Community Guidelines

Version 1.1 — Effective April 22, 2026

Our Mission

Vaani is a platform for meaningful conversation and civil discourse. These guidelines help maintain a respectful community where people can engage with differing perspectives productively.

Core Principles

1. Respectful Discourse

  • Attack ideas, not people
  • Listen actively and respond thoughtfully
  • Acknowledge valid points from others

2. Intellectual Honesty

  • Cite sources when making factual claims
  • Acknowledge uncertainty
  • Be willing to change your mind with new evidence

3. Inclusive Environment

  • Welcome diverse perspectives
  • Avoid discriminatory language
  • Create space for all voices

Prohibited Content and Behavior

Not Allowed

  • Hate speech or discrimination
  • Personal attacks or harassment
  • Threats of violence
  • Doxxing or sharing private information
  • Spam or commercial solicitation
  • Misinformation or deliberate deception
  • Illegal content
  • Sexually explicit content
  • Content harmful to minors

During Live Conversations

  • No screaming or talking over others
  • No excessive profanity
  • No deliberate disruption
  • Follow moderator instructions

Campaigns and Challenges Involving Real People

Vaani lets you propose conversations between two named individuals (campaigns) and publicly challenge a specific person to a vaani (challenges). These features exist to help the community surface conversations worth having. They are not a vehicle for harassment, defamation, or personal dispute.

When You Create a Proposal

  • Propose in good faith. Your proposal should reflect a genuine desire to see a productive conversation, not a desire to embarrass, intimidate, or retaliate.
  • Keep descriptions accurate. Any facts you state about the named individuals must be accurate to the best of your knowledge. Speculative language ("It would be interesting if…", "I'd love to see…") is welcome; false statements of fact are not.
  • Don't imply agreement that isn't real. Do not claim or imply that a named individual has agreed to participate when they haven't. The "Unclaimed" label exists for this reason — respect it.
  • No impersonation. Don't create proposals that pretend to be on behalf of the named individual.
  • No targeting of private individuals. Proposals should name public figures whose participation is newsworthy. Don't use campaigns or challenges to put pressure on a private person who has no public role.

If You Are Named in a Proposal

If you are the subject of a campaign, challenge, or other user-generated surface and you want it removed, use our Opt-Out page. We honor requests within 24 hours for California and New York residents and 48 hours for everyone else. You do not need a lawyer and you do not need to explain why.

The Vaani Ethos

The goal is not to win. The goal is to understand.

We encourage all participants to practice "belief temperance"—holding your convictions with enough humility to genuinely engage with those who see things differently.

Reporting Violations

If you see content that violates these guidelines:

  1. Use the in-app report feature
  2. Email: moderation@vaani.us

Please include as much detail as possible about what you observed.

Enforcement

Violations may result in:

  • Content removal
  • Temporary suspension
  • Permanent ban

The severity of the action depends on the nature and frequency of violations.

Appeals

If you believe an action was taken in error, you may submit an appeal:

Include your username and a description of why you believe the action was incorrect.

Questions?

For questions about these guidelines, contact: community@vaani.us