Community Guidelines

Redpanda is a dynamic network of communities that are built, managed, and participated in by you, our users.

Within these communities, you can post, comment, react, share ideas, engage in debates, offer support, and connect with others who share your passions. We encourage you to explore, participate in, or even create your own space on Redpanda.

Although some communities might not resonate with you, no community should be used as a tool for harm. Communities should foster inclusivity and belonging, not undermine it. Likewise, everyone on Redpanda has an inherent right to privacy and safety, so it’s crucial that we all respect one another’s boundaries and personal space.

Each community on Redpanda is shaped by its members. The tone and behavior within each community are influenced both by explicit guidelines enforced by its members, as well as the collective actions and discussions of its participants. Please follow the community guidelines of the spaces you engage with and avoid disrupting those you are not a part of.

In addition to community-specific rules, there are overarching guidelines that apply to everyone on Redpanda. These are enforced by us, the admins.

Redpanda, along with its diverse communities, exists because of the collective effort of everyone involved. For it to thrive, we must all adhere to a shared set of principles. We ask that you not only follow the letter of these guidelines but also embrace their spirit.

Guidelines

Sexual Content

We limit the presentation of nudity or explicit sexual content to ensure that we respect the sensitivities of our diverse community members, who may have different cultural perspectives or age-related considerations.

As part of this policy, we remove images or videos that feature real or AI-generated nudity and sexual acts, including digitally created visuals, even if they resemble real-life depictions.

Violent or Repulsive Content

To safeguard users from unsettling material, we remove content that is excessively violent or graphic, such as videos showing dismemberment, internal organs, or burned bodies. We also remove content that includes cruel comments about imagery portraying the suffering of both humans and animals.

Hateful or Abusive Conduct

We believe that individuals can express themselves more openly and connect better when they aren’t subjected to attacks based on their identity. That’s why we don’t tolerate hateful conduct on Redpanda.

Hateful conduct is defined as any verbal or written attack targeting individuals based on specific characteristics: race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or serious illness. We also consider age as a characteristic when it is combined with any of the above attributes. Additionally, certain words or phrases may be considered proxies for these traits, depending on regional differences in interpretation.

We take action against speech that dehumanizes others, includes unfounded accusations of criminality or immoral behavior, or uses slurs. We also remove harmful stereotypes—those degrading comparisons historically used to oppress or intimidate certain groups and often linked to real-world violence. Any language that expresses hatred, contempt, or disgust, or encourages exclusion or segregation based on someone’s identity is also prohibited.

We understand that some users may share content that includes slurs or offensive language in order to critique or report on it. There are instances where slurs or otherwise offensive speech are used self-referentially or in a way that is meant to empower. In these cases, we allow such speech when the speaker’s intent is clear. If the intent is unclear, we may decide to remove the content.

Occasionally, people use sex- or gender-specific language when discussing topics like access to spaces limited by gender or sex, such as restrooms, certain professions, or specific healthcare and support services. This may also include discussions on political or religious issues, such as transgender rights, immigration, or homosexuality topics. Sometimes, people may use offensive language in the context of personal relationships or break-ups. Our guidelines are designed to permit these types of expression within appropriate boundaries.

Harassment or Bullying

Harassment and bullying can take many forms, from making threats or sharing private information to sending intimidating messages or making harmful, unsolicited contact. We do not tolerate these behaviors on Redpanda, as they create an environment where people feel unsafe and disrespected.

We differentiate between public figures and private individuals to balance the right to discuss and criticize those who are publicly known, such as those in the news or with a large following. For public figures, we remove severe attacks, especially those where the individual is directly mentioned in a post or comment. Public figures include government officials, political candidates, people with over a million followers on social media, and those who receive significant media attention.

When it comes to private individuals, we take further action to protect them. We remove content aimed at humiliating or degrading a person, such as making harmful claims about their sexual behavior.

The context and intention behind the content matter. We allow users to post and share content if it’s clear that the intention is to call out or condemn bullying and harassment. In some cases, we also require self-reporting to ensure that the person targeted feels harassed or bullied.

Harmful or Dangerous Acts

To help prevent real-world harm and discourage imitation behavior, we do not allow individuals to facilitate, organize, promote, or admit involvement in criminal or harmful actions aimed at people, businesses, property, or animals. While we support healthy debate on the legality of such activities, as well as raising awareness of harmful or criminal actions people might encounter, we draw the line at advocating for or coordinating harm.

Misinformation

Misinformation is treated differently from other types of speech outlined in our Community Guidelines because it’s challenging to create an all-encompassing list of what should be prohibited. For example, with graphic violence or hateful conduct, we can clearly define the content we ban, and even those who disagree with the policies can still follow them. Misinformation, however, is not as straightforward. The world is constantly changing, and what is true today might not be true tomorrow. Additionally, people have varying levels of understanding and may believe something that is actually false. A simple ban on “misinformation” would not be practical or fair, as it would be difficult to define and enforce given our limited access to information.

Instead of prohibiting misinformation outright, our policies focus on specific categories of it and offer clear guidance on how we address it. For each type, our approach seeks to balance the values of free expression, safety, dignity, authenticity, and privacy.

We remove misinformation that poses a direct risk of immediate physical harm. We also take down content that may interfere with political processes and their functioning.

For all other types of misinformation, we aim to reduce its spread or create an environment that encourages productive conversations. We understand that misinformation can sometimes be harmless, like exaggerating a point (“This team has the worst record ever!”) or using it in humor or satire (“My husband just won Husband of the Year”). People may also share stories that contain some inaccuracies or offer personal opinions that others might consider false, or share information they believe to be true but others see as misleading.

Given how often this kind of content occurs, our focus is on providing users with useful information when a post may be misleading or unclear. Our “Notes” feature allows people to add context to posts that could be confusing or potentially deceptive.

Additionally, we ban behaviors and content related to practices that often contribute to the spread of misinformation, such as fake accounts, fraud, and coordinated inauthentic behavior.

As both online and offline environments continue to evolve, we will update our policies accordingly. Accounts that repeatedly share misinformation will, in addition to having their content enforced on in accordance with this policy, be removed from our platforms.

Child Abuse

We have a strict policy against content or actions that sexually exploit or put children at risk. While we understand that some people may share intimate images of their own children with good intentions, we typically remove these posts to prevent potential misuse or exploitation by others. Our goal is to protect children from harm and reduce the risk of such images being repurposed or misused.

Promotes Terrorism

To help prevent real-world harm and disrupt violent activities, we do not allow individuals or organizations with violent agendas or who are actively engaged in violence to maintain a presence on our platform.

We understand that users may sometimes share content that mentions dangerous individuals or groups, particularly in the context of political or social discussions. This includes content that reports on, neutrally discusses, or condemns these groups and individuals or their activities.

News reporting may include sharing information about events involving dangerous individuals or organizations to raise awareness about local and global issues.

Example: “Breaking news: Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack in Somalia”
Example: “Timeline and expert analysis: How the shooting at the Buffalo Supermarket unfolded and what the perpetrator said in court”

Neutral discussion consists of factual statements, analysis, or commentary that do not express support for or approval of the violent behavior of these groups or individuals.

Example: “Al Qaeda represents less threat than ISIS due to the lack of leadership and funding”
Example: “Anders Breivik is an example of how the radicalization process can be complex”

Condemnation includes any expression of disapproval, criticism, disgust, or mockery regarding a dangerous individual or organization and their actions.

Example: “I am disgusted by the crime committed by Salvador Ramos. The judge’s words were so impactful, and he deserves no mercy from the court”
Example: “Hitler’s atrocities should never be forgotten. These were among the darkest moments in history”

Our policies are designed to allow for these types of discussions while minimizing the risk of offline harm. We require users to be clear about their intent when posting or sharing such content. If the intent is unclear or ambiguous, we will remove the content.

Spam or Misleading Content

We do not permit content created to deceive, mislead, or overwhelm users with the goal of artificially boosting viewership. Such content undermines the ability of individuals to engage meaningfully on our platform and can compromise the security, stability, and overall user experience of our services. We also work to prevent harmful tactics like spreading deceptive links that trick users into clicking on misleading content, or impersonating trusted sources.

Our platform is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of all users. We prioritize safeguarding your identity and data, and we do not permit the sharing of specific types of personal or confidential information, whether it’s about yourself or others.

We remove content that discloses, requests, or offers personally identifiable information, or other private details that could result in physical or financial harm. This includes sensitive financial, residential, and medical data, as well as information obtained through illegal means. We understand that private information can sometimes become public through news reports, court documents, press releases, or other channels. In these cases, we may allow the information to be posted.

Impersonation

Authenticity is essential to our community. We believe it fosters an environment where individuals are accountable to one another and to Redpanda in meaningful ways. While we support diverse expressions of identity across our global community, we are committed to preventing impersonation and the misrepresentation of identities. To maintain a safe and trustworthy space where people can build connections, we do not permit the creation of accounts or profiles intended to deceive others.