Guidelines

Last updated: 2 June 2026

cogole.to lives because of community contributions — postcards, reviews, polls, scavenger hunt. These guidelines describe what is welcome, what is not, and how moderation works. They form part of the Terms of Service.

The guiding principle

Tell us about Cogoleto the way you would tell a friend at the bar. Honest, generous, curious. No exaggeration, no hate, no disguised marketing.

What we welcome

• Authentic photos of your day in Cogoleto: the caruggio early in the morning, the beach, focaccia still warm, pesto al mortaio, sunset on the seafront, Beigua from above.
• Honest reviews: what you ate, what you saw, what you'd recommend. Positive or negative — as long as true.
• Local tips: the lesser-known aperitivo, the quieter beach, the trail few people take.
• Voting and taking part in polls.
• Scavenger hunt: scan the QR codes around town, collect checkpoints, unlock badges.

What we do NOT welcome

Illegal content

• Anything Italian law classifies as a crime (advocacy, threats, defamation, incitement, etc.).
• Drugs, weapons, illegal activities in general.
• Pornography, sexually explicit content, non-artistic nudity.
• Content endangering children — reported immediately to authorities.

Offensive or discriminatory content

• Personal insults, gratuitous attacks, hate.
• Hate speech based on origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability.
• Bullying or doxing (revealing other people's private information).

Misinformation and system abuse

• Fake reviews (positive for one's own venue or negative for competitors').
• Multiple accounts, inflated votes, remotely-scanned scavenger checkpoints.
• Spam, repeats, automated content.
• Attempts to circumvent rate-limiting, anti-abuse, or anti-cheat systems.

Others' privacy

• Photos of identifiable people without their consent (especially children).
• Recognisable licence plates, doorbells, mailboxes.
• Other people's personal data (phone, address, email).
• Private conversations brought onto the site.

Copyright

• Other people's photos, text, music published without permission or attribution.
• Screenshots of apps, maps, books, articles without the rightsholder's authorisation.
• Third-party logos and trademarks used in a confusing way.

Marketing and commercial content

• Content advertising commercial services (B&B, restaurants, tours) without disclosing it and without being the operator who signs the offer.
• Hidden affiliate links, promo codes, undisclosed "sponsored content".
• Political messages, electoral propaganda.

Postcards — specific rules

A postcard is a photo of Cogoleto and its surroundings (Beigua, Lungomare Europa to Varazze, neighbouring municipalities) with a short caption. For each postcard:

• the photo must be yours, or published with the explicit permission of the author;
• EXIF metadata (including GPS) is automatically stripped on upload to protect your location;
• if the photo contains identifiable faces, make sure you have their consent (public-place generic-scene photos are fine; tight portrait of a stranger is not);
• if the photo contains a work of art or installation, it is fine unless the living author has explicitly forbidden reproduction (Italian freedom of panorama — art. 70-bis Italian Copyright Law).

Reviews — specific rules

• One review per user per place (you may edit or update).
• 1-to-5 stars + optional text.
• No "revenge": if you have a personal issue with the owner, talk to them before writing.
• No "boost": don't review your own venue, your cousin's, your agency's.
• Be specific — "good" helps nobody; "they still make Thursday-night pesto by hand in a marble mortar" does.

Moderation

Everything you submit goes through prior moderation — it does not appear online until approved.

What this means in practice:

• Typical approval time: a few hours during the day, up to 24h on weekends or in high season.
• An automated anti-spam/abuse filter pre-screens the most obviously out-of-bounds submissions.
• A human moderator gives the final approval.
• If your content is rejected you receive an email with the reason. You may edit and resubmit.
• Moderation decisions are final. You may appeal by writing to [email protected].

What happens if you breach the guidelines

Depending on severity:

1. Warning — the content is rejected/removed, we explain why.
2. Temporary suspension (7-30 days) for repeated violations.
3. Permanent termination of the account for serious violations (illegality, fraud, abuse) or persistent recidivism.

Content that remains available on the site after your account closes (e.g. approved postcards) is kept only if removal would lose other community contributions (comments, votes) — otherwise it is removed with the account.

Reporting content

If you see something wrong, report it:

• Signed in: click the flag below the content.
• Anonymously: email [email protected] with the URL of the content and a brief description of the issue.

Good-faith reports are welcome and always considered. Coordinated, malicious mass-reports, or reports aimed at silencing legitimate opinions are ignored and may result in the closure of your account.

Trusted flaggers. Reports from entities recognised as "trusted flaggers" under Art. 22 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (DSA) — designated by the competent Digital Services Coordinator — are handled with priority and without undue delay. To date cogole.to, as a service run privately on a not-for-profit basis, has received no such reports, but undertakes to give them precedence should any arrive.

Notice and appeal (DSA — Digital Services Act)

When we remove your content we notify you of:

• the decision (removal, demotion, suspension);
• the reason, with reference to the rule breached;
• the facts the decision is based on (reported text, URL, etc.);
• the internal appeal procedure (reply to the email within 30 days);
• the option to use an out-of-court dispute resolution body under Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (DSA).