Part I - Community Moderation Policy
This Part sets out the rules, standards, and processes that govern participation in the phonebank.com.au community forum. It is written in plain language and is intended to be read by all members. It forms part of the Terms of Service and is legally binding.
Our Commitment
phonebank.com.au exists to help Australians participate in US electoral politics as volunteers. Our community is built around people who care deeply about healthcare, climate, housing, foreign policy, Palestinian rights, and democratic reform. These are contested, emotionally charged topics. We expect debate here to be vigorous, direct, and sometimes blunt.
Our moderation exists to protect members from personal harm - not to manage political discomfort. We will never remove a comment because it is confronting, controversial, or critical of a government, institution, or public figure.
We will remove content that targets, demeans, or threatens an individual member of this community.
The distinction is between political speech and personal conduct. We protect the first. We do not tolerate the second.
What Is Protected
The following categories of speech are explicitly protected on this platform and will not be moderated as violations:
Political and policy criticism.Criticism of governments, political parties, military forces, corporations, lobby groups, and public figures - including strong, blunt, or unambiguous criticism - is core to this community's purpose. This includes criticism of the United States government, the Israeli government, the IDF, AIPAC, or any other political actor named in discussion.
Established political and legal terminology.Terms including "genocide," "apartheid," "ethnic cleansing," "war crimes," "settler colonialism," "occupation," and "systemic racism" are recognised academic and political terms with established usage in international law, journalism, and scholarship. Their use in political discussion will not be treated as abusive or hateful.
Emotional and forceful expression. Anger, grief, and moral outrage are appropriate responses to political events including war, displacement, and institutional failure. Language reflecting these emotions in the context of political critique - including profanity used for emphasis - is not abuse.
Disagreement and contention. Members may disagree with each other, including sharply. Disagreement expressed through argument, counter-evidence, and critique is healthy and welcome.
What Is Prohibited
The following conduct is not permitted and may result in content removal and a formal strike against your account:
Personal abuse. Direct attacks on a specific member of this community using degrading, dehumanising, or threatening language. This includes slurs directed at an individual based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability.
Harassment. Repeated, targeted, or coordinated conduct directed at a specific member that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, humiliating, or threatening. A single blunt disagreement is not harassment. Sustained targeting of a person is.
Incitement. Direct calls for violence against a specific named or identifiable person or group.
Explicit sexual content. Any sexually explicit material posted to the forum.
Coordinated inauthentic behaviour. Operating multiple accounts, brigading threads, or artificially manipulating discussion in ways that misrepresent community sentiment.
Impersonation. Claiming to be another person or organisation in a way intended to deceive other members.
How Moderation Works
Step 1 - Automated screening
Every comment passes through an automated moderation system before becoming visible to other members. This system is designed with a strong bias against false positives on political speech. It uses a two-stage process:
- a fast initial filter that screens for clear categories of harmful content;
- a context-aware AI classifier that evaluates uncertain cases with explicit instructions to protect political speech, distinguish criticism of institutions from attacks on individuals, and default to human review when uncertain.
Comments that pass screening are published immediately. Comments that are uncertain are held temporarily - visible to you but not to other members - while a human moderator reviews them (target: within 24 hours).
Comments involving political speech, geopolitical topics, discussion of war, or criticism of governments or lobby groups will not be automatically actioned. They will always go to human review if flagged.
Step 2 - Human review
A human moderator reviews flagged content and makes the final determination. The moderator considers:
- the full text of the comment;
- the thread context;
- whether the content constitutes political speech, personal attack, or something else;
- the author's account history.
Moderators are instructed to apply the standards in this Policy, not their personal political views. If you believe a moderator has acted on political bias rather than these standards, you may raise this through the appeals process below.
Step 3 - Outcome
After review, a comment is either:
- Approved and made visible to all members; or
- Confirmed as a violation, removed, and a strike recorded against your account with a written reason.
You will be notified of every moderation outcome affecting your content.
The Strike System
A strike is a formal record that a piece of your content was confirmed as violating this Policy, either by the automated system at high confidence or by a human moderator.
Strike 1: You are notified with a reason and the content is removed. No other immediate consequence.
Strike 2: You are notified. The content is removed. A warning is issued that a third strike will result in suspension.
Strike 3: Your account is suspended pending a manual appeal. You can still log in and submit an appeal, but you cannot post to the forum while suspended.
Strike decay. Strikes older than six months do not count toward the three-strike suspension threshold. They remain in the moderation audit log but have no ongoing effect on your account standing. This means that if you receive a strike, participate constructively for six months, and then receive another, the older strike will not count toward suspension.
Each strike is contestable. You do not have to wait for suspension to challenge a strike. You can contact us at dev@phonebank.au to request review of any strike decision, citing your reasons.
Suspension and Appeals
If your account is suspended, you will receive a notice explaining which strikes triggered the suspension. You may submit an appeal through the appeal form available on the Site.
Your appeal should:
- explain, in your own words, why you believe the moderation decision was wrong;
- identify which specific strikes you are contesting if you are not contesting all of them;
- include any relevant context about the comment or thread that you believe the moderator may not have had.
There is no strict format. We ask only that you engage honestly with the reasons given for each strike.
Appeal timeline: A human moderator will review your appeal within 72 hours of submission and notify you of the outcome.
Possible outcomes:
| Outcome | What it means |
|---|---|
| Full reinstatement | All contested strikes are overturned. Your account is restored immediately. |
| Partial reinstatement | Some strikes are overturned. If your active strike count drops below three, your account is restored. |
| Denial | The suspension is maintained. You will receive written reasons. |
If your appeal is denied and you believe the decision was made in error, you may escalate by emailing dev@phonebank.au with the subject line "Moderation Escalation."Escalations are reviewed by the Operator directly.
What We Will Always Tell You
Every moderation action comes with a written explanation. We will tell you:
- which comment was affected;
- which category of the Policy it was found to breach;
- the current state of your strike count;
- how to contest the decision.
We will never remove content without explanation and we will never suspend an account without giving you an opportunity to appeal.
Transparency Commitment
We maintain an internal moderation audit log covering every action taken by both the automated system and human moderators, including the reasoning recorded at the time. This log is retained for 24 months. In the event of a dispute, you may request the moderation record relating to your account by emailing dev@phonebank.au.
We are committed to reviewing and updating this Policy as our community grows and as we identify gaps or unintended consequences in our approach.
Moderation Contact
For all moderation-related enquiries, strike contestations, appeal escalations, and general community standards feedback:
Email: dev@phonebank.au
Part II - Terms of Service
1. Introduction and Acceptance
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website located at phonebank.com.au ("Site"), including any content, features, forum, and services made available through the Site (collectively, "Services").
The Site is operated by a sole individual ("Operator") based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, contactable at dev@phonebank.au.
By accessing or using the Site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, the Community Moderation Policy in Part I, and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Site.
These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the Operator under the laws of New South Wales and the Commonwealth of Australia.
2. Description of the Service
phonebank.com.au is an independent, non-partisan civic information platform. The Site provides:
- information and educational resources about voluntary participation in United States electoral phone banking activities;
- a curated directory of third-party phone banking campaigns and volunteer sign-up portals operated by independent organisations;
- a community forum for users to discuss related civic, political, and practical topics;
- guides, scripts, and preparation materials for prospective phone banking volunteers.
The Operator is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any United States political candidate, campaign committee, political party, political action committee, or government body, whether in Australia or the United States.
The Site does not conduct phone banking operations, hold voter data, process calls, or coordinate with any US political campaign.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Site.
By using the Site, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and that your use of the Site does not violate any applicable law or regulation in your jurisdiction.
The Site is directed at users located in Australia. Users located outside Australia may access the Site but do so at their own risk and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws.
4. User Accounts
4.1 Registration
Certain features of the Site, including access to the community forum, may require you to create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering and to keep your account information updated.
4.2 Account Security
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify the Operator immediately at dev@phonebank.au if you become aware of any unauthorised access to or use of your account.
4.3 Account Termination by User
You may close your account at any time by contacting dev@phonebank.au. Closure does not automatically delete content you have posted to the forum unless you request deletion separately, subject to clause 8.
4.4 One Account Per Person
You may hold only one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent moderation actions, suspensions, or these Terms is prohibited and may result in permanent removal of all associated accounts.
5. Acceptable Use
5.1 Permitted Use
You may use the Site to:
- access information about voluntary US phone banking participation;
- participate in good faith in community forum discussions consistent with the Community Moderation Policy in Part I;
- share experiences, resources, and advice related to civic participation;
- use the Site for any other purpose consistent with these Terms.
5.2 Prohibited Conduct
You must not use the Site to:
- (a) post, transmit, or distribute content prohibited under the Community Moderation Policy in Part I, including personal abuse, harassment, incitement, explicit sexual content, and slurs directed at individuals;
- (b) post content that constitutes unlawful discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic under Australian law;
- (c) impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity;
- (d) engage in coordinated inauthentic behaviour, including operating multiple accounts, brigading, or manipulating forum discussions;
- (e) post spam, unsolicited commercial communications, or repetitive off-topic content;
- (f) attempt to compromise the security or integrity of the Site or its underlying infrastructure;
- (g) scrape, crawl, or otherwise extract Site content at scale without prior written permission;
- (h) use the Site in any manner that violates applicable Australian or international law.
5.3 Political Speech
The Operator acknowledges that the Site's core purpose involves politically engaged discourse, including on contested topics such as foreign military aid, electoral policy, Palestinian rights, healthcare systems, and climate. Strong, critical, and emotionally charged political speech on these topics is explicitly within the scope of acceptable use. The standards for what constitutes protected speech and what constitutes prohibited personal conduct are set out in detail in the Community Moderation Policy in Part I.
6. Community Forum and Content Moderation
6.1 User-Generated Content
The Site hosts a community forum where registered users may post comments, questions, and discussion contributions ("User Content"). You retain ownership of User Content you create but grant the Operator a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, display, and distribute that content through the Site for the purpose of operating the Services.
6.2 Moderation Process
The moderation process, including the operation of automated screening tools, the human review process, the strike system, and the appeals procedure, is set out in the Community Moderation Policy in Part I. That Policy is incorporated into these Terms and is legally binding on both parties.
6.3 Moderator Discretion
The Operator and any designated moderators reserve the right to remove any User Content and to suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms, at their reasonable discretion, including in cases not expressly addressed by the Community Moderation Policy. Any such action remains subject to the notification and appeal rights set out in Part I.
6.4 No Obligation to Monitor
The Operator does not warrant that all User Content will be reviewed in real time and accepts no liability for User Content posted by third parties except to the extent required by applicable law.
7. Intellectual Property
7.1 Site Content
All content on the Site that is not User Content - including text, graphics, layout, code, and compiled resources - is either owned by the Operator or used under licence, and is protected by Australian and international copyright law. You must not reproduce, adapt, or republish Site content without prior written permission.
7.2 User Content
You warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to any User Content you post and that posting it does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.
7.3 Third-Party Materials
The Site may reference or link to third-party materials including news articles, campaign information, and research. Such references are for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement. The Operator claims no ownership over third-party content.
8. Third-Party Links and Services
The Site includes links to third-party phone banking platforms, volunteer sign-up portals, and campaign websites operated by independent organisations. These links are provided for convenience and do not constitute affiliation with, endorsement of, or responsibility for those third parties.
Your interaction with any third-party platform is governed entirely by that platform's own terms of service and privacy policy. The Operator has no control over and accepts no liability for the practices, content, or availability of third-party services.
You are solely responsible for assessing whether your participation in any third-party phone banking activity complies with applicable law in your jurisdiction and in the jurisdiction of the voters being contacted.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Site and Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
The Operator does not warrant that:
- the Site will be available at all times or free from errors or interruptions;
- any information on the Site is accurate, complete, or current;
- participation in phone banking activities through third-party platforms is legal in every jurisdiction;
- any particular phone banking campaign listed on the Site remains active or accurately described.
Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any right or remedy, or any guarantee, warranty, or other term or condition, implied or imposed by the Australian Consumer Law under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
10. Limitation of Liability
10.1 General Limitation
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Operator's total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services - whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or otherwise - is limited to AUD $100 or the amount you paid to use the Services in the 12 months preceding the claim, whichever is greater.
As the Site is currently provided free of charge, this limit will in most cases be AUD $100.
10.2 Exclusion of Consequential Loss
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Operator is not liable for any indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or punitive loss or damage, including loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of opportunity, however arising.
10.3 Third-Party Actions
The Operator is not liable for any harm arising from your interaction with third-party platforms, your participation in phone banking activities, or any action taken or omitted by any US political campaign, organisation, or voter contact platform.
10.4 Australian Consumer Law
Nothing in clauses 9 or 10 is intended to exclude or limit liability that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable mandatory statute. If applicable law implies a warranty into these Terms that cannot be excluded, the Operator's liability for breach of that warranty is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.
11. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Operator from and against any claim, loss, damage, cost, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:
- your use of the Site or Services;
- your User Content;
- your breach of these Terms;
- your violation of any third party's rights; or
- your participation in phone banking activities facilitated through third-party platforms linked from the Site.
12. Privacy
The Operator collects and handles personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988(Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. The Operator's Privacy Policy, available at phonebank.com.au/privacy, sets out how personal information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed.
By using the Site, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in the Privacy Policy.
13. Legal Compliance - Participation in US Electoral Activities
The Site provides information to assist Australian residents in voluntarily participating in US electoral phone banking as private individuals. You are solely responsible for ensuring that your participation in any such activity complies with:
- Electoral Act 1918 (Cth); National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018 (Cth); Electoral Legislation Amendment (Foreign Influence) Act 2018 (Cth).
- all applicable United States laws, including Federal Election Commission regulations governing foreign national volunteer activity;
- any applicable laws in your state or territory.
Australian foreign-interference provisions target influence on Australian elections. They do not generally prohibit Australians from uncompensated participation in foreign elections as private individuals.
The Operator makes no legal representation as to the legality of phone banking activity in any particular jurisdiction and the information on the Site does not constitute legal advice. If you are uncertain about the legality of any activity, you should obtain independent legal advice before proceeding.
14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. You submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales for any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms.
Before commencing any formal proceedings, you agree to contact the Operator at dev@phonebank.au and allow 30 days for the parties to attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith.
15. Changes to These Terms
The Operator may update these Terms from time to time. Where changes are material, the Operator will take reasonable steps to notify registered users, including by displaying a prominent notice on the Site or sending a notification to the email address associated with your account.
Your continued use of the Site after the effective date of any updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Site.
16. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unenforceable, or illegal under applicable law, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if not capable of modification, will be severed from the Terms. The remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
17. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Community Moderation Policy in Part I and the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Operator regarding your use of the Site and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings relating to the subject matter.
18. Contact
All enquiries, including moderation appeals and escalations, privacy requests, legal notices, and general correspondence, should be directed to:
Email: dev@phonebank.au
The Operator will endeavour to respond to all enquiries within 5 business days.
phonebank.com.au is operated by a private individual based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Site is an independent civic information platform and is not affiliated with any political party, campaign, or government body.