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Violations of Community Standards
Consequences for Violating Community Standards
Community Standards for Vida Groups
Summary
Vida Groups help you connect through group messaging with other members who are actively working to achieve their health goals.
Know that you may opt out of a Vida Group at any time by contacting support@vida.com.
If you post in a Group in Chat, you consent to the first letter of the first name you entered for your Vida account and the name of your program being shared with others in the Chat. Your first initial will show to other Group members every time you post. Until you post in a Vida Group, your name and first initial will remain anonymous and your presence in the Vida Group will not be visible to any other Vida Group member.
If you post in a Group:
- Any information you post in the group becomes public information.
- Vida has no control over how members treat any information that is posted.
- We cannot control what other members post. Any shared information is unverified and not necessarily the view of Vida.
Use these guidelines so the Group experience is welcoming and rewarding for all:
- Keep private info private. What is shared in groups, stays in groups. Do not post private health information or share information from the group in other places, such as social media.
- Offer support and share what works for you. When it comes to health, your mileage may vary! Do not provide medical advice or tell others what to do.
- Respect others. Avoid sarcasm, off-color jokes, and controversial topics such as politics. Text and emojis (small pictures or icons) don’t show your tone of voice or facial expressions to alert us that you’re joking.
- Recognize other points of view. You don’t have to agree with what others say. Do respect the right of members to express themselves while following community standards.
- Expect anytime access but not real-time moderation. Members may use Vida Group messaging at any time of day or night. The group moderator, a Vida coach, will not monitor the group 24/7.
- Follow the Community Standards. If you break the guidelines, your post may be removed or you may no longer have access to the group or Vida Health app.
Email support@vida.com with any questions or concerns.
Full Community Standards
These Community Standards are designed to make Vida Groups a great place to get support and stay motivated. The following standards identify what is and are not permitted in Vida Groups.
Purpose
Vida Groups are a place where Vida members come together to:
- Learn about Vida features and services
- Support each other in their health journey
- Share experiences
- Learn tips from Vida coaches and group members
Definitions
- Vida Group(s) - Centered around a specific health goal, condition, or lifestyle. These groups include multiple Vida members and Vida coaches who regularly monitor and support the conversation. Vida customer support staff also have access to groups.
- Chat - Text messaging feature in the Vida app in which members can privately message their coach or therapist, or participate in group messaging.
- Posts - Single text message or other pieces of digital content that a member or Vida staffer uploads to Chat. These include but are not limited to texts, photographs, videos, weblinks, memes, gifs, and emojis (small pictures or icons).
- Thread - A series of two or more posts related to a single topic or in response to a message.
Community Core Values
Vida Groups are intended to provide additional support and resources for members using Vida. It helps to know you’re not alone in your health journey. The Community Core Values include providing and maintaining a real-time, online space that is:
- Safe for exploring health goals and lifestyle changes
- Inclusive, respecting the diverse backgrounds, dignity, and experiences of fellow members
- Flexible, recognizing that one solution does not fit all and that every member’s health journey is unique
- Supportive of, but does not replace, the recommendations of a member’s treating physician, healthcare team, and health plan
Participation
Vida Group participation is available to all Vida members and is not specific to employer, organization, or health plan. Participation in Vida Social is strictly voluntary. All members can opt in to join a Vida Group. Members may opt out at any time by contacting support@vida.com.
Risks and Benefits
The benefits of a member participating in Vida Groups include but are not limited to:
- Receiving additional support on health goals
- Increased knowledge provided by Vida coaches or members
- More opportunity to interact with Vida coaches
- Convenient access to digital social support
- Creative ideas from members who may be on similar health journeys
Members opt in and may opt out at any time. The risks of a member participating in Vida Groups may include but are not limited to:
- Emotional discomfort due to the personal nature of health conditions or struggles that members discuss. Information, ideas, opinions, or recommendations may also not be reflective of a member’s personal beliefs, including religious/spiritual, political, or other diverse viewpoints.
- Unpredictable nature of member posts; a member may post items that another member finds triggering or upsetting.
- A member accidentally posting about a personal matter meant for the private, direct Chat messaging they share with their personal coach and/or therapist.
- Health information shared by Vida members or coaches may not reflect or be indicated for a member’s health condition or specific circumstance.
- People you know from outside Vida—coworkers, family members, neighbors—may also participate in Vida Groups. Vida Health is not responsible for any consequences of posts shared in Vida Groups, particularly any consequences provided by a member’s employer should a fellow member-elect to report the information to their workplace.
- Alerts to law enforcement, emergency services or employers when there is a threat of violence or risk of potential harm or self-harm to an individual or other people.
- Private health information may be shared by members outside the group, though this is a violation of Community Standards. Though Vida members agree to not share personal information shared by other members outside of the Social group, Vida cannot guarantee that members will respect one another’s privacy. Due to the digital nature of Vida Groups, any post uploaded to the group by a member is at their own risk.
Emergencies
Vida Social or support@vida.com is not meant for use in an emergency. Vida is not able to provide emergency services for medical or psychiatric emergencies through Vida Groups or through reports to support@vida.com. Social Chat threads are not monitored 24/7 and are not to be used for any sort of urgent or emergency communication. If a member is experiencing a life-threatening psychiatric or medical emergency, members are advised to call 9-1-1 or go to their nearest hospital emergency room. To learn more about crisis resources, please review Vida’s support article on how to Get Immediate Support!
Private vs. Group Messaging
Be aware that you must manually switch between private and group messaging.
- iOS: To switch from Vida Group messaging to private messaging with your coach or therapist, tap the “<” button in the upper left of a messaging thread to return to Chat home. Select your coach or therapist, listed under “My Care Teams.”
- Android: To switch from Vida Group messaging to private messaging with your coach or therapist, tap the “Back” button in the upper left of a messaging thread to return to Chat home. Select your coach or therapist, listed under “My Care Teams.”
Etiquette
- Introduce yourself in Chat when first joining a Group or on returning after you’ve been away for a while.
- Take turns and keep messages short. Let others be heard. Think before you reply.
- Say goodbye when leaving a group conversation in Chat.
- It is OK to not share information. Members are under no obligation to reply to any posts by moderators or fellow members, and should not feel pressured to respond to any messages nor to share any health information they do not want to share. Members may choose to ignore the message, report a Community Standards Violation or reply that they respectfully decline to share the information.
- Avoid sharing personally-identifying information, including but not limited to uploading a photo of driver’s license, social security number, school or work IDs, phone number, email, home or workplace address, hometown, passwords). Personal, medical, or other information you do not want to share with other members.
Medication/Insurance Discussion
Please keep in mind the group chat is intended for focused program-related discussions only.
It is NOT intended for discussions about insurance coverage or medications.Initiation of or continued posts about medication or insurance may lead to removal of posts and removal from the group.
For any Vida prescription management questions or concerns, all inquiries must be directed to support@vida.com or your insurance.
Your primary coach or RD is available to support your weight loss goals and program engagement but does not manage operational or medication-related matters.
Appropriate Content
Vida cannot predict or be held responsible for the posts or actions of any member. We have moderating processes in place to identify objectionable posts and behaviors and reserve the right to remove any content that is determined to violate our Community Standards. Member postings that include private health information, medical advice, alternative remedies, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations are subject to moderation and removal. Vida urges members to always seek advice from and follow the recommendations of their treating physician.
Member Expression
We respect that members have different opinions, experiences, and ideas. We expect members to be thoughtful and respectful in their communication with fellow members. Vida has a zero-tolerance policy for postings or content that Vida identifies as abusive in nature. Vida reserves the right to remove a member from a Vida Group and/or remove any posts that we determine to be in violation of Community Standards, Core Values, or Terms and Conditions. We are committed to keeping Vida a safe, supportive environment for our members.
Violations of Community Standards
A violation of community standards may either be a post or behavior that goes against Vida’s Core Values or that reflects any of the situations or behaviors described below. A violation of community standards may occur:
- Within the app
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Outside the app (i.e. a member shares on a social media site another member’s group post or information.)
The list below is not all-inclusive and may not predict every scenario that Vida outlines as a violation of its Community Standards or what is in the best interest of Vida members. Vida reserves the right to evaluate postings or member behavior in Vida Groups on a case-by-case basis and based on internal review, determine that a member may no longer participate in the Vida Group and/or the app experience. Vida's customer support will reach out privately to those who do not follow Community Standards.
Situations/behaviors that violate community standards:
Bullying/Hate Speech/Harassment/Threatening/Inciting language
Posts or behaviors that reflect bullying, harassment, or threatening language include but are not limited to:
- Discriminatory in nature based on a member’s background, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, and/or disease
- Belittling, excluding, or demeaning member(s) or Vida staff
- Intimidating, gossiping about, or silencing member(s) or Vida staff
- Statements that threaten or call for violence or other unsafe acts toward another member or pose physical harm to the community
- Promotion of self-harm
- Encouragement toward other members or incitement to engage in unlawful or violent acts
- Bribery
- Sexual harassment, solicitation
Sharing Private Health Information
Posts or behaviors that demonstrate a disregard for the privacy of fellow Social group members include but are not limited to:
- Taking and sharing screenshots of a member’s post
- Sharing, copying, or distributing a member’s personal experience on social media or with others outside the group, or engaging in gossip-like behaviors
- Posting or sharing personal or confidential information about a member without their expressed consent
Stalking
Stalking includes inappropriate, excessive, and unwanted contact. Posts or behaviors that reflect stalking include but are not limited to:
- Excessive, unwanted, or inappropriate correspondence. This may include posts in the group, on social media, and/or contact outside the app via phone, text, voicemail, email, or mail.
- Excessive, unwanted, or inappropriate in-person or virtual contact. Examples include members making unsolicited phone calls, interfering with a member’s property, following or lingering around a member, and reaching out to another member over outside social media platforms without expressed permission.
- Making malicious complaints and or engaging in gossip behaviors
Solicitation, Marketing, Advertising, Selling
- Posts or behaviors that attempt to market or sell a product or service to a fellow member
- Attempts to sell or distribute illicit drugs, over the counter, or prescription medicines or supplements
Purposeful distribution of misinformation, misrepresentation, or falsifying identity
Posts or behaviors that distribute misinformation or falsify member identity for personal gain or fraud.
Inappropriate images or postings
Posts that contain inappropriate text or images including graphic, violent, inciting violence, or sexual content.
Consequences for Violating Community Standards
Any report or observation of a suspected violation of Community Standards is subject to evaluation and review by Vida support staff. Consequences for violating Community Standards may vary depending on what was posted and/or a member’s history of participation in Chat.
Should it be determined that a member be removed from a Vida Group or from the Vida app altogether, the member will be notified via email of this determination. Should a member contest with this determination, they may communicate their dispute to Vida’s Quality Assurance team by emailing qavida@vida.com.
Notifications
- Members will not be notified when posts that violate Community Standards are removed.
- If a member reports an issue they observe in the app or outside the app, the reporting member will receive a receipt from Vida acknowledging the report.
- If a member poses a serious threat of violence or danger to the community or public safety, Vida Health will connect with local law enforcement or emergency services.
Reporting an issue
If you see or experience what you think is a violation of Community Standards, you are invited to directly report the issue to support@vida.com. Reports will open an investigation process in which a member of Vida’s support staff will evaluate the post(s) or behaviors for violation of Community Standards. Reports do not guarantee that a post will be removed from Chat or that a member will be removed from a Vida Group.
Threats
If a member has threatened harm in the app to another member or themselves, it is recommended that the other member discontinue the conversation by leaving Chat and immediately reporting the issue to support@vida.com. Vida’s Support email is not a crisis service or replacement for emergency services. If a member believes they or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 for immediate crisis support.
If a threat takes place outside of the app (i.e. a member reaches out to another member on social media or in public), members can report the issue to support@vida.com and may elect to connect with their local authorities. If a threat took place between members who share a workplace, it is recommended that the member connects with their workplace Human Resources department for additional support. If a member believes they are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 for immediate crisis support.
If a member has observed an exchange between members that presents as possibly threatening in nature, we ask that members report these issues to support@vida.com. See additional resources for getting connected to immediate crisis support here: Get Immediate Support!
Stalking
If a member is experiencing any stalking behaviors from another member in the app, it is recommended that a member report the behavior to support@vida.com. If a member is experiencing stalking from another member outside the app, a member may elect to connect with local authorities. If stalking is taking place between members who share a workplace, it is recommended that the member connects with their workplace Human Resources department for support.
Inappropriate images
If a post contains an inappropriate or objectionable image, Vida members are asked to report the issue directly to support@vida.com.
Abuse
If a member observes a post reporting abuse of a child, elderly person (age 65+), dependent adult, or reports domestic violence, Vida members are asked to report the issue directly to support@vida.com. See additional resources for getting connected to immediate crisis support here: Get Immediate Support!
If observations of abuse are taking place between members who share a workplace, it is recommended that the member connects with their workplace Human Resources department for support.
Moderators
Members may access their Vida Group messaging via Chat at any time of day or night. Messages are not monitored 24/7 and messages may not be responded to immediately. Expect that the moderator, a Vida coach, will respond within 1 business day or less. Moderators may rotate and a message directed to a specific coach may have a delayed response.
Moderators will provide suggestions that are intended to be relevant to a general audience. Any suggestions, recommendations, or strategies mentioned are not meant to replace or override a recommendation by a member’s treating physician. Moderators may at times provide information that conflicts with or is different than the Wellness Plan outlined by a member’s personal health coach and/or therapist. If a member would like to change their personal Wellness Plan, it is recommended that members discuss this with their personal coach and/or therapist to support the best outcomes.
Email support@vida.com with any questions or concerns.