our Combating Fake Reviews Policy.

• 4.6

  Transparency and limitations

  We may update our detection methods and internal assessment criteria over time to prevent circumvention. We maintain transparency at the level of approach (categories of measures) while not disclosing details that could facilitate abuse.

• 5.1

  Pre- and post-publication moderation

  Reviews may be moderated before and/or after publication, depending on the submission channel, risk level and automated checks. We may:

  • • publish the review;

  • • temporarily hold publication for review;

  • • restrict visibility (e.g., hide pending assessment);

  • • reject the review.

• 5.2

  Editing without changing meaning

  We may edit reviews only to:

  • • correct obvious typos/grammar;

  • • improve readability and formatting; and

  • • remove technical artefacts (repeated characters, “garbage” text).

  We do not change the meaning of a review or rewrite the author’s assessment. Substantive edits may be made only:

  • • at the author’s request; or

  • • where required to remove unlawful content/personal data while preserving the overall meaning where feasible.

• 5.3

  Possible measures (outcomes)

  Depending on the circumstances, we may apply one or more measures:

  • • publish as is;

  • • add a label/clarification (e.g., “Unverified”, “incentivised” where justified, or “edited for clarity”);

  • • partial editing (e.g., removing third-party personal data);

  • • restrict visibility (temporary or permanent);

  • • remove the review;

  • • apply account-level restrictions (e.g., for repeated spam/manipulation).

• 5.4

  Grounds for removal or restriction

  A review may be removed and/or restricted where:

  • • it breaches applicable law, our Terms of Use or this Policy;

  • • it contains prohibited content (spam, threats, hate speech, unlawful personal data disclosure, malicious materials);

  • • there are substantiated indicators of fabrication/manipulation (see Articles 3–4);

  • • we receive a binding order from a court/regulator/competent authority; or

  • • the author requests deletion (subject to technical feasibility and any legal retention/logging obligations, where applicable).

• 5.5

  Notices, reasons and re-review (DSA logic)

  Where we restrict or remove a review due to alleged illegality or rule breaches, we typically:

  • • document the decision and key reasons; and

  • • where we have contact details, notify the author (and/or the complainant) with a brief statement of reasons and information about appeal/review options, in line with our Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action).

• 5.6

  Timelines for review-related requests

  Where a review is disputed (e.g., by a company or a user), we typically:

  • • acknowledge receipt within 2 business days; and

  • • complete substantive review within up to 10 business days.

  Complex matters (e.g., additional verification requests, legal/contextual assessment) may take longer; we will provide an update and reasons within a reasonable timeframe.

• 6.1

  Company right to respond

  Where the Website functionality allows, a company (or its authorised representative) may post a public response to a review provided that:

  • • the response complies with the Terms of Use and this Policy;

  • • it does not disclose personal data of users/third parties; and

  • • it does not include threats, pressure, spam or misleading statements.

  Where applicable, such responses may be labelled as “Official company response” or similar.

• 6.2

  Requests to correct factual profile information

  A company may request correction of verifiable factual information in its profile (e.g., legal name, domain, licensing/registration, contact details), supported by evidence (links to official registries/documents).

  We typically review such requests within up to 10 business days (longer for complex matters with an update).

• 6.3

  Disputing a specific review

  A company may dispute a specific review where it believes the review:

  • • contains unlawful content (e.g., threats, hate speech, unlawful personal data disclosure);

  • • is knowingly false/manipulative or not based on genuine experience; and/or

  • • breaches this Policy or the Terms of Use.

  To enable review, the company should provide:

  • • the relevant URL(s);

  • • a clear explanation of the disputed parts and why; and

  • • supporting evidence where available (e.g., impossibility of customer relationship, coordination indicators, proof of factual error).

• 6.4

  Possible outcomes

  Following review, we may:

  • • leave the review unchanged;

  • • add a clarification/label (e.g., “Unverified” or “edited for clarity”);

  • • partially edit (e.g., remove third-party personal data);

  • • restrict visibility or remove the review where grounds exist (see Article 5).

  We do not remove or alter reviews solely because a company disagrees with criticism, where the content is lawful and complies with our rules.

• 6.5

  DSA notice-and-action and statement of reasons

  Requests that constitute notices of allegedly illegal content are handled under our Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action), including:

  • • acknowledgement (typically within 2 business days);

  • • review within a reasonable timeframe (typically up to 10 business days); and

  • • a decision notice with a brief statement of reasons and, where applicable, appeal/re-review options.

• 6.6

  Trademarks/logos and other IP rights

  Where a request concerns trademarks/logos/brand identifiers (e.g., “remove our logo/name”), our Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy applies.

  Copyright-related requests are handled via moderation/notice-and-action and may require specific identification of the protected material and proof of rights.

• 7.1

  Advertising and affiliate links may appear

  Company profile pages and/or areas adjacent to reviews may include:

  • • advertising banners;

  • • sponsored blocks; and/or

  • • affiliate links.

  These elements are used to monetise the Website and may link to third-party websites.

• 7.2

  Labelling and transparency

  Advertising/sponsored elements and affiliate links must be clearly separated from editorial and user content and clearly labelled on or immediately adjacent to the relevant element and, where feasible, before a user clicks or otherwise engages.

  Our detailed disclosure rules and commercial transparency approach are set out in the Advertiser & Affiliate Disclosure.

• 7.3

  What commercial relationships do not affect

  Commercial relationships (including advertising, affiliate programmes and paid placement) do not give companies any right to remove or suppress lawful negative reviews, influence UGC moderation outside our rules and procedures, require profile removal without specific legal grounds, or alter ratings, rankings, editorial assessments, or methodologies.

• 7.4

  Third-party websites

  When you follow an ad/affiliate link, you are taken to a third-party website. We do not control that website’s content, terms or policies. Your use of third-party websites is governed by their own documents.

• 7.5

  Cookies and attribution (brief)

  Affiliate links may include tracking parameters and/or use cookies/similar technologies for attribution. Where required by law, such technologies are used only with consent for non-essential cookies. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Notice for details.

• 8.1

  Review author rights

  A review author may:

  • • edit or clarify their review (where Website functionality allows) or request changes via support/compliance;

  • • request deletion of their review (see section 8.2);

  • • challenge moderation actions (e.g., rejection/hiding/removal) as described below.

• 8.2

  Deleting a review at the author’s request

  An author may request deletion by emailing compliance@tradersunion.com (or using Website functionality where available).

  We may request reasonable verification that the request is submitted by the author (e.g., email/account confirmation).

  Deletion may be limited by:

  • • technical reasons (e.g., caching/backup retention for a limited period); and/or

  • • legal obligations (e.g., keeping minimal logs for security/abuse prevention), where applicable;

  • • and by the need to retain minimal records required for legal compliance, abuse prevention, security, and evidentiary purposes, where applicable.

• 8.3

  Appeals against moderation actions

  If a review is rejected, restricted or removed, the author may request a re-review by emailing compliance@tradersunion.com within 30 calendar days of notification (or when the author reasonably became aware of the action).

  Please include:

  • • the relevant URL(s) or identifiers (if a URL is not available);

  • • a brief description of the issue; and

  • • reasons and any supporting materials.

• 8.4

  Counter-notice in disputed cases

  Where a review was restricted/removed following a company complaint (e.g., alleged falsity or lack of genuine experience), the author may submit a counter-notice and provide explanations/evidence (e.g., reasonable signals of interaction, redacted proof) for reassessment.

• 8.5

  Statement of reasons and DSA procedures

  Where moderation action falls under DSA processes (e.g., notices of potentially illegal content), we typically:

  • • document the decision and key reasons; and

  • • where we have contact details, notify the author with a brief statement of reasons and information about re-review options.

  See our Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action) for the detailed process and timelines.

• 9.1

  Public interest

  We believe that publishing user reviews and comparative information about financial companies helps promote:

  • • market transparency and informed decision-making;

  • • consumer protection; and

  • • identification of service quality issues and good practices.

• 9.2

  Balancing expression and rights

  We aim to balance:

  • • users’ right to share opinions and experiences; and

  • • companies’ lawful rights (including reputation and intellectual property).

  Lawful critical content is not removed merely because it is negative or uncomfortable for a company.

• 9.3

  Illegal content and required actions

  Content may be removed and/or restricted where required by applicable law or binding authority orders, or where it breaches the Terms of Use/this Policy (see also our Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action)).

• 10.1

  Independence

  We maintain separation between:

  • • editorial content (reviews, analysis, methodologies);

  • • user content (UGC — reviews/comments); and

  • • advertising/sponsorship/affiliate links.

• 10.2

  No investment advice

  Traders Union is not a broker or trading platform and does not provide investment advice, personal recommendations, portfolio management or trade execution. Reviews, ratings and company responses must not be treated as personalised recommendations.

• 10.3

  Risk and independent checks

  We encourage users to conduct independent checks (including terms and regulatory status) and to consider our Risk Disclosure before making any decisions.

• 11.1

  Related documents

  This Policy should be read together with:

  • • Terms of Use;

  • • Privacy Notice;

  • • Cookie Policy;

  • • Advertiser & Affiliate Disclosure;

  • • Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action);

  • • Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy;

  • • Risk Disclosure.

• 11.2

  Hierarchy

  In case of inconsistency:

  • • Privacy Notice prevails for personal data;

  • • Cookie Policy prevails for cookies;

  • • Moderation & Removal Policy (DSA / Notice & Action) prevails for notice-and-action/illegal content procedures;

  • • Trademark, Logo & Brand Use Complaints Policy applies to trademark/logo/brand matters;

  • • Terms of Use governs general use within its scope.

• 11.3

  Privacy

  In moderation and complaints handling, we may process contact details and other information (including any proof of interaction). Such processing is carried out in line with our Privacy Notice and data minimisation principles.

• 12.1

  Updates

  We may update this Policy from time to time (e.g., due to Website changes, moderation practice updates, or legal/regulatory developments). The “Last updated” date appears at the top of the document.

• 12.2

  Effective date

  This Policy is effective upon publication and replaces all previous versions.

• 12.3

  Contact

  Review-related questions, complaints and appeals: compliance@tradersunion.com.

  (Technical support, where applicable: support@tradersunion.com.)