Community Rules

Our Principles

Foral is a platform for civic engagement, transparency, and constructive participation. These Community Rules ensure a respectful and productive environment for all users. By using Foral, you agree to follow these rules.

Be Respectful

Treat all community members with respect. Disagreement is welcome; personal attacks are not.

• No harassment, threats, bullying, or intimidation
• No hate speech or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic
• No doxxing — do not publish personal information about others without their consent
• Communicate constructively, even when criticising public policies or decisions

Civic Submissions

When submitting civic cases, feedback, or reports through the platform:

• Be truthful and accurate — do not fabricate or exaggerate issues
• Include relevant details and evidence where possible
• Do not submit duplicate reports for the same issue
• Respect the privacy of individuals — avoid including personal data of third parties unless necessary
• Civic submissions may be visible to other users and municipal authorities

Petitions and Advocacy

Foral enables users to create and sign petitions directed at municipal authorities. When using petition features:

• Petition content must be lawful, truthful, and made in good faith
• Petitions must relate to genuine civic issues within the scope of municipal governance
• Do not create petitions that are vexatious, frivolous, or designed to harass individuals
• Signatures are public — by signing, you consent to your username being associated with the petition
• Petition creators are responsible for their petition's content and accuracy
• Advocacy delivery (sending petitions to authorities) follows the platform's verified delivery process

Prohibited Content

The following content is not allowed on Foral and will be removed:

• Illegal content under Portuguese or EU law
• Defamatory statements — unsubstantiated accusations against individuals
• Spam, advertising, or commercial solicitation
• Malicious links, malware, or phishing attempts
• Content that incites violence or illegal activity
• Sexually explicit or graphic content
• Content that infringes intellectual property rights

How We Moderate

We use a combination of AI-assisted review and human moderation to maintain community standards. Our moderation process follows DSA (Digital Services Act) requirements:

• Reported content is reviewed promptly
• Content removal includes a clear explanation of the reason
• An audit trail of moderation actions is maintained
• Moderation decisions can be appealed (see below)

Appeals Process

If your content is removed or your account is restricted, you have the right to appeal:

• Appeals must be submitted within 14 days of the moderation action
• Appeals are reviewed by a different moderator than the one who made the original decision
• You will receive a response within 7 working days
• To submit an appeal, contact [email protected] with the subject line "Appeal: [your username]"

Consequences of Violations

Violations of these Community Rules may result in:

• Content removal
• Written warning
• Temporary suspension (7-30 days depending on severity)
• Permanent account ban for repeated or severe violations
• Reporting to authorities for illegal content

The severity of the consequence depends on the nature of the violation, whether it is a first offence, and the impact on other users.

Reporting Violations

If you see content that violates these rules, please report it using the platform's reporting tools or by contacting [email protected]. All reports are reviewed and handled confidentially.