Content Moderation Policy

How we maintain quality and safety in our community

Last Updated: October 27, 2025

Overview

Thrifty Streamer uses a multi-layered moderation system to ensure all user-generated content meets our Community Guidelines. This page explains how our moderation process works, what to expect when submitting reviews, and your rights as a community member.

Our Commitment: We strive to review all flagged content within 4 hours during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM EST, Monday - Friday).

The Moderation Process

Every review goes through multiple stages to ensure quality and compliance:

1
Submission

You submit a review through our review form. The system immediately checks basic requirements (minimum length, rating presence, etc.).

2
Automated Screening

AI-powered filters scan for profanity, hate speech, spam patterns, and policy violations. Most clean content passes this stage instantly.

3
Trust Score Evaluation

Your trust score determines next steps. High-trust users (75+) may have reviews published immediately. Lower scores trigger manual review.

4
Manual Review

Human moderators review flagged content for context, intent, and compliance. They can approve, reject, or request edits.

5
Publication

Approved reviews are published publicly. You'll receive a notification confirming publication or explaining any issues.

6
Ongoing Monitoring

Community members can report published reviews. Reported content is re-reviewed by moderators who may take additional action.

Automated Screening System

Our AI-powered screening system analyzes content in real-time using multiple detection methods:

Profanity Detection

Scans for offensive language, vulgar terms, and inappropriate content using our continuously updated profanity database.

Hate Speech Detection

Identifies discriminatory language targeting race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics.

Spam Detection

Detects repetitive content, promotional language, affiliate links, and coordinated review manipulation attempts.

Harassment Detection

Identifies personal attacks, threats, bullying, and targeting of individuals or groups.

Note: Automated systems aren't perfect. False positives may occur. This is why we have human moderators review flagged content with full context.

Trust Score System

Your trust score reflects your history of contributing quality content and following community guidelines. It directly affects how your reviews are processed:

Trust Score Status Review Process How to Earn
75-100 Trusted ✅ Auto-approved (instant publication) Consistent quality reviews, no violations, community engagement
50-74 Established ⚡ Fast-track review (priority queue) Multiple approved reviews, good track record
25-49 Developing 👤 Standard manual review New users, few submissions, building reputation
0-24 Restricted 🔍 Enhanced review (strict scrutiny) Policy violations, reported content, suspicious activity
< 0 Suspended ❌ Posting disabled (temporary or permanent) Severe or repeated violations, ban status
How Trust Scores Change:
  • +5 points: Approved review published
  • +10 points: Review receives positive community votes
  • +3 points: Review marked as "helpful"
  • -10 points: Review rejected for policy violation
  • -15 points: Content flagged for hate speech or harassment
  • -20 points: Repeated spam or promotional content
  • -50 points: Severe violation (threats, illegal content)
Tip: Start with quality over quantity. Even new users can reach trusted status quickly by submitting detailed, honest, violation-free reviews.

Review Timing Expectations

How quickly your review is processed depends on several factors:

Instant

Trust score 75+ with clean content

1-2 Hours

Trust score 50-74 or minor auto-flags

2-4 Hours

New users or moderate flags

After Hours: Reviews submitted outside business hours (9 AM - 5 PM EST, Mon-Fri) will be processed the next business day. We typically respond to urgent reports within 24 hours, even on weekends.

Your Appeal Rights

If your review is rejected or removed, you have the right to appeal the decision:

Appeal Process:
  1. Receive Notification: You'll be notified via email with the reason for removal
  2. Review Guidelines: Re-read our Community Guidelines
  3. Submit Appeal: Click "Appeal" in your account dashboard
  4. Provide Context: Explain why the decision should be reconsidered
  5. Await Review: Senior moderators will review your appeal within 48 hours
  6. Final Decision: You'll receive notification of the outcome
What Makes a Strong Appeal:
  • ✅ Acknowledges which guideline was allegedly violated
  • ✅ Provides context that wasn't clear in the original review
  • ✅ Explains intent and clarifies misunderstandings
  • ✅ Proposes specific edits if needed
  • ✅ Maintains respectful tone
Important: Appeals for severe violations (hate speech, threats, illegal content) are rarely overturned. Appeals for automated false positives have high success rates.

Community Reporting

Community members play a vital role in maintaining quality. Any user can report content that violates our guidelines.

How Reports Are Handled:
Report Received

System logs the report and flags content for moderator review

Priority Assessment

Severity determines priority (threats/hate speech = immediate review)

Moderator Review

Human moderator evaluates the reported content in full context

Action Taken

Content removed/warning issued if violation confirmed; reporter notified

False Reports: Deliberately filing false reports to harass users or manipulate the system will result in trust score penalties and potential account restrictions.

Transparency & Accountability

We believe in transparency about our moderation practices:

  • Moderation Statistics: We publish quarterly reports on moderation actions
  • Policy Updates: Changes to guidelines are announced with 30-day notice
  • Moderator Training: All moderators undergo training on bias, consistency, and context
  • Audit Logs: All moderation actions are logged for accountability
  • Feedback Loop: We regularly review appeals to improve our systems

Questions About Moderation?

If you have questions about our moderation policy or a specific moderation decision:

Read Community Guidelines Contact Moderation Team

This policy applies to all user-generated content on Thrifty Streamer.
We reserve the right to update this policy at any time.
Last updated: October 27, 2025