Acceptable Use Policy
This policy sets out the standards that apply to all users of The Gnostic Key platform, including its community discussion spaces. Participation in any part of the platform constitutes acceptance of these standards.
Last updated: 20 March 2026
1. Scope
This policy applies to all users of The Gnostic Key, regardless of membership tier, across all platform features including community discussion spaces, comment threads, and any interactive functionality made available now or in the future.
2. General Standards
All users are expected to engage in good faith, with intellectual honesty, and in a manner consistent with the principles of The Gnostic Key Community Guide. The community exists to advance understanding, not to reward performance, point-scoring, or bad faith argumentation.
The full Community Guide, including the Community Charter, Participation Guide, Steelman Handbook, and Moderation Philosophy, is published here: TGK Community Guide. These documents form part of this policy and must be read alongside it.
3. Prohibited Conduct
The following conduct is prohibited across all platform features:
- Harassment, intimidation, or targeted abuse of any user or individual.
- Defamatory, threatening, or unlawful statements about any person or organisation.
- Content that promotes or incites hatred on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, or any other protected characteristic.
- Impersonation of any person, organisation, or public figure.
- Deliberate misrepresentation of sources, evidence, or the positions of others.
- Spam, unsolicited promotion, or content posted in bad faith to disrupt discussion.
- Sharing of personal data belonging to third parties without their consent.
- Any conduct that violates applicable UK law.
4. Content Standards
Posts, replies, and contributions to community spaces must be relevant to the discussion at hand and must meet the intellectual standards expected of The Gnostic Key community. Content that caricatures, misrepresents, or bypasses reasoned engagement may be challenged, corrected, or removed.
Where the Steel Man Method applies to a discussion space, users are required to accurately represent the strongest version of any opposing position before challenging it. Failure to meet this requirement is grounds for moderation action.
5. Moderation and Enforcement
The Gnostic Key reserves the right to take the following actions where this policy or the Community Guide has been breached:
- Removal of content that violates these standards.
- Restriction of access to specific platform features.
- Temporary or permanent suspension of a user account.
Moderation decisions will be proportionate to the nature of the breach and applied without discrimination.
The Gnostic Key operates on a principle of transparent moderation: content is never silently deleted. Where a post is removed, a tombstone notice replaces it in its original location, indicating that content has been removed and the reason category. The full text of removed content is preserved in the platform's moderation record, where it remains accessible with a link provided from the tombstone. This ensures that moderation actions are accountable and that no removal goes unrecorded.
6. Appeals
Users who believe a moderation action has been applied in error may submit a written appeal to admin@thegnostickey.com. Appeals will be considered in good faith and responded to within a reasonable timeframe. The Gnostic Key reserves the right to uphold, reverse, or modify any moderation decision following review.
7. Reporting Concerns
If you encounter content or behaviour that you believe violates this policy, please report it via the platform's reporting tools where available, or contact us directly at admin@thegnostickey.com.
8. Amendments
This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes to the platform, community features, or applicable law. The date of the most recent revision will always appear on this page. Continued use of the platform following any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
9. Governing Law
This policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from its application are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.