Commenting Rules

Version: v2

Published: 9 September 2026

These are the rules for comments on AU Now. They are separate from the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. They are written in plain English and have not been represented as legally reviewed or as legal advice.

Before you comment

• You must be 16 or older.
• Comments are public. Other people may read, quote, share or report them.
• Use an account you control and do not impersonate another person, organisation or authority.

Discuss ideas, respect people

Challenge claims and ideas without attacking the person. Do not threaten, harass, bully, stalk, intimidate or target someone with hateful or discriminatory abuse.

Content that is not allowed

Do not post, request, encourage, link to or help distribute:

• child sexual abuse or exploitation material, grooming or sexual content involving anyone under 18;
• sexual exploitation, non-consensual sexual content or explicit sexual content;
• threats, credible violence, graphic violence or instructions that help someone cause harm;
• encouragement of self-harm or suicide, or instructions for carrying it out;
• private information without permission, including an address, phone number, live location, identifying documents or other doxxing material;
• scams, spam, phishing, deceptive fundraising, coordinated manipulation or impersonation;
• content you know is false, materially misleading, deceptively edited or manipulated, especially about public safety or a developing event;
• content that infringes copyright or other rights, or anything you do not have permission to share; or
• attempts to evade moderation, manipulate engagement or interfere with AU Now.

Ordinary strong language may be automatically obscured. That does not make threats, harassment, hate or other harmful content acceptable.

Reports, blocks and moderation

Use Report when a comment may break these rules. Use Block when you do not want to see or interact with an account. Do not make knowingly false or retaliatory reports.

AU Now may use automated checks and human review. A comment may be rejected, held from public view while reviewed, removed or restored. Accounts may receive a warning, temporary restriction, suspension or permanent ban. Serious safety matters may be escalated where appropriate. No automated system or finite word filter can identify every language, context or creative evasion, so safety also relies on reports, blocks and review.

Emergencies

AU Now is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000. Do not wait for an in-app report response.

Questions and appeals

For a moderation question or appeal, contact AU Now support through the support option in the app. Include enough detail to identify the decision, but do not resend harmful material unless support specifically asks for it.

Rule changes

AU Now may update these rules. A materially new version will require you to review and accept the current rules again before commenting. Earlier acceptance does not automatically cover a new version.