Trust and Safety

Trust & Safety Policy

Helios is committed to maintaining a trusted, lawful, secure, and professional environment for all users. Because Helios connects people, knowledge, and capabilities across end-to-end manufacturing, trust and safety are central to how the Platform operates.

This Trust & Safety Policy explains the standards, protections, reporting mechanisms, review processes, and enforcement actions Helios may use to protect users, preserve marketplace integrity, reduce fraud and abuse, and support legal and responsible activity on the Platform.

This Policy applies to all users of Helios, including experts, companies, students, vendors, suppliers, associations, partners, customers, service providers, guests, and any other person or entity who accesses or uses the Platform.

This Policy should be read together with the Helios Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Code of Conduct, Payments, Payouts, Refunds, and Transactions Policy, Seller, Expert, and Vendor Payout Terms, Refund and Cancellation Policy, Copyright and Infringement Policy, and any other rules or standards published by Helios.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to:

• promote a safe, respectful, and professional environment;
• protect users from fraud, abuse, deception, harassment, and unlawful conduct;
• maintain the integrity of profiles, listings, transactions, content, and community interactions;
• support lawful marketplace activity across manufacturing and related sectors;
• reduce legal, operational, financial, and reputational risk to users and the Platform;
• establish standards for reporting, review, investigations, and enforcement; and
• clarify how Helios may respond to unsafe, fraudulent, illegal, exploitative, or policy-violating conduct.

2. Core Trust & Safety Principles

Helios operates according to the following core principles:

2.1 Safety

Users should be able to participate without harassment, intimidation, exploitation, fraud, or exposure to unsafe or unlawful conduct.

2.2 Integrity

Profiles, credentials, listings, communications, reviews, transactions, and marketplace activity must be authentic, truthful, and not misleading.

2.3 Accountability

Users are responsible for their conduct, content, listings, transactions, representations, and compliance obligations.

2.4 Lawfulness

All use of Helios must comply with applicable law, including laws relating to payments, sanctions, export controls, labor standards, privacy, product safety, and intellectual property.

2.5 Fairness

Helios seeks to apply platform rules consistently and proportionately while protecting users, preserving evidence, and responding appropriately to risk.

2.6 Security

Helios uses operational, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect the Platform, user data, and payment-related activity, while expecting users to act responsibly and securely.

3. Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies to activity involving:

• account creation and profile setup;
• listings, offerings, gigs, quick tasks, projects, services, and subscriptions;
• user communications and messaging;
• reviews, endorsements, comments, and public interactions;
• uploaded files, designs, manuals, CAD files, drawings, media, and documentation;
• event, webinar, mentorship, and training activity;
• transactions, refunds, payouts, chargebacks, and related financial activity;
• onboarding, verification, and account review processes; and
• off-platform conduct that is closely connected to Helios use and creates risk to users, transactions, or the Platform.

4. User Identity, Authenticity, and Accurate Representation

Trust on Helios depends on accurate information.

Users must provide truthful, current, and non-misleading information when creating accounts, profiles, listings, applications, credentials, or payout accounts.

You may not:

• impersonate another person, company, organization, or brand;
• use false names or misleading aliases to conceal identity in a deceptive or harmful way;
• create fake accounts, duplicate accounts for abuse, or coordinated sock-puppet accounts;
• falsify qualifications, certifications, training, work history, licenses, manufacturing experience, or business capabilities;
• forge or alter documents submitted for identity, tax, payout, or verification purposes;
• misrepresent ownership, origin, compliance status, or performance history of goods, services, files, or designs;
• create fake inquiries, fake demand, fake reviews, fake testimonials, or fake transaction history;
• conceal material information that would make a listing, profile, or offer misleading.

Helios may require identity, business, tax, banking, or beneficial ownership verification and may delay, restrict, or deny access to certain features until verification is complete.

5. Respectful Conduct and Community Safety

Helios is a professional platform. Users are expected to interact respectfully and constructively.

You may not:

• harass, threaten, intimidate, bully, or stalk others;
• engage in hate speech, discriminatory conduct, or abusive language;
• retaliate against users who report misconduct, safety concerns, or fraud;
• exploit unequal power dynamics in a coercive or predatory way;
• encourage violence, self-harm, criminal activity, or unsafe acts;
• dox, expose, or misuse another person’s personal or confidential information;
• use community or professional settings to shame, degrade, or pressure users.

Helios may take action where user behavior creates safety or trust concerns, even where the conduct occurs partly outside the Platform if it is sufficiently connected to Helios activity.

6. Fraud, Deception, and Marketplace Abuse

Helios prohibits fraud and deceptive practices in any form.

Prohibited conduct includes, without limitation:

• identity fraud;
• credential fraud;
• invoice fraud;
• forged purchase orders or proof-of-delivery records;
• account takeover attempts;
• phishing and impersonation scams;
• document falsification;
• altered tax, bank, payout, or verification information;
• fake listings, fake reviews, fake references, or fake buyer demand;
• coordinated reputation manipulation;
• false urgency or fabricated compliance claims to induce payment;
• misleading claims about production capability, certifications, delivery times, sourcing, or regulatory status;
• bait-and-switch offers;
• fraudulent milestone claims or delivery confirmations;
• false claims submitted in support channels, disputes, or enforcement appeals.

Users must not exploit Helios systems, incentives, trust signals, search visibility, or dispute processes in a deceptive or manipulative manner.

7. Payment Integrity and Financial Safety

Helios may support payments, payouts, billing, refunds, and related transaction services through third-party payment providers.

Where Helios offers transaction functionality, users must act honestly and in good faith.

You may not:

• use stolen payment methods or unauthorized financial accounts;
• submit false payout, banking, tax, or beneficial ownership information;
• engage in chargeback abuse or bad-faith refund demands;
• create sham transactions or artificial transaction volume;
• engage in circular payments, payment laundering, or non-genuine transactions;
• pressure users to move required transactions off-platform to avoid fees, review, taxes, dispute controls, or recordkeeping;
• falsify proof of work, milestone status, delivery evidence, attendance, or acceptance to obtain payment or avoid responsibility;
• misuse refunds, reversals, or disputes after receiving the agreed value;
• attempt to bypass holds, reserves, transaction reviews, payout delays, or fraud controls.

Helios may review and restrict financial activity where needed to protect users, maintain payment integrity, respond to fraud, or comply with legal and payment-provider obligations.

Helios may also take trust and safety action where necessary to comply with the requirements of its payment processors and financial service providers, including Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, particularly in cases involving fraud, prohibited transactions, verification failures, dispute abuse, or compliance-sensitive activity.

8. Restricted, Illegal, and High-Risk Activity

Users may not use Helios for illegal, deceptive, unsafe, or prohibited activity.

This includes, without limitation:

• unlawful products or services;
• counterfeit, pirated, or infringing goods, files, or content;
• prohibited weapons-related, military, defense, surveillance, or similarly restricted categories;
• sanctioned or embargoed dealings;
• transactions designed to evade sanctions laws, export controls, import controls, customs rules, or anti-money laundering requirements;
• unlawful regulated industrial goods, parts, or services;
• activity involving child labor, forced labor, trafficking, or modern slavery;
• malicious software, credential theft tools, or harmful code;
• unsafe or unlicensed activity in sectors where approvals, certifications, or permits are required.

Helios may restrict, prohibit, or subject certain categories to enhanced review where they create elevated legal, safety, compliance, or financial risk.

9. Manufacturing-Specific Trust & Safety Standards

Because Helios operates across end-to-end manufacturing, users must take special care with regulated, safety-sensitive, and technically sensitive activity.

Users may not use Helios to:

• distribute or monetize unauthorized CAD files, copied technical drawings, cloned product files, or restricted technical data;
• facilitate work that would violate export-control laws or technology transfer restrictions;
• misrepresent traceability, material composition, sourcing, certifications, inspection status, or quality standards;
• request or provide work involving prohibited end uses, blocked parties, or unlawful jurisdictions;
• offer safety-critical components or regulated industrial services without the qualifications, approvals, or compliance controls required by law or industry practice

Helios may require documentation, certification evidence, category review, or manual approval before allowing certain manufacturing-related offerings or transactions.

10. Intellectual Property, Confidentiality, and Sensitive Information

Users must respect intellectual property rights, confidential information, and restricted technical information.

You may not:

• upload or distribute infringing, pirated, or unauthorized content;
• sell or request copied CAD files, cloned drawings, pirated manuals, or unauthorized training materials;
• misuse trade secrets, confidential technical information, customer lists, or private business data;
• disclose private financial, tax, verification, or payout information without authorization;
• scrape, export, or repurpose personal data or confidential materials from the Platform except as authorized.

If you receive sensitive information through Helios, you may use it only for the legitimate and authorized purpose for which it was shared.

11. Privacy and Data Protection Expectations

Users are expected to respect privacy and data protection obligations.

You may not:

• collect more personal information than reasonably necessary;
• misuse user contact data, transaction data, or business data;
• export, sell, or repurpose personal information obtained through Helios without authorization;
• publish confidential or private information in public-facing areas;
• use Helios data in a way that violates privacy law, contractual restrictions, or platform rules.

Where applicable, users are responsible for complying with privacy and data protection laws in connection with their own activities on the Platform.

12. Platform Security and Technical Abuse

Helios takes security seriously. Users must not interfere with the Platform’s security, integrity, or availability.

You may not:

• bypass access controls, authentication requirements, verification systems, or technical restrictions;
• probe, scan, reverse engineer, or exploit vulnerabilities without authorization;
• introduce malware, malicious scripts, ransomware, spyware, or destructive code;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, data, systems, APIs, or infrastructure;
• interfere with the normal functioning, uptime, or performance of the Platform;
• automate activity in a way that is abusive, deceptive, or unauthorized.

Users are responsible for safeguarding their own credentials and promptly reporting suspected unauthorized access or account compromise.

13. Reviews, Ratings, and Reputation Systems

Trust signals must be genuine.

Users may not:

• post fake reviews or testimonials;
• pay for or trade reviews in a deceptive way;
• pressure users for dishonest ratings;
• retaliate against users for leaving honest feedback;
• coordinate manipulative review activity;
• create fake transactions to generate artificial reputation.

Helios may remove reviews or ratings that appear fraudulent, irrelevant, abusive, extortionate, retaliatory, or otherwise inconsistent with platform integrity.

14. Off-Platform Conduct That Affects Helios Safety

Helios may consider off-platform conduct where it has a sufficient connection to the Platform and creates material risk to users, transactions, or platform trust.

Examples may include:

• fraud carried out through contact initiated on Helios;
• harassment or threats connected to a Helios interaction;
• off-platform payment coercion tied to a Helios listing or engagement;
• misuse of confidential files or data obtained through Helios;
• identity or credential deception affecting Helios users.

Helios is not required to ignore off-platform misconduct merely because part of it occurred outside the Platform.

15. Reporting Concerns

Users are encouraged to report:

• fraud or payment abuse;
• harassment or threats;
• suspicious accounts or fake profiles;
• illegal or restricted listings;
• intellectual property violations;
• unsafe manufacturing or technical activity;
• privacy violations or misuse of confidential information;
• account compromise or suspicious login activity;
• any conduct that appears to create material risk to users or the Platform.

Reports should include as much relevant information as possible, such as account details, listing links, screenshots, communications, dates, and transaction context.

16. Investigations and Review Process

Helios may investigate reports, suspicious activity, or other signals suggesting policy violations or elevated risk.

As part of a review, Helios may:

• request explanations, supporting records, or documents;
• review listings, files, messages, account history, and transaction activity;
• request identity, business, or compliance information;
• temporarily restrict features while a review is pending;
• coordinate with payment providers, service providers, or legal authorities where appropriate.

Users are expected to cooperate honestly and promptly in trust and safety reviews.

Failure to cooperate, or submitting false information during a review, may itself be treated as a policy violation.

17. Temporary Risk Controls

To protect users and preserve evidence while a matter is under review, Helios may impose temporary controls such as:

• listing pauses;
• messaging restrictions;
• upload restrictions;
• transaction freezes;
• payout holds or delays;
• reserve requirements;
• account limitations;
• visibility reductions for suspicious content or profiles.

Temporary controls do not necessarily mean Helios has reached a final conclusion, but they may remain in place until risk is resolved to Helios’s satisfaction.

18. Enforcement Actions

If Helios reasonably determines that a user, listing, transaction, or account violates this Policy or creates unacceptable risk, Helios may take one or more of the following actions:

• issue a warning;
• require corrective action;
• remove or limit content, listings, or reviews;
• restrict visibility or access to certain features;
• cancel or limit marketplace activity;
• delay, freeze, reverse, or deny transactions or payouts;
• require additional verification or documentation;
• suspend an account temporarily;
• terminate an account permanently;
• block future re-registration;
• report conduct to payment providers, financial institutions, regulators, or law enforcement where appropriate.

Helios may act with or without prior notice where permitted by law and reasonably necessary to protect users, preserve the Platform, or comply with legal obligations.

19. Repeat and Severe Violations

Helios may apply heightened enforcement where:

• a user repeatedly violates platform rules;
• conduct appears deliberate, coordinated, or fraudulent;
• user safety is at risk;
• the conduct exposes Helios or other users to significant legal, financial, or reputational harm
• a payment provider or regulator requires stronger controls;
• The conduct involves child labor, forced labor, trafficking, sanctions risk, export-control violations, or serious deception.

Severe or repeated violations may result in permanent removal from the Platform.

20. Cross-Policy Enforcement

Violations of this Trust & Safety Policy may also violate other Helios policies. Helios may enforce those policies together rather than separately.

For example:

• fraud may trigger payment restrictions, payout holds, and account suspension;
• infringing listings may trigger content removal and transaction review;
• privacy violations may trigger access restrictions and legal review;
• unsafe labor-related or exploitative conduct may trigger removal, investigation, and termination.

21. Appeals and Requests for Reconsideration

Where appropriate, Helios may allow a user to request reconsideration of certain enforcement decisions.

Helios may decline reconsideration requests that are abusive, repetitive, unsupported, or clearly bad-faith.

A request for reconsideration does not guarantee reversal, restoration, or immediate reinstatement.

Helios may require additional information, assurances, or verification before reconsidering a restriction.

22. User Cooperation and Duty to Mitigate Harm

Users must take reasonable steps to reduce harm when safety, fraud, or account compromise concerns arise.

This may include:

• stopping suspicious interactions;
• preserving relevant communications and records;
• reporting incidents promptly;
• updating credentials;
• refraining from further transactions while a matter is under review;
• cooperating with Helios requests related to safety, compliance, or payment integrity.

23. Policy Updates

Helios may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, platform features, payment systems, fraud patterns, operational needs, and industry risks.

When we update this Policy, we will post the updated version on the Platform and revise the “Last Updated” date above. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an updated version constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy, except where additional notice or consent is required by law.