Acceptable Use Policy

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") sets out the rules governing what Users may and may not do on the FieldFinders Platform. It supplements the Platform Terms and Conditions and forms part of the binding contract between Users and Gitwix Limited.

2. Prohibited Land Listings

Landowners must never list the following on the Platform:

• Scheduled Monuments or land within Scheduled Monument boundaries — criminal offence under s.42 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) — statutory restriction
• World Heritage Sites — statutory and UNESCO protection
• National Trust properties — NT policy prohibits metal detecting
• Ministry of Defence (MoD) land — access and security restrictions
• Crown Estate land (without consent) — requires specific Crown Estate permission
• Foreshore below mean high water mark — Crown Estate ownership; separate rules apply
• Land subject to Higher Level Stewardship or Countryside Stewardship agreements restricting detecting — contractual and regulatory obligations
• Land in which the Landowner has no ownership or authority — fraudulent misrepresentation
• Land designated as an Area of Archaeological Importance — statutory restriction
• Any land where a criminal conviction or court order prohibits the Landowner from granting access — legal restriction

Listing prohibited land is a serious breach of these Terms and may constitute a criminal offence. We will report suspected criminal listings to the relevant authorities including Historic England, the Police, and the Environment Agency.

3. Prohibited Detectorist Conduct

Detectorists must never:

• Detect on any land without a confirmed Booking and valid Search Agreement
• Exceed the boundaries of the permitted search area
• Detect outside the permitted hours stated in the Search Agreement
• Remove any item that they believe may be Treasure without complying with the Treasure Act 1996 reporting requirements
• Detect on any Scheduled Monument or restricted site, even if erroneously listed by a Landowner (the Detectorist carries personal criminal liability)
• Damage, dig up, or interfere with any archaeological feature, structure, earthwork, or visible monument
• Leave holes unfilled or land in a damaged condition
• Bring any person onto the Land without the Landowner's written consent
• Use the Platform to facilitate detecting activity conducted outside of confirmed Bookings (off-Platform arrangements made to avoid Platform Fees, within 12 months of an introduction, are a breach of the fee circumvention prohibition)
• Share the precise GPS coordinates of productive detecting locations without the Landowner's express consent
• Misrepresent their qualifications, insurance status, or membership in communications with Landowners

4. General Prohibited Platform Use

All Users must not:

• Create fake accounts, multiple accounts, or impersonate any other person or entity
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information in listings, profiles, or reviews
• Post offensive, harassing, discriminatory, or defamatory content
• Use the Platform to engage in any illegal activity
• Attempt to circumvent Platform security, access controls, or payment systems
• Conduct web scraping, data harvesting, or automated access to the Platform
• Reproduce, resell, or commercialise any part of the Platform without written consent
• Post content that infringes third party intellectual property rights
• Submit false or malicious reviews or ratings

5. Reporting Obligations Reminder

Both Landowners and Detectorists acknowledge and are reminded that:

• Treasure must be reported to the local Coroner within 14 days of discovery or realisation. Failure is a criminal offence (Treasure Act 1996, s.8).
• Unexploded ordnance (UXO) must be reported to the Police (999) immediately. Do not move or handle suspected UXO.
• Human remains must be reported to the Police immediately.
• Archaeological hoards or unusual finds should be reported to the local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) at the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
• The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) — finds.org.uk — provides a voluntary but strongly encouraged mechanism for recording all significant finds.

6. Consequences of Breach

Breach of this AUP may result in:

• Immediate suspension or permanent termination of the User's account
• Withholding of any outstanding payments
• Removal of listings and Bookings
• Referral of information to relevant authorities including the Police, Historic England, the Coroner's service, and HMRC
• Civil legal action for any losses suffered by the Platform or other Users as a result of the breach

7. Good Practice Guidance

We encourage all Users to:

• Ensure Detectorists are members of the NCMD, FID, or AMDS (which includes public liability insurance)
• Use the NCMD's Search Agreement Form as a basis for their Search Agreement
• Record all finds (including non-Treasure) with the Portable Antiquities Scheme
• Keep written records of all Bookings, permissions, and finds
• Communicate clearly and honestly with their counterpart through the Platform messaging system