Content Moderation, Reporting & Removal Policy

1. Introduction

VALCORED News Network recognises that digital publishing platforms may contain comments, reader submissions, externally sourced material and other forms of interactive content.

These features can support public discussion and community participation, but they may also be misused to publish harassment, threats, misinformation, privacy violations, intellectual property infringements or other inappropriate material.

Our Content Moderation, Reporting & Removal Policy explains how VNN approaches the review, restriction, removal and management of content within its control.

We aim to balance lawful expression, fair discussion, user safety, editorial independence and applicable legal responsibilities.

2. Purpose

This policy establishes procedures for:

• Reviewing potentially harmful or unlawful content.
• Receiving reports from users and affected individuals.
• Assessing alleged breaches of community standards.
• Managing serious safety and privacy concerns.
• Taking proportionate moderation action.
• Handling removal and restriction requests.
• Addressing repeat offenders.
• Considering moderation appeals.
• Maintaining appropriate records.
• Meeting applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

3. Scope

This policy applies to content published, submitted or displayed through VNN-controlled services, including:

• Reader comments.
• Replies and discussion threads.
• User-generated media.
• Public profiles, where available.
• Reader-submitted links.
• Spam and automated submissions.
• Material embedded or displayed through relevant platform features.
• Editorial content subject to legitimate complaints.
• Other interactive services operated by VNN.

Editorial corrections and the removal of news articles may require additional consideration under VNN’s Editorial Standards, Corrections Policy and applicable law.

4. Our Moderation Principles

VNN’s moderation framework is based on the following principles.

Legality

Content should comply with applicable law.

Proportionality

Moderation responses should reflect the nature and seriousness of the concern.

Fairness

Legitimate viewpoints should not be removed merely because they are unpopular or controversial.

Safety

Credible threats and serious risks to individuals should receive appropriate attention.

Transparency

Users should be able to understand the general standards governing moderation.

Accountability

Significant decisions should be open to appropriate review where practicable.

Privacy

Personal information submitted through reports should be handled responsibly.

5. Moderation Methods

Depending on its technical configuration, VNN may use:

Pre-Moderation: Reviewing submissions before public display.

Post-Moderation: Reviewing content after publication, including following reader reports.

Automated Filtering: Using security or anti-spam tools to identify potentially inappropriate material.

Manual Review: Assessment by an authorised person.

Targeted Restrictions: Temporarily limiting participation or functionality when specific risks are identified.

Current Moderation Configuration

Comments are checked automatically before they appear (Comment Guard): readers agree to the community rules first; links, email addresses, HTML and shouting in capitals are not accepted; each person can post one comment per story; and automated spam is stopped by invisible checks, with no puzzles to solve. Comments containing insults, profanity or slurs are refused. Comments that pass these checks appear straight away and can be reported using the contact details on this page.

VNN should not claim universal pre-publication review or continuous human monitoring unless those processes are actually operating.

6. Categories of Prohibited or Restricted Content

Content may be restricted or removed when it involves:

• Unlawful threats.
• Credible incitement to violence.
• Serious harassment.
• Unlawful discriminatory vilification.
• Child sexual exploitation material.
• Non-consensual intimate imagery.
• Serious privacy violations.
• Unlawful publication of protected identities.
• Defamatory allegations.
• Copyright infringement.
• Fraud and scams.
• Phishing or malicious links.
• Deceptive impersonation.
• Automated spam.
• Deliberately fabricated evidence.
• Dangerous misinformation presenting a serious foreseeable risk.
• Other material substantially breaching VNN’s Community Guidelines.

Context should be considered before a decision is made.

7. Protected Debate and Legitimate Criticism

VNN recognises that meaningful public discussion may involve strong criticism.

Users may reasonably challenge government decisions, corporate conduct, public figures, VNN’s reporting and other matters of public interest.

Moderation should distinguish lawful criticism from targeted abuse or unlawful conduct.

A controversial opinion should not automatically be treated as misinformation.

A comment’s political position should not, by itself, determine whether it is removed.

8. Reporting Harmful Content

Users may report content believed to breach this policy.

Content Reporting Contact

A useful report should include:

1. The URL of the relevant page.
2. The comment or material concerned.
3. The username, where relevant.
4. The reason for the report.
5. The date and approximate time.
6. Supporting evidence, where appropriate.
7. Any relevant immediate safety concerns.

Reports should be made in good faith.

VNN may request additional information where necessary.

9. Initial Assessment and Triage

Reports should be assessed according to potential severity.

Critical or Urgent Concerns

Examples may include:

• Credible imminent threats.
• Material involving child sexual exploitation.
• Serious exposure of protected personal information.
• Unlawful intimate imagery.
• Content presenting immediate serious safety risks.
• Material subject to an urgent court order.

Such matters may require immediate restriction, preservation of evidence or appropriate escalation.

Significant Concerns

Examples may include:

• Serious harassment.
• Substantial defamation concerns.
• Significant privacy breaches.
• Repeated abuse.
• Credible copyright allegations.
• Materially deceptive impersonation.

These concerns should receive appropriate review.

Routine Concerns

Examples may include:

• Off-topic comments.
• Repetitive postings.
• Ordinary spam.
• Minor community-rule breaches.
• Duplicate submissions.

These may be handled through standard moderation procedures.

The categories are intended to guide proportional decision-making rather than guarantee fixed response times.

10. Moderation Review Procedure

When reviewing reported material, an authorised reviewer should consider:

Step 1 — Identify the Material

Locate the content and establish its relevant context.

Step 2 — Assess the Allegation

Determine which rule or legal concern may apply.

Step 3 — Examine Available Evidence

Review the reported content, surrounding discussion and credible supporting information.

Step 4 — Consider Urgency

Determine whether temporary restriction is justified.

Step 5 — Apply Relevant Standards

Evaluate the material against VNN’s Community Guidelines and applicable law.

Step 6 — Determine Appropriate Action

Select a proportionate response.

Step 7 — Record Significant Decisions

Maintain an appropriate record where warranted.

Step 8 — Communicate the Outcome

Where practicable and appropriate, provide relevant information to affected parties.

11. Available Moderation Actions

VNN may apply one or more of the following measures:

• Allow the content to remain.
• Request an amendment.
• Hold the content for further review.
• Reject publication.
• Remove the content.
• Hide the content temporarily.
• Restrict a discussion thread.
• Disable comments on an article.
• Issue a warning.
• Apply temporary commenting restrictions.
• Suspend access to interactive features.
• Restrict accounts engaged in serious abuse.
• Block suspicious automated activity.
• Refer a matter for appropriate legal or safety review.

Actions should be proportionate to the facts and applicable obligations.

12. Temporary Content Restrictions

In some cases, material may be temporarily restricted while a concern is investigated.

Temporary restriction does not necessarily mean a complaint is substantiated.

It may be appropriate where continued public display presents a substantial foreseeable risk.

Once the review is completed, VNN should decide whether to restore, amend, restrict or remove the material.

13. Removal of Reader Comments

Comments may be removed where they materially breach Community Guidelines or applicable law.

A removed comment may remain in administrative records for legitimate purposes, subject to relevant privacy and retention requirements.

VNN does not guarantee that removed material will disappear from screenshots, caches or third-party systems.

14. Requests to Remove Published News Articles

Requests concerning editorial articles require different considerations from ordinary comment moderation.

VNN recognises the importance of maintaining an accurate public record.

A person may request review because of:

• Factual inaccuracy.
• Defamation concerns.
• Serious privacy intrusion.
• Incorrect identity.
• A court order.
• Safety risks.
• Copyright infringement.
• Unlawful publication.
• Other substantial editorial defects.

The appropriate response may be correction, clarification, restriction, anonymisation, retraction or removal.

An article should not automatically be removed solely because an individual or organisation objects to accurate and lawful reporting.

15. Privacy and Identifying Information

VNN may remove or restrict content containing unnecessarily disclosed private information.

Relevant examples include:

• Residential addresses.
• Confidential phone numbers.
• Identity documents.
• Banking details.
• Medical information.
• Information identifying protected children.
• Intimate images.
• Information exposing individuals to serious harassment.

When assessing privacy concerns, public interest, consent, legality and potential harm should be considered.

16. Children and Vulnerable Individuals

Reports involving children or highly vulnerable individuals may require additional safeguards.

VNN should consider whether content exposes an individual to abuse, exploitation, identification risks or significant avoidable harm.

Material involving child sexual exploitation or other serious illegal activity should be handled according to applicable legal and safety requirements.

Where necessary, advice should be sought from appropriately qualified authorities or advisers.

17. Harassment and Cyber Abuse

VNN does not permit serious targeted harassment or credible threats through its interactive services.

Users experiencing online abuse may report the relevant material to VNN.

Australian users may also have access to reporting mechanisms administered by the eSafety Commissioner, depending on the nature of the content and statutory eligibility.

Information is available at:

www.esafety.gov.au

Where immediate danger exists, users should contact emergency services. In Australia, call Triple Zero (000).

18. Defamation Complaints

Content alleged to be defamatory should receive careful review.

A complaint should identify the disputed statements, relevant context and claimed factual inaccuracies.

VNN may request supporting evidence.

Legal advice may be required for significant disputes.

A user’s belief that a comment is offensive does not automatically establish defamation.

Conversely, labelling a claim as opinion does not automatically eliminate legal risk.

19. Copyright Complaints

Claims of copyright infringement should be assessed under VNN’s Copyright Policy.

VNN may request evidence of ownership, relevant licences and identification of the material concerned.

Where necessary, content may be temporarily restricted during review.

A copyright complaint should not be used merely to suppress lawful criticism.

20. Advertising and Spam

Automated or repetitive promotional content may be restricted.

Examples include:

• Unsolicited commercial messages.
• Fake giveaways.
• Deceptive affiliate links.
• Cryptocurrency scams.
• Fraudulent investment promotions.
• Phishing attempts.
• Malware distribution.
• Repetitive irrelevant advertising.

VNN may use appropriate technical controls to protect its services.

21. Coordinated Manipulation

VNN may restrict coordinated activity intended to deceptively manipulate discussion.

Examples may include:

• Networks of fake accounts.
• Deceptive political campaigning.
• Undisclosed paid comment campaigns.
• Automated harassment.
• Artificial amplification of fraudulent claims.

Moderation should be based on credible evidence of deceptive or abusive conduct rather than assumptions about the popularity of a viewpoint.

22. Automated Moderation Systems

Automated systems may help identify spam or potentially harmful submissions.

However, automated moderation can produce false positives and false negatives.

Material decisions should receive additional review where appropriate, particularly when significant rights or interests may be affected.

VNN should not present automated findings as conclusive evidence of unlawful conduct.

23. Appeals and Reconsideration

Users may request reconsideration of a moderation action.

Appeals Contact

A request should include:

1. Identification of the affected content.
2. The moderation action being challenged.
3. The reasons the decision may have been incorrect.
4. Relevant supporting information.

Where reasonably practicable, significant appeals should be considered by someone other than the original reviewer.

The existence of an appeal does not automatically require reinstatement.

24. Repeated or Serious Violations

Repeated breaches may justify progressively stronger restrictions.

Serious violations may warrant immediate action without a prior warning.

Relevant factors include:

• The seriousness of the conduct.
• Whether the conduct was deliberate.
• Previous relevant incidents.
• The effect on other users.
• The possibility of future harm.
• Whether a less restrictive measure would be effective.

25. Record Keeping and Evidence

VNN may retain appropriate records of material moderation matters where lawful and necessary.

Records may include:

• Relevant content.
• Reports received.
• Moderation decisions.
• Supporting evidence.
• Dates of action.
• Appeal outcomes.

Sensitive information should be protected against unnecessary access or disclosure.

Retention should be consistent with applicable law and VNN’s Privacy Policy.

26. Transparency and Fair Treatment

VNN aims to provide understandable moderation standards.

Where appropriate, users should receive sufficient information to understand significant restrictions.

However, VNN may withhold certain operational details where disclosure would compromise security, personal privacy, confidential information or legitimate investigations.

Moderation decisions should not be presented as formal findings of criminal or civil liability.

27. Legal and Regulatory Requests

VNN may receive lawful requests or orders requiring action concerning specific material.

Such requests should be assessed according to the relevant legal obligations.

Where necessary, qualified legal advice should be obtained.

This policy does not override statutory removal requirements, court orders or other binding obligations.

28. Emergency Circumstances

VNN’s reporting channels are not continuously monitored emergency services.

Users should not rely on ordinary moderation requests when immediate physical safety is at risk.

Where appropriate, contact emergency services or the relevant public authority. In Australia, call Triple Zero (000).

29. Responsibility and Oversight

The publisher or designated moderation lead is responsible for implementing this policy.

The organisation should ensure that the actual moderation process is consistent with its public statements.

Material incidents may be reviewed to improve procedures.

30. Our Commitment

VNN believes responsible discussion requires both freedom to exchange ideas and reasonable safeguards against serious misuse.

Our objective is to support meaningful public participation without unnecessarily suppressing lawful expression.

A credible news platform must be open to disagreement while remaining accountable for the environment it operates.