Moderation Policy

1. How Moderation Works

Every submission to ChamberLight is reviewed before it appears on the Platform. Moderation is performed by trained human moderators who evaluate submissions against our Community Guidelines. Every moderation action—whether approval, rejection, or removal—is logged with the moderator's identity, a timestamp, and a written reason. No content is removed without a documented justification.

2. Moderator Expectations

ChamberLight moderators are held to strict standards to ensure fair and consistent enforcement:

• Neutrality: Moderators must apply guidelines evenhandedly regardless of the political party, ideology, or position of the representative or submitter involved.
• Consistency: Similar content must receive similar treatment. Moderators follow documented rubrics and precedent from prior decisions.
• Documentation: Every moderation action must include a clear written reason referencing the specific guideline or policy that applies.
• Recusal: Moderators must recuse themselves from decisions involving representatives from their own district or content they have a personal interest in.

3. Moderation Actions

Moderators may take the following actions on submitted content:

• Approve: The submission meets all guidelines and is published to the Platform.
• Reject: The submission does not meet guidelines and is not published. The submitter receives a notification with the specific reason for rejection and may revise and resubmit.
• Remove: Previously approved content is taken down because new information reveals a guideline violation, or the content is reported and confirmed to violate guidelines.
• Quarantine: Content is temporarily hidden from public view pending further review. This is used when a submission requires additional investigation (e.g., source verification) before a final decision is made.

4. Appeal Process

If you believe a moderation action was made in error, you have the right to appeal:

1. Submit an appeal: Navigate to your dashboard and use the appeal function on the relevant moderation notification. Include your reasoning for why the decision should be reconsidered.
2. Review timeline: Appeals are reviewed by a different moderator than the one who made the original decision. You will receive a response within 48 hours of submission.
3. Possible outcomes:
   • Upheld: The original decision stands. You will receive an explanation of why.
   • Overturned: The original decision is reversed and your content is restored or approved.
   • Partial: The decision is modified—for example, content may be approved with an edited category or added context.

5. Escalation Paths

If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of your appeal, you may request further escalation:

• Senior moderator review: A senior moderator will review the full history of the action and appeal.
• Platform administrator review: As a final escalation, a ChamberLight administrator will review the case and make a binding decision.

Escalation requests can be submitted by emailing appeals@chamberlight.com with your appeal reference number.

6. Transparency & Audit Log

ChamberLight maintains a comprehensive audit log of all moderation activity. This log includes:

• The moderator who took the action.
• The date and time of the action.
• The type of action taken (approve, reject, remove, quarantine).
• The written reason for the action.
• Any appeal history and outcomes.

This log is used internally for quality assurance, moderator accountability, and consistency reviews. We are committed to publishing aggregate moderation statistics (such as approval rates and appeal overturn rates) on a regular basis to maintain public trust.

7. Contact

For questions about our moderation practices, contact moderation@chamberlight.com.