Abuse reporting and response policy
How to submit an actionable report, how evidence is assessed, and what proportionate mitigation and review look like.
Pre-launch notice
Paid domain registration is not yet available. This policy describes the current website and the operating rules Honk is preparing for launch. Commercial terms, legal-entity details, launch markets, and any jurisdiction-specific notices will be finalized before checkout opens.
Plain-language note
These pages are operational drafts, not a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer. Nothing here limits rights that cannot lawfully be limited.
What to report here
Use the public abuse route for harmful use of a domain managed through Honk, including phishing, malware, botnets, pharming, compromised domains, serious fraud, and child-safety concerns. General support, billing, transfer, and account questions belong at the contact desk.
What makes a report actionable
- The exact domain and complete abusive URL, not only a screenshot or brand name.
- The behavior observed, when it occurred, and whether harm is ongoing or imminent.
- Safe evidence such as headers, redirects, hashes, or reproducible steps.
- A working reporter email so investigators can ask focused follow-up questions.
- For authority requests, verifiable agency identity and the legal process or emergency basis where applicable.
Triage and investigation
Honk validates the domain relationship, checks for duplicates, assesses evidence and urgency, preserves a decision record, and distinguishes DNS abuse from hosting content, customer support, intellectual-property disputes, and legal demands.
Priority is based on credible imminent harm and evidence—not the number or notoriety of reporters. An incomplete report may be referred, closed with a reason, or held pending more information.
Mitigation
Where a report is actionable and within scope, Honk may seek customer remediation, restrict relevant account functions, preserve or lock domain state, or escalate to the upstream registrar, registry, service provider, or competent authority. The chosen action should be prompt, technically effective, proportionate, and within the authority available to Honk.
No report automatically suspends a domain. Emergency temporary measures may be used when credible evidence indicates immediate serious harm.
Confidentiality and notice
Reporter contact information is kept confidential by default but may be disclosed when necessary for investigation, legal process, or fairness. Where lawful and safe, the registrant will receive enough information to understand and remediate the issue.
Do not send passwords, private keys, full payment data, or illegal imagery. Child-safety reports should include only safe location and context and should also be directed to the competent authority in the reporter's country.
Review and records
Affected customers may provide context or request review through support. Restrictions remain where necessary during review. Honk will retain intake, evidence summaries, decisions, actions, and communications for the period required by provider obligations and applicable law, then delete or de-identify records under the final retention schedule.