Section 1: Introduction

Microsoft Start provides access to content across multiple services and devices from thousands of premium publishers and creators from all over the world. We aim to provide a trusted, safe, and highly engaging experience suitable for users of any age. We welcome a broad spectrum of thoughtful and engaging viewpoints. Still, we need to ensure that the content we present meets our standards.

We judge content based on criteria that include transparency and adherence to media industry best practices and our publishing guidelines. We do not address or judge political stance or decide what is true.

Below you will find Microsoft Start’s standards for all content on our site. Microsoft Start uses both automation and humans to review content. Content submitted for publication that does not meet these standards will be taken down and removed from our platforms.

Section 2: Before You Get Started

To be considered for inclusion in the Microsoft Start experience, you should first be familiar with and adhere to the core principles which guide our content experiences.

All content published on MSN must adhere to the Microsoft guidelines and policies. The auto-publishing feature allows content to be ingested and published automatically if it complies with Microsoft News content publishing rules. For serious guideline violations, excessive violations, technical issues such as incomplete content, or other problems with a feed that could lead to escalations, the auto-publishing feature can be disabled meaning all content will no longer be published automatically in a particular feed. In addition, repeat infringement of copyrights by your content will result in termination of your license agreement. Please review the Auto-Publishing Requirements and the Publishing Content Guidelines for further information on prohibited content that could lead to disabling auto-publishing or control-listing a feed. If a feed has been control-listed and an underlying issue is addressed, the feed and content can be reviewed to determine if auto-publishing can be enabled again by contacting [email protected].

Section 3: Privacy

Microsoft Start will respect user privacy and personal data. View our Microsoft Privacy Policy here.

Section 4: Overview of Prohibited Content

Partners must refrain from posting the following prohibited content. More information is available in Prohibited Content.

• Sexually explicit content
• Gratuitous images and/or descriptions of violence
• Hate Speech
• Child Sexual Exploitation or Abuse
• Bullying & Harassment (this could include public figures)
• Hoaxes, false information, propaganda, and deliberate misinformation.
• Misinformation about the following topics:
  • COVID-19
  • QAnon conspiracy theory
  • Russia-Ukraine conflict
  • Monkeypox
  • School Shootings
  • US 2020 election
• Suicide and self-harm content: Microsoft recognizes that suicide and self-harm are significant social and public health challenges, particularly among teens. While we do allow content on these topics, we do not allow content that promotes or glorifies suicide or self-harm.
• Clickbait tactics focused on shocking topics, sensationalist headlines that exaggerate and use hyperbole/inflammatory language to grab attention and/or excitable punctuation ****(e.g. exclamation points), stories that exaggerate the impact of a minor or insignificant event, or misrepresent the actual information contained in the article.