Community Guidelines

Our Philosophy

“We don't decide what you can see. You do.”

KnowYard exists to give communities a place to talk openly about what matters to them. We believe people are capable of deciding for themselves what to read, what to engage with, and what to ignore.

Our job is to build the tools that give you control over your own experience — not to curate what you see.

What Gets Removed

Only illegal content is removed from KnowYard. That means:

• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) — removed immediately and reported to NCMEC
• Credible threats of violence against specific people
• Doxxing — posting someone's private personal information without their consent
• Content subject to a valid court order
• Copyright violations under a valid DMCA notice

That is the complete list. There is no hidden content policy.

What Does Not Get Removed

The following will never be grounds for content removal on KnowYard:

• Unpopular opinions
• Strong language
• Controversial takes
• Criticism of public figures, businesses, or institutions
• Content that some people find offensive or disagreeable

If it is legal, it stays up. You are free to downvote it, reply to it, mute the user, or block the topic. Your experience is yours to control.

No Shadowbanning

KnowYard does not shadowban users. If your content is removed or your account is restricted, you will be told directly with a clear reason. Every moderation action is visible in the public mod log. No exceptions.

All Moderation Is Public

Every moderation action — content removal, user ban, warning — is recorded in the mod log with the following details:

• What action was taken
• Who took it
• Why it was taken
• When it happened

The mod log is accessible to every user. Moderation without accountability is censorship.

You Control Your Experience

Instead of deciding what you should and should not see, we give you the tools to decide for yourself:

• Mute users — hide all posts and comments from specific accounts
• Block users — prevent specific accounts from interacting with your content
• Mute words — filter out posts containing words or phrases you do not want to see
• Mute communities — hide entire communities from your feed
• Sensitivity controls — adjust your content sensitivity threshold

What Gets You Banned

Account bans are reserved for serious violations:

• Posting CSAM
• Doxxing other users
• Making credible threats of violence
• Operating spam bots or coordinated inauthentic behavior

Bans are not issued for opinions, tone, or being unpopular. Having a bad take is not a bannable offense.

What Does Not Get You Banned

• Unpopular opinions
• Strong language or profanity
• Controversial or provocative takes
• Disagreeing with moderators
• Criticizing the platform

Tea & Receipts Rules

KnowYard allows public callouts and accountability posts. But there are ground rules:

• Evidence is required — screenshots, links, or verifiable documentation must accompany any callout post
• No private information — home addresses, phone numbers, and other non-public personal details must be redacted
• Subjects can respond — the person or business being called out has every right to reply and present their side

Callout posts that include doxxing will be removed under our content removal policy above. Everything else stays up.

How to Report Content

If you see content that you believe violates these guidelines (CSAM, credible threats, doxxing, or court-ordered removal), you can report it using the report button on any post or comment. Reports are reviewed by the moderation team.

Do not use the report button for content you simply disagree with. That is what the downvote and mute buttons are for.

How to Appeal a Moderation Decision

If your content was removed or your account was restricted and you believe the decision was wrong, you can appeal:

• Check the mod log to see the reason for the action
• Email support@knowyard.com with your username and the details of the action you are appealing
• Appeals are reviewed within 48 hours and the outcome is posted to the mod log

Appeal decisions are final but are always made public for accountability.

Contact

Questions about these guidelines? Reach us at support@knowyard.com.