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CBS News Community Guidelines & FAQ

The CBS News Community was created to facilitate interesting and insightful discussions about people, issues and events in the news. When commenting on our stories, or replying to comments posted by others in the community, please follow these guidelines:

  • Stay on topic.
  • Respect each other's opinions. If you disagree with a comment, feel free to respectfully and politely challenge that comment in a civil manner. Do not engage in personal attacks (including name-calling) on fellow commenters, CBS News staff, or article authors.
  • Don't be offensive. Do not use profanity or post comments that are: libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, harassing, or threatening; that contain viruses or other contaminating or destructive features; or that violate the rights of others, such as content that infringes any copyright, trademark, patent, or trade secret, or violates any right of privacy or publicity, or otherwise violates any applicable law.
  • Don't try to advertise. Do not post comments that contain spam, advertisements, business/self promotional content, campaigns, recruitments, or signature links. If you would like to advertise on any CBS News digital properties, relevant information can be found on our Advertising page.
  • Keep it legal. Do not violate any laws or to discuss illegal activities.
  • Respect people's privacy. Do not share another person's personal information.
  • Please note: CBS News reserves the right to delete or edit comments that are deemed to not follow stated community guidelines, and to block community participants who repeatedly break these rules. We also reserve the right to republish comments posted on this site and related CBS Interactive sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to register to submit a comment?

You must complete a free one-time registration to be able to post a comment on an article, or reply to a comment. To register, simply click on "Log In" top right of the commenting area at the bottom of articles, or simply type your comment and click on the "Sign Up to Post" button located below the commenting field. You will then be prompted to log in using Facebook, Google or Twitter credentials to create a Spot.IM account. Please note that any existing login credentials you may have had with CBS News previously cannot be used to comment, so you will need to create a brand new Spot.IM account to be able to use our new commenting feature.

For security purposes, if you used Google to sign up, you will need to verify your email address, so a confirmation email will be sent to you immediately with a prompt to activate your account. Your comment will then be posted to the article. If you don't immediately see your comment, it may be because it is being reviewed and approval is pending. Only approved comments that follow the CBS News Community Guidelines will be posted to an article.

Do I have to be logged in to submit a comment?

Yes, you must be logged in to be able to post comments or reply to comments.

Can I edit or delete my comment after it has been submitted?

After you have posted a comment, you can edit or remove your comment by clicking on the arrow top right on each comment (mouse over or tap the comment to see it). This gives you the option to Edit or Delete.

How will I know if someone has replied to or liked one of my comments?

You will automatically receive an email notification if someone replies to your comment or up-votes your comment. You can see the notifications received by clicking on the bell icon next to your username when you are logged in.

How to follow/unfollow a discussion, or stop receiving email notifications:

You can edit your notification settings on your profile page. Click on your username in the comment section to access Settings.

How do I flag an inappropriate or offensive comment?

Clicking on the arrow top right on each comment added by another user (mouse over or tap the comment to see it). This gives you the option to Report that comment.

How do I share a comment on Facebook or Twitter?

You can share a comment on Facebook or Twitter by clicking on the "Share" link under each comment. 

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