Banning explanations
Below are some common offenses which could result in a PlayStation®Network account 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 Sony Entertainment Network account information in order to obtain access to another person's PlayStation Network account. 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 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 SIEA Representative
• Offender made comments or created an account ID that could cause other users to believe that they were an SIEA 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.