Content Policy

This Content Policy outlines what is and is not allowed on Gecker. Our goal is to create a platform where users can engage in authentic conversation, share ideas, and build communities while maintaining safety, respect, and legal compliance.

Gecker employs a community-driven moderation system. All users share responsibility for maintaining community standards by reporting content that violates this policy. Tree moderators have additional tools to manage their communities and enforce community-specific rules.

Violations of this Content Policy may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent ban. We reserve the right to take action on content or accounts that we determine, in our sole discretion, violate the spirit of this policy even if not explicitly listed.

To understand our Content Policy, it's important to understand how Gecker's unique community structure works:

2.1 Community Organization

• Trees: Public communities where users gather around shared interests. Any user can create a Tree and become its moderator. Tree moderators can set community-specific rules, remove content, and ban users from their Tree.
• Yards: Your personal Tree showing all your posts. Every user has exactly one Yard that serves as their personal profile feed.
• Gardens: Verified business communities that require admin approval. Gardens have stricter advertising disclosure requirements.
• Forests: Custom combinations of multiple Trees you create to organize your feed.
• Arboreta: Custom combinations of Gardens for business content.
• Dens: Private group messaging spaces for 2-100 members. Single-member Dens are called "Notebooks."

2.2 Content Visibility

• Public Content: Posts in Trees and Yards are visible to all subscribers
• Private Content: Messages in Dens are only visible to Den members
• Friends-Only: Posts can be marked friends-only, restricting visibility
• NSFW Content: Must be properly tagged and is restricted to users 18+

2.3 Moderation Structure

Gecker uses a three-tier moderation system:

• Community Moderation: All users can report content that violates this policy
• Tree Moderators: Manage their specific Trees with custom rules (cannot override this policy)
• Platform Administrators: Enforce this Content Policy platform-wide and handle severe violations

The following types of content are strictly prohibited on Gecker and will result in immediate action, including potential account termination and reporting to law enforcement:

3.1 Illegal Content

• Content that violates local, state, federal, or international law
• Promotion or facilitation of illegal activities
• Copyright infringement or intellectual property violations
• Sale of illegal goods or services (drugs, weapons, stolen items, etc.)
• Instructions for creating weapons, explosives, or dangerous substances

3.2 Child Safety

• Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of any kind
• Sexualization of minors, including drawn or animated content
• Solicitation of minors for sexual purposes
• Content that facilitates or encourages child exploitation
• Sharing personal information about minors without parental consent

3.3 Violence and Threats

• Threats of violence against individuals or groups
• Incitement to violence or encouraging self-harm
• Content glorifying or promoting terrorism or violent extremism
• Graphic violence intended to shock or disturb (must be marked NSFW if newsworthy)
• Instructions on how to harm others or commit violent acts
• Encouraging or organizing violent events

3.4 Harassment and Bullying

• Targeted harassment, bullying, or sustained unwelcome contact
• Doxxing - sharing personal information without consent (addresses, phone numbers, SSN, etc.)
• Encouraging others to harass specific individuals ("brigading")
• Impersonation intended to harm, deceive, or harass
• Non-consensual intimate images ("revenge porn")
• Deadnaming or misgendering individuals with intent to harass

3.5 Hate Speech and Discrimination

• Content promoting hate, violence, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or age
• Use of slurs or dehumanizing language targeting protected groups
• Denial of well-documented violent events (Holocaust denial, genocide denial)
• Promoting hate groups or ideologies that advocate violence against protected groups

3.6 Spam and Manipulation

• Spam - repetitive, low-quality, or off-topic content
• Vote manipulation or artificial engagement (bots, purchased upvotes, etc.)
• Creating multiple accounts to evade bans or manipulate content
• Malware, viruses, or malicious links
• Phishing attempts or fraudulent schemes
• Misleading or deceptive content intended to deceive users

2.7 Sexual Content Restrictions

• Non-consensual sexual content (voyeurism, upskirt photos, etc.)
• Offering or soliciting sexual services (prostitution, escort services)
• Content involving minors in sexual situations (see Section 3.2)
• Sexually explicit content must be marked NSFW and restricted to 18+ users

3.8 Advertising and Commercial Content

• Advertisements, sponsored content, or promotional material (except in verified Gardens with disclosure)
• Affiliate marketing or referral links disguised as organic content
• Excessive self-promotion or link spam
• Selling access to Gecker accounts or invitations

3.9 Misinformation (Context-Dependent)

• Verifiably false information that poses imminent risk of physical harm (e.g., fake evacuation orders during emergencies)
• Medical misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm
• Election misinformation that interferes with voting (fake polling locations, incorrect dates)
• Manipulated media (deepfakes) presented as authentic without disclosure

Note: Gecker values free expression and does not generally police opinions or debatable claims. We intervene only when misinformation poses clear, imminent danger.

Beyond prohibited content, we expect all users to adhere to these community standards:

4.1 Respect and Civility

• Engage in good faith and respect differing opinions
• Avoid personal attacks, name-calling, or hostile behavior
• Disagree respectfully - attack ideas, not people
• Accept moderation decisions gracefully

4.2 Authenticity

• Use one account per person (no sock puppets or alts for manipulation)
• Do not impersonate others (parody accounts must be clearly labeled)
• Disclose conflicts of interest when relevant
• Do not engage in coordinated inauthentic behavior

4.3 Quality Contributions

• Stay on-topic within trees and respect community rules
• Contribute meaningfully - avoid low-effort spam or trolling
• Use appropriate NSFW tags for adult content
• Credit sources and original creators when sharing content

4.4 Tree-Specific Rules

Individual trees (communities) may establish additional rules beyond this Content Policy. When participating in a tree, you agree to follow both this Content Policy and any tree-specific rules set by moderators. Tree rules cannot contradict or override this Content Policy.

Gecker employs a community-driven, tiered enforcement system:

5.1 Community Reporting

All users can report content they believe violates this policy. To report content:

• Click the "Report" button on any post or comment
• Select the violation type and provide context
• Reports are reviewed by the community and moderators
• False or malicious reports may result in action against the reporter

5.2 Auto-Hide System

Content is automatically hidden when:

• 50% threshold: Content reported by 50% or more of unique viewers is automatically hidden from public view
• Hidden content can still be viewed by clicking "Show hidden content"
• Auto-hidden content is flagged for moderator review

5.3 Shadow Ban

Content is shadow banned when:

• 70% threshold: Content reported by 70% or more of viewers
• Repeat violations: Content auto-hidden 5+ times within 24 hours
• Shadow banned content is only visible to the author
• User receives notification explaining the shadow ban
• Persistent shadow bans may lead to account suspension

5.4 Account Suspensions

Account suspensions follow a progressive discipline model:

• First offense: 1-hour suspension + warning
• Second offense: 3-hour suspension
• Third offense: 24-hour suspension
• Fourth offense: 1-week suspension
• Fifth offense: 1-month suspension
• Sixth offense: 1-year suspension
• Seventh offense: Permanent ban

Exceptions: Severe violations (CSAM, credible threats, doxxing) result in immediate permanent ban regardless of history.

5.5 Tree-Level Moderation

Tree moderators can:

• Remove posts or comments from their tree
• Ban users from their specific tree (does not affect other trees)
• Set custom tree rules (must not contradict this Content Policy)
• Pin important posts or announcements
• Approve or reject posts (if tree uses pre-approval)

Tree bans are independent of platform-wide suspensions. A user banned from a tree can still participate in other trees.

5.6 Administrator Actions

Gecker administrators may take action on content or accounts that:

• Violate this Content Policy
• Pose legal or safety risks to the platform or users
• Engage in coordinated manipulation or abuse
• Violate the spirit of this policy even if not explicitly listed

If you believe your content was removed or your account was suspended in error, you may appeal:

6.1 How to Appeal

• Tree-level actions: Contact the tree moderators via modmail
• Platform-wide actions: Email appeals@gecker.com with:
  • Your username
  • Description of the action taken
  • Why you believe the action was in error
  • Any relevant context or evidence

6.2 Appeal Review

• Appeals are reviewed within 7 business days
• You will receive an email with the decision and explanation
• Appeal decisions are final
• Repeat appeals for the same action will not be reviewed

6.3 Non-Appealable Actions

The following actions are not eligible for appeal:

• Bans for CSAM or child exploitation
• Bans for credible threats of violence
• Bans for doxxing or sharing non-consensual intimate images
• Actions taken to comply with legal requirements

Gecker respects intellectual property rights and complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Copyright Violations: Do not post content that infringes on others' copyrights. This includes:

• Unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted works
• Sharing copyrighted material without permission
• Linking to pirated content or circumvention tools

DMCA Takedown Notices: Copyright owners may submit DMCA takedown notices to dmca@gecker.com.

Designated Agent: DMCA notices should be sent to dmca@gecker.com.

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): If you encounter content that appears to involve child exploitation:

• Do not interact with the content (view, download, or share)
• Report immediately using the in-platform report button
• Email emergency@gecker.com with details (do not attach images)
• You may also report directly to NCMEC at CyberTipline.org

Imminent Threats: If you encounter credible threats of violence or harm:

• Contact local law enforcement immediately (call 911 in the US)
• Report to Gecker at emergency@gecker.com
• Use the in-platform report system

Other Illegal Content: Report using the standard reporting system or email legal@gecker.com for assistance.

To maintain a fair and authentic platform, the following activities are prohibited:

• Vote Manipulation: Using multiple accounts, bots, or services to artificially inflate or deflate votes
• Ban Evasion: Creating new accounts to circumvent suspensions or bans
• Automation: Using bots or scripts without explicit written permission
• Rate Limit Circumvention: Attempting to bypass post cooldowns or other technical limitations
• Account Trading: Selling, trading, or transferring accounts
• Invitation Abuse: Selling invitations or creating accounts to farm invitations

Content not suitable for users under 18 must be marked as NSFW (Not Safe For Work):

• Sexually explicit content
• Graphic violence or gore
• Extremely disturbing content
• Drug use depictions

NSFW Requirements:

• Mark posts and trees containing NSFW content appropriately
• NSFW content is restricted to users 18+
• Failure to mark NSFW content may result in suspension
• Trees with primarily NSFW content must mark the entire tree as NSFW

Media Restriction: Image and video uploads are currently disabled platform-wide. When media is enabled in the future, all NSFW media must be properly tagged.

We may update this Content Policy to address new issues, reflect community feedback, or clarify existing rules. When we make significant changes:

• We will notify users via email and a site-wide announcement
• The "Last Updated" date will be changed
• Changes take effect immediately unless otherwise stated
• Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

For questions, concerns, or to report violations of this Content Policy: