🛡️ Safety & Moderation

1. What Pryde Is

Pryde is a queer-centred social space designed for genuine connection, not clout-chasing or viral content. We prioritise calm, meaningful interactions over engagement metrics and algorithmic pressure.

• A community for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies
• A space where you control your experience
• A platform that respects your privacy and boundaries
• A calm alternative to attention-economy social media

2. What Pryde Is Not

• We are not a dating app
• We are not an emergency service
• We do not track engagement for algorithms
• We do not sell your data or show you ads
• We do not use shadow-banning or hidden penalties

3. Staying Safe Online

• Don't share personal information (address, phone number, financial details)
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Be cautious about meeting people in person
• Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, it probably is
• Report suspicious behavior

4. LGBTQ+ Safety Tips

• Control your privacy settings
• Only share what you're comfortable with
• Block users who make you uncomfortable
• Report hate speech or harassment immediately
• You are not obligated to disclose your identity to anyone
• Use Quiet Mode to hide metrics and reduce social pressure

🧘 Quiet Mode for Mental Health

Quiet Mode is a safety feature designed to reduce social anxiety and pressure:

• Hides all reaction counts and metrics
• Provides a calmer, less competitive browsing experience
• Reduces comparison and FOMO (fear of missing out)
• Helps protect mental health and wellbeing

Enable Quiet Mode in Settings → Privacy → Quiet Mode

5. Crisis Support

If you're in crisis:

🇦🇺 Australia

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (mental health support)
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (ages 5-25)

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Specific Resources (Australia)

• QLife: 1800 184 527 (LGBTQ+ peer support, 3pm-midnight daily)
• QLife Webchat: qlife.org.au
• Switchboard Victoria: 1800 184 527 (LGBTIQ+ support)
• Transgender Victoria: (03) 9020 4675

🌍 International Crisis Support

• US: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• US: Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line)
• UK: 116 123 (Samaritans)
• Trevor Project (US LGBTQ+ youth): 1-866-488-7386
• Trans Lifeline (US/Canada): 1-877-565-8860

📋 For a comprehensive list of helplines worldwide, visit our Global Helplines page.

6. How to Block & Report

🚫 How to Block

To block a user:

• Go to their profile
• Click the three-dot menu (⋯)
• Select "Block User"
• Confirm

What blocking does:

• They can't see your posts or profile
• They can't message you
• You won't see their content
• They won't be notified

📢 How to Report

To report a post:

• Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the post
• Select "Report Post"
• Choose the reason
• Submit

To report a user:

• Go to their profile
• Click the three-dot menu (⋯)
• Select "Report User"
• Describe the issue

To report a message:

• Open the conversation
• Right-click or long-press the message
• Select "Report Message"
• Provide details

To report a Lounge message:

• Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the message in Lounge
• Select "Report Message"
• Choose the reason
• Submit

To report a GIF: Report the post or message containing the inappropriate GIF using the methods above.

7. How Reporting Works

Anyone can report content or behaviour that makes them uncomfortable. Here's what happens when you file a report:

1. You report: Click the menu (⋯) on a post, message, or profile
2. We review: A human moderator looks at the report
3. We decide: Based on context and our guidelines
4. We act: If needed, we take appropriate steps

8. What Admins Can and Cannot See

Transparency goes both ways. Here's exactly what is and isn't visible to different people on Pryde:

🔒 Other Users Cannot See:

• Reports you file
• Reports filed against you
• Group moderation logs (who was muted or removed)
• Any moderation actions taken on your account
• How many times you've been reported (if any)

🔐 Admins Cannot See:

• Your private messages (unless reported)
• Your private journal entries
• Group content (unless they are members or content is reported)

📋 Admins Can See (for safety purposes):

• Reported content that's flagged for review
• Public posts and profile information
• Basic account activity for security (login times, not content)

9. What Happens If Something Goes Wrong

We approach moderation as care and protection, not punishment.

When we receive reports, we review them carefully and may:

• Remove harmful content to protect the community
• Issue private warnings with guidance
• Temporarily restrict access to certain features (Lounge, reactions, messaging)
• Temporarily suspend accounts
• Permanently ban accounts for severe violations

Severe violations (CSAM, credible threats, hate speech, targeted harassment) result in immediate permanent bans.

Our goal is to keep everyone safe while giving people room to learn and grow.

10. Groups Are Self-Moderated

Groups on Pryde are private, self-governed communities. Here's how group moderation works:

• Group owners set the rules: Each group can have its own boundaries and expectations
• Group actions stay in the group: Being muted or removed from a group does NOT affect your global Pryde account
• Admins don't interfere: Platform admins only step in if content violates sitewide rules or is reported
• You can always leave: Leaving a group resets any group-specific restrictions

Think of groups like separate rooms — what happens in one doesn't follow you to another.

11. We Are Not Mandated Reporters

Pryde Social is a hobby-operated platform. We are not mandated reporters and do not automatically forward user issues to authorities.

However: We may report severe violations (CSAM, credible threats, illegal activity) to law enforcement when necessary.

12. Data & Privacy Transparency

We believe you should know exactly what we track (and don't track):

✅ What We Log:

• Login sessions and security events (for your account safety)
• Basic error logs (to fix bugs)
• Report history (to handle moderation)

❌ What We Do NOT Track:

• Engagement scores or "shadow metrics"
• How long you spend on posts
• Your scrolling or browsing patterns
• Data for advertising or targeting

📊 Data Retention:

• Security logs: ~90 days
• Report history: Kept while relevant, then anonymised
• Deleted content: Removed within 30 days

13. Contact