NetFree's Policies

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Starting from year 5783 NetFree publicizes the main points of its policy in a transparent manner.

Process of the Policy Formulation for This Document

1. The policy is formulated by expert יראי שמים in the field of the internet, in consultation with rabbis and educators, and in consultation with the "ועידת הרבנים לביצור חומות הדת" and committees of other communities.
2. Generally, a new change in the policy will allow for a one-month adjustment period.
3. Anyone who feels harmed by the policy can express their opinions on the document and send them to policy@netfree.link. Do not expect a response to emails. The matters will be examined, and if found to be correct, they will be corrected.

Basic Rules

• NetFree presents the policy without responsibility or obligation. Relying on these policy principles is not NetFree's responsibility, and NetFree will not be liable for any damages that may be caused as a result of relying on these policy principles.
• The policy principles are written in a general manner, and NetFree may decide to behave differently in specific cases.
• The policy presented to the public does not reflect NetFree's entire policy, but rather a policy that can be made public.
• The policy does not claim to present a פסק of prohibitions or הלכות or to determine what is right or wrong to do.
• Changes in filtering occur frequently and suddenly, and it is impossible to update the public on every change, so surprises in filtering are expected.
• The policy may change at any time.
• NetFree will block or open a site without notifying the site owner of the block or opening. NetFree is not obligated to update the site owner on the blocking of the site.
• If NetFree believes that the person responsible for the content of the website deceives NetFree or has lost trust, then nothing created by that person will be opened.
• In a specific manual opening, the opening will be more precise than with something that is detected by the robot. For example, with video reviews on YouTube, there will be more precise checking than on websites text.
• Information or advice provided by NetFree representatives is without obligation or responsibility, and NetFree will not be liable for any damage caused as a result.
• The interpretation of this document by NetFree is the definitive interpretation.

• In the event of a disparity between the Hebrew and English versions of the policy, the Hebrew version will prevail.

The Goal

The goal of NetFree is to provide tools to defend against internet harm. NetFree does not claim to take away the right to choose (בחירה).
NetFree's protection does not release individuals from personal responsibility. The responsibility and commitment not to fall are the obligation of the individual themselves.
NetFree's public role is to preserve the existing state as much as possible and not to assist trends that breach the boundaries and agreements in the Frum community, but rather to minimize them as much as possible.

Risk vs. Benefit Consideration

NetFree will try to minimize the risks of internet browsing to zero, but if it comes at the expense of essential needs, it is not justified.
Therefore, there are priorities in the consideration of risk versus benefit, where work needs come first and relaxation and enjoyment needs come last.
Also taken into account is whether the need is a necessity or if alternative methods can be used. The more necessary the need is, the less negligible risks are taken into account.
Additionally, the consideration of the needs of the many in matters where a significant need for the many is evident is calculated.
The outcome of this is that there will be a different level of stringency between sites that are more necessary versus those that are less necessary.

Therefore, the opening or closing of a site in NetFree does not constitute legitimization or delegitimization of the site.

Content

It is important to differentiate between the content for which the site is intended, and the content that exists on the site just by chance.
Generally, if the content for which the site is intended is problematic, then the entire site will be blocked. On the other hand, if that is not the purpose of the site, then only the invalid content that appears within the site will be blocked, sometimes manually and sometimes automatically.

Websites clearly blocked

• A website intended for תועבה.
• A website intended for כפירה.
• A website with mixed content for which there is no technical way to filter out the harmful content.
• An entertainment website (movies/computer games/sports, etc.).
• A website that offers ways to bypass the filtering.

Images

Any public image featuring a woman who appears to be over the age of 6 is blocked. For images featuring girls under the age of 6, the image will be blocked if the מקומות המכוסים are uncovered or blurred. Any image that is not accepted in the Frum community for public display, even if it includes children or men, will be blocked.

Videos

Public videos are opened according to the rules of images, but it can be relaxed in case a צנועה woman appears in an unclear manner. Videos containing a plot that is longer than 5 minutes will be blocked. Videos containing humiliation of the public or of individuals will be blocked.

Private Content

Private content or content from a workplace that is password protected, will be opened upon the user's request. If it is known that there is widespread misuse of a particular service, despite the content being private, the service will be blocked.

Websites on Sensitive Topics

Sensitive websites are websites that deal with topics that are not publicly discussed in the Frum community. They will only be opened if they are clearly supervised by a בית דין or an authorized and recognized body in the Frum community.

Problematic השקפות

Problematic השקפות are blocked, such as opinions that are מזלזל in Torah matters or allow things that are considered forbidden in the community. Individuals or organizations that influence the public and are known for their invalid השקפות are also blocked.

Landing pages or Popular and Promoted Sites

The more advanced and promoted the content is, the more supervision and attention are required because of the potential wide-ranging harm. Therefore, when content is distributed by email blasts or published and promoted widely, the level of supervision will be higher.

Policy for a Frum website, addressed to the Frum or filtered community

With Frum websites, NetFree needs to be even more careful and cautious with their content, as such websites convey a message and serve as a model for emulation, and if anything controversial is published on the website, it could possibly give legitimization to it publicly.
The more popular the website, the more influence it can have on the public, and therefore its content should be treated with extra caution.

A website specifically targeted towards the filtered community, news and forum websites, large Torah-oriented websites, as well as widely publicized content, need to be opened with extra caution.
Such websites require trust from NetFree, and therefore NetFree needs to be familiar with the website owners or those responsible for it.
NetFree may block based on the belief that the person responsible for the website does not appear to be a ירא שמיים or does not seem credible. Content that is uploaded to the website contrary to the rules may cause the entire website to be blocked, and therefore the website owner is responsible for monitoring the content that is uploaded. The determining factor for whether a website is defined as Frum is not the statement, but the behavior of the website: if it appears to be Frum, or if it is targeted towards the Frum community, these rules apply to it.

Rules for Frum websites:

1. It is forbidden to speak disrespectfully about people who are not known to be מחללי שבת בפרהסיה or violate a מצווה מדאורייתא in public.
2. Posting content that facilitates bypassing or breaking filters is prohibited.
3. In case the website allows for advertisements:
   1. It is forbidden to publish things that have been forbidden by גדולי ישראל, for example, Academics.
   2. It is forbidden to publish things that are not accepted to publish in the Frum community.
4. In case the website allows users to comment:
   1. **Strict supervision** is required to ensure that comments do not deviate from the norm accepted in the Frum community.
   2. It is necessary to ensure that there is no conversation of קלות ראש between men and women.
5. In case the website allows users to communicate via private messages:
   1. Proper supervision of private message content by the site administrator is required and is their responsibility.
6. In case the website contains Torah-related content, greater caution is required, and therefore:
   1. It is forbidden to write things intended only for מורי הוראה.
   2. It is forbidden to write things intended only for married people.
   3. It is forbidden to be מזלזל on גדולי ישראל, both, of the past, and of the present as if the writer understands better than them or judges their words, rulings, or actions.
      

Any reference to the words or actions of the גדולי ישראל must come from humility, meaning recognition by the writer that their ability to understand their words or actions is limited.

1. In case the website has Torah-related discussions:
   1. Discussions about whether the viewpoint of a group or אדם גדול is correct or not, or disputes between different sectors as to whether their השקפות are correct or not, are not permitted.
   2. When asking about Torah-related matters, the question should be such that the goal is to gain knowledge and understanding, and not to dispute or criticize.

Content Policy for Women Only

Content that is intended exclusively for women (such as an online course for women) that features Frum women and is available for anyone on the internet, creates a problem of public פריצת גדר. This is because it is not acceptable for Frum woman to publish herself, especially not on the internet, and therefore any publication of a Frum woman online is considered a פריצת גדר and is considered invalid.

Therefore, content will only be opened if the השקפה of the content owner meets the following criteria:

• The content owner is absolutely not interested for men to view the content.
• Access to view the content is properly protected and access is given only after proper examination that the recipient is a woman.
• Women who receive access are informed that presenting the content to men will personally harm the content owner.
• The content is not on a sensitive topic.
• The woman must appear צנועה as accepted in the Frum community. (Examples of immodest things include long wigs, transparent lace on the wig, nail polish, heavy makeup, and tight-fitting clothing.)

What is a פריצת גדר in the Frum community?

Granting legitimacy to things that are not accepted in the Frum community.

What is acceptable in the Frum community?

What is considered acceptable in the Frum community is determined by the majority of the Frum community in Israel.

In this context, a Frum person is considered:

• A שומר תורה ומצוות.
• They do not watch or allow their children to watch movies or TV etc.
• Their internet is filtered properly.
• Their phone is approved.
• They do not have a profile on social networks (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, etc.).
• They are not מזלזל in מצוות or רבנים in public.

Examples of things that are not acceptable in the Frum community

• Studying in an academic institution (College).
• Public appearance/performance of a woman (to a crowd that includes men).
• Using models for marketing products, including clothing.
• Free conversation between men and women.

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Requirements for Internet provider who wants to provide NetFree

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