Guideline for the moderation of content on the idealo price comparison portals

 

1. Introduction

Objective of the guideline

The aim of idealo (hereinafter also referred to as "we") is to create a positive and legally compliant environment for all users of our price comparison portals. Our users trust in the quality, integrity and sustainability of the products listed on idealo. The following explains our guiding principles, procedures, measures and tools that we use to moderate content.

2. General Information

a) Guiding principles

Providers of products and services and other users of our comparison portals are required to only provide us with content that complies with the applicable General Terms of Use for our comparison portals, General Terms and Conditions and idealo Guidelines (hereinafter jointly referred to as "Contractual Terms"). Users who submit a review about a provider and those providers who leave comments on reviews are obliged to comply with our review guidelines. They can be accessed here.

b) Voluntary investigations

idealo is under no general obligation to monitor the content provided by or stored on behalf of providers and other users or to actively seek circumstances that indicate illegal activity or the incompatibility of the content with statutory provisions, the rights of third parties or the applicable contractual terms.

idealo nonetheless reserves the right to carry out voluntary own-initiative investigations in good faith in order to detect, identify and remove or disable access to illegal content or content that violates the applicable contractual terms and take the necessary measures in accordance with the applicable contractual terms.

3. Procedure for the moderation of content

a) Notification of violations

idealo has established a notice mechanism to enable individuals and entities to notify idealo through an electronic form of content on its comparison portals that they consider to be illegal. This applies to all types of content provided by users and published by idealo on their behalf (e.g. offers from providers or user reviews about providers). Further information on the notice mechanism can be accessed here.

b) Content review

As part of voluntary own-initiative investigations and the review of content notices, we utilise automated procedures, manual verification and a combination of the two.

aa) Manual verification

Insofar as we do not utilise automated means, we rely on manual verification by our employees. In particular, user reviews about goods or services are checked manually. Our employees further review notices and other information received from third parties regarding allegedly illegal content, examine the reported content and, as appropriate, implement measures in the event of violations. We additionally review isolated contents on a voluntary basis and, where appropriate, take measures in accordance with the applicable contractual conditions.

bb) Automated verification

We utilise software to detect and disable access to content that violates our contractual terms. This includes software systems that review content provided to us for violations by screening for certain keywords, descriptions, title names or images.

If the software detects any violations, access to content that has already been published on our comparison portals will be temporarily or permanently disabled, or the publication of the content will be blocked if it has not yet been published.

If automated means have been employed to review content and we have subsequently implemented measures against this content, we will notify the affected user of their use.

c) Measures in case of violation

To safeguard our services and to ensure a positive and legally compliant environment for all users, we may implement a variety of content moderation measures. These include but are not limited to the following measures, taken on the grounds that the information provided by users constitutes illegal content or is incompatible with our contractual terms:

• Removal of, disabling of access to or demotion of offers for products;
• Removal of or disabling access to reviews;
• Delaying the publication of such content;
• Suspension in whole or in part of the provision of the idealo services;
• Termination of the provision of the idealo services.

The details are set out in the applicable contractual terms.

 

4. Internal complaint-handling system

We have set up an electronic and free internal complaint-handling system for complaints by users and providers against our content moderation decisions. Further details on the complaint procedure can be accessed here.

 

17.02.2024