Gaijin Community Guidelines: Military Restrictions
THESE MILITARY RESTRICTIONS CONSTITUTE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES AVAILABLE AT LEGAL.GAIJIN.NET/COMMUNITYGUIDELINES, AND BOTH SHALL BE INTERPRETED AND APPLIED TOGETHER.
IN BRIEF: You are prohibited from publishing any Classified information, Export-restricted military-technical data, or other defense-related information as specified in Section 2.3 below (collectively referred to as “Restricted Information”). Some of the points below will help you determine whether the information you intend to post on Gaijin's Website(s) is allowed for distribution, but please read these rules carefully and thoroughly.
I. If the information originates from military-technical documents or materials produced more than 30 years before the intended publication date, and/or from any documents, files, content, or other media containing a confidentiality (classification) designation, such information is likely to be considered Classified unless there is clear and convincing evidence of public disclosure (declassification).
II. Regardless of whether the information to be published is classified, you must refrain from distributing any information reasonably considered Export-restricted military-technical data.
III. Information not covered by Sections 2.2.1-2.2.3 is likely to be restricted unless one of the following applies:
(1) You provide the source of the information, and that source is one of the types listed in Section 2.2.4;
(2) You have exercised due diligence (e.g., carefully reviewing the relevant documentation or other materials), and, after doing so, you have no evidence that the information you intend to publish is subject to restrictions on distribution or disclosure (for example, materials containing export-restricted data usually have relevant disclaimers or designations, or the restrictive nature may be inferred from the context of the materials);
(3) The information does not fall under the scope of the definition of "military-technical data" provided below. and/or
(4) You provide other reasonable evidence that the information does not pertain to Restricted Information.
For this Military Restrictions Section, "Military-Technical Data" refers to any information required for the design, development, production, manufacture, assembly, operation, repair, testing, maintenance, or modification of defense articles (military vehicles, equipment, etc.), excluding Classified information as described in Section 2.1 below and information on unpublished military inventions or software as specified in Section 2.3 below. This data explicitly includes blueprints, drawings, photographs, plans, instructions, and documentation.
1. GENERAL RULE
Users must not violate applicable laws regarding state secrets (such as the Russian Federation State Secrets Law of July 21, 1993, No. 5485-1, the Official Secrets Acts 1911-1989 in the UK, US President EO 13526 of December 29, 2009, the Interministerial General Instruction № 1300 in France, etc.) or export regulations (such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations in the USA, China’s Export Control Law, Russian Federal Law “on state regulation of foreign economic activity” dated October 13, 1995, No. 157-FZ, etc.) by publishing any texts, documents, images, recordings, videos, files, or other content that pertain to military classified information, including technical data, or any other types of government secrets or confidential information that are prohibited from disclosure, export, or distribution (“Restricted Information”), under any contract or law in any country, and that has not yet been adequately declassified or disclosed.
Users must fully consider these laws and regulations and take all necessary precautions to ensure compliance. Unauthorized disclosure of the abovementioned information may lead to criminal prosecution and liability.
2. RESTRICTED INFORMATION
2.1. The following information shall be deemed Restricted Information under these Guidelines:
Classified Information. Documents with a classification level (including but not limited to "Secret," "Confidential," and "Classified") may only be published if they have been officially declassified. Generally, such documents are declassified after a certain period, allowing their safe and unrestricted use. However, it is essential to note that the mere passage of time does not automatically lead to declassification unless explicitly ordered by competent public authorities.
Under no circumstances are Users permitted to publish technical documents on Gaijin's Website(s) produced less than 30 years before the publication date unless otherwise specified by applicable laws. Documents produced more recently cannot be published unless there is clear and documented evidence that they have been declassified.
2.2. Military-Technical Data. Users are prohibited from publishing or distributing military-technical data if the laws or regulations of any country restrict its disclosure.
However, Users are allowed to publish information or content that falls under any of the following categories:
2.2.1. Common technical information (e.g., general scientific, mathematical, or engineering principles typically taught in educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities).
2.2.2. Marketing information published by or on behalf of the manufacturer (e.g., publicly available brochures, information from the manufacturer's websites, and other marketing materials).
2.2.3. General system descriptions, including basic functionality details of vehicles, weapons, or equipment derived from common engineering principles (e.g., features like the range of a weapon's scope, basic mechanics of night-vision equipment, etc.).
2.2.4. Information or content that is based on, and properly cited from, the following sources:
- Websites of manufacturers of military equipment/weapons (and other related products).
- Official government websites and portals or other government sources (e.g., speeches, statements, letters) related to documents produced by the state.
- Public conferences, forums, exhibitions, etc.
- Documents held in national public libraries.
- Literature legally sold or otherwise available to the public.
- Legally published media materials.
- Official publications, including scientific publications.
- Information or content that does not fall under the above categories but cannot reasonably be considered export-restricted military-technical data by the laws of the applicable jurisdiction.
- Information that is otherwise permissible under this Military Restrictions Section.
2.3. Other Export-Restricted Information. Users are also prohibited from distributing the following articles:
2.3.1 Any kind of information related to unpublished military inventions;
2.3.2 Military software, including software intended to design, implement, test, operate, diagnose, or repair military vehicles, equipment, or other defense articles; and/or
2.3.3 Any other article restricted from export or other distribution by Section 2 of these Guidelines.
3. USER’S OBLIGATIONS REGARDING RESTRICTED INFORMATION
If the User publishes documentation that may reasonably be deemed as Restricted Information under this Military Restrictions Section or has been previously regarded as such, then in that case, the User must provide sufficient evidence that the information no longer falls within the scope of Restricted Information as defined above (e.g., a valid source from the list specified in Section 2.2.4 above, a statement of declassification, etc.), or otherwise prove the legality of their publication.
The Administration strongly recommends specifying the source of each article published.
Users, under no circumstances, shall modify or alter any technical documentation before publication to misrepresent, deceive, or otherwise confuse the Administration and other Users regarding the classified or confidential status of such information (for example, by painting over or deleting the classification brief, adding declassification marks without proper authorization, or other alterations, including using specialized software).
Users must exercise due diligence when handling military or government documentation and data on Gaijin’s Website(s). This includes checking the document for classification designations and ensuring no unauthorized changes have been made to conceal the classification status (e.g., blurring or deleting confidentiality disclaimers).
ATTENTION. If there are reasonable grounds to believe that you have failed to comply with the rules of this Military Restrictions Section, or if your post contains Restricted Information or other content prohibited from distribution, the Administration may, at its sole discretion, remove it. Your Gaijin account may sometimes be suspended or permanently banned (e.g., if repeated or severe violations occur).
Last updated: June 02, 2025