Community Standards

Where good takes action.

Last Updated: July 2026

The Word exists to bring a community together — residents, students, local businesses, nonprofits, and the people who want to make where they live a little better. That only works if this is a place people trust.

These Community Standards describe what we expect of everyone here and what you can expect from us. They apply to everything you do on The Word: posts, Moments, comments, messages, community pages, event listings, profiles, and how you treat the people you meet through the platform.

Who can be here

• You must be 13 or older to have an account on The Word. We do not knowingly allow children under 13, and we remove underage accounts when we find them.
• Be yourself. Use accurate information about who you are. One person, one account. Organizations should represent themselves honestly and be run by someone authorized to act for them.
• You are responsible for your account. Keep your login secure and don't share it. You're accountable for everything that happens under your account.

The spirit of The Word

Most of what we ask comes down to a few simple ideas:

• Be kind. Treat people the way you'd want a neighbor to treat you. Disagreement is fine; contempt and cruelty are not.
• Be real. Share honestly. Don't pretend to be someone you're not or spread things you know to be false.
• Be local and constructive. The Word is about building community, not tearing it down. Lead with the good you want to see.
• Look out for one another. If you see someone struggling or someone behaving badly, help or report it.

What's not allowed

The following are prohibited anywhere on The Word. This list isn't exhaustive — we may act on anything that undermines the safety or purpose of the community.

Harassment and bullying

No targeting people with insults, threats, unwanted repeated contact, humiliation, or coordinated pile-ons. This includes harassment of volunteers, organizers, business owners, and public-facing community members.

Hate speech

No attacks, slurs, dehumanization, or calls for exclusion based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, disease, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

Violence and threats

No threats of violence, incitement, glorification of violence, or content that promotes terrorism or organized hate or criminal groups. Credible threats to people's safety may be reported to law enforcement.

Child safety — zero tolerance

Adult and sexual content

The Word is a community platform used by minors. No pornography, sexually explicit material, or sexual solicitation. Keep content appropriate for a general, all-ages local audience.

Self-harm and dangerous behavior

No content that promotes, encourages, or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help — in the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. We may connect people who post concerning content with support resources.

Illegal and regulated activity

No using The Word to buy, sell, trade, or coordinate anything illegal — including drugs, weapons, stolen goods, or other regulated items — or to facilitate any illegal act.

Spam, scams, and deception

No spam, mass unsolicited messaging, fake engagement, phishing, pyramid or "get rich quick" schemes, or fraudulent fundraising. Nonprofits and businesses must represent their offerings, needs, and solicitations truthfully.

Impersonation and misrepresentation

Don't impersonate other people, organizations, or The Word itself. Don't misrepresent your affiliation with a cause, business, or public body. Parody or fan accounts, where allowed, must be clearly labeled.

Misinformation that causes harm

Don't share false information that could cause real-world harm — for example, about health, safety, emergencies, or how to participate in civic life. During local emergencies, follow guidance from official sources.

Privacy violations

Don't share other people's private or personal information without consent (addresses, phone numbers, financial details, etc.), and never "dox" or expose someone to threaten or intimidate them. Be especially careful with information about minors.

Intellectual property

Only post content you have the right to share. Respect copyrights, trademarks, and the work of others. We remove infringing content and may act on repeat infringers.

Extra care for young people

Minors are part of this community, and protecting them is a priority.

• Adults should never contact a minor for inappropriate reasons or attempt to move a conversation to a private or off-platform setting.
• Younger members' profiles and activity carry stronger privacy defaults.
• Report anything that makes a young person unsafe immediately — we treat these reports with the highest urgency.

If you are a young person and someone makes you uncomfortable: you did nothing wrong, you can block them, and you can tell a trusted adult and report it to us.

For nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations

Founding organizations and partners help set the tone here.

• Represent your organization, mission, events, and needs honestly.
• Use volunteer and donation requests in good faith — real needs, real organizations, transparent about where support goes.
• Don't use the platform primarily for spam, aggressive sales, or off-topic promotion. Contribute to the community, don't just extract from it.
• Honor your commitments to volunteers and community members.

Reporting, blocking, and what happens next

If you see something that violates these standards, tell us.

• Report any post, message, profile, comment, or community using the report option (the "⋯" or flag on the content). Reports are reviewed by our team.
• Block anyone you don't want to interact with. Blocking is private and immediate.
• Contact us directly at safety@theword.me for anything urgent or anything the in-app tools don't cover.

We aim to review reports promptly, and urgent safety reports are prioritized. Reports involving imminent danger to a person may be escalated to law enforcement.

What we may do

Depending on the severity and history, we may:

• Remove the content
• Issue a warning
• Limit account features
• Temporarily suspend an account
• Permanently ban an account and any related accounts

Some violations — especially those involving child safety, credible threats, or serious illegal activity — result in immediate permanent removal with no prior warning.

Appeals

If you believe we made a mistake, you can appeal a decision by contacting appeals@theword.me. We'll take another look. We can't always share the details of a report, to protect the people involved.

Staying safe on The Word

• Think before sharing personal details publicly.
• Meet new people in public places, and tell someone where you're going, when meeting through the platform for volunteering or events.
• Trust your instincts — if something feels off, block and report.
• Keep your account secure and be cautious of anyone asking for money, passwords, or personal information.

Changes to these standards

Communities grow and change, and so will these standards. When we make meaningful updates, we'll note them here and, where appropriate, let you know in the app. Continuing to use The Word after an update means you accept the current version.