Below are some common offenses which could result in an account on PlayStation™Network or system to be banned. You may be banned for other reasons not listed below.

Modified System Software
Offender has or is using altered or unofficial system software. To make sure you have the latest system software, make sure your system is connected to the Internet and choose the "System Update" option under Settings.

Modified Hardware
Offender's system has been modified either physically or via software.

Reversal of Charges
A console or account may be banned due to having a credit card charge reversed or "chargeback" resulting in debt. A chargeback can include credit card theft, identity theft, or non-approved use.

Share/Hijack Account
Sharing personal PlayStation™Network information in order to obtain access to another person's account on PlayStation™Network. Changing another person's email address, and/or password without their permission in order to gain and control access to an account. Offender attempted to use or take content they did not pay for.

Offensive Images or Audio
Offender posted images or broadcasted audio that contained obscenities, profanity or was otherwise in violation of the PSN Terms of Service.

Exploiting a Game Glitch
Exploiting any issue/environment, not intended to be accessible, to give oneself an unfair advantage in online play.

Verbal/Text Abuse
Offender was verbally abusive in some way, often including the use of profanity, verbal threats or insults, or otherwise offensive or inappropriate language. This can be either via verbal or text comments.

Hate Speech
Offender used hateful language that attacks or disparages a person or group, based on characteristics of a certain group, including (but not limited to) race/ethnicity, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

Your Personal Information
Offender revealed personal contact information about themselves in a public area, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or physical addresses.

Another Person's Personal Information
Offender revealed personal information about someone else in a public area, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or physical addresses.

Abuse of Grief Reporting Function
Offender misused the grief reporting system by filing false reports against another user, or filing an excessive number of unverifiable or redundant reports in a brief amount of time.

Impersonating Another User
Offender created an account with close similarity to an existing user, with perceived intentions to impersonate the other user without their consent.

Spamming
Offender excessively posted the same word or phrase, or gibberish to the annoyance of others.

Grooming
Offender encouraged other users to commit inappropriate or illegal acts in-game or the real world.

Sexual Harassment
Offender made sexually implied or explicit comments or performed actions that had definite sexual overtones, whether welcomed or not.

Account Scamming
Offender tried to persuade another user to share account information, including but not limited to logins, passwords, bank accounts, credit card information, etc. by any means possible.

Impersonating an SIE Representative
Offender made comments or created an account ID that could cause other users to believe that they were an SIE representative or have similar authority.

Child Protection
Offender made comments, sent PMs (Private Messages), or created an ID relating to inappropriate behavior toward children, including physical or sexual abuse and pornography.

Inappropriate Online ID
Offender created an ID that was deemed inappropriate in some way, including but not limited to containing profanity, sexual references, or hate speech language.

Team Killing
Offender killed his own team off in a multi-player network game.

Cheat Codes
Offender used a secret code to gain an advantage in gameplay or shared codes that give an advantage in gameplay.

Voice Communication Blocking
Offender purposely uses sound to disrupt voice chat for others.

Uploading Pornographic or Obscene Image
Offender either uploaded or created an offensive image either as part of a game or attached to a PM (Private Message).

Community Standards Abuse
An act that breaks the various agreements required to be accepted to access and use anything on the PlayStation™Network that is not defined by other offenses.

Cheating
Doing or utilizing anything that gives the player a greater advantage than is intended for normal gameplay.

False Registration Information
Offender created an account with false information (email address, date of birth, name, address, etc).

Fraud
A console and/or account may be banned if it is associated with fraudulent purchases. (Credit card theft, identity theft or non-approved use by family or friends).

Disrupting a Game
Offender was caught doing something that disrupts another user playing a mini-game.