Policies Public-facing policies
Community Standards
What behaviour is welcome across Pins, Civic Pins, events, Discovery Rooms, and Map Mail — and what gets removed.
- Version
- 1.0.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 12 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #37
Policy text
Community Standards define the conduct expected of anyone publishing, reporting, or communicating through Map.ca. They are the day-to-day expression of Constitution §2 principle 12 (Community benefit must survive scale) and principle 7 (Civic reporting must be useful without becoming a public shaming system).
Welcome on Map.ca: honest presence, accurate listings, useful civic reports, respectful communication, factual feedback, real events, and contributions that help neighbours find what they’re looking for. Not welcome on Map.ca: harassment, threats, hate, doxxing, impersonation, fraud, spam, sexual exploitation, child endangerment, targeted abuse, malicious civic reporting, fake business claims, dangerous instructions, and illegal coordination. The list is the doctrine’s, not invented for this document.
Enforcement is layered. Most reports route to the Content Moderation Policy, which sets the order: warning, hide, limit, remove, escalate. Severe categories — child endangerment, threats of violence, doxxing, fraud — skip warnings. Repeat behaviour, even in lower categories, escalates. Every removal carries a reason and an appeal path under the Appeals Policy.
Community Standards apply equally to ambassadors, staff, partners, and verified organizations. Status does not buy leniency on Map.ca.
Principles this policy enforces
- Civic reporting must be useful without becoming a public shaming system
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Communicate respectfully across Pins, events, Discovery Rooms, and Map Mail.
- Report behaviour that violates these standards using the in-product report flow.
- Use real identities for verified roles such as ambassador, municipal staff, or business owner.
What it forbids
- No harassment, threats, or hate.
- No doxxing or non-consensual disclosure of personal information.
- No impersonation of people, businesses, organizations, or governments.
- No fraud, spam, sexual exploitation, or child endangerment.
- No malicious civic reporting or coordinated targeting.
- No dangerous instructions or illegal coordination.
How it applies
- Everyone using Map.ca
- Ambassadors
- Verified organizations
- Municipal partners
- Staff
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 7
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 12
Related policies
Content Moderation Policy
How content is reviewed, when it is hidden, when it is removed, and how decisions are appealed.
Appeals Policy
The appeals path for moderation, claim, accuracy, ownership, and policy decisions that affect users.
Civic Safety and Abuse Policy
Prevents Civic Pins from becoming tools for harassment, doxxing, false accusations, neighbour disputes, or public shaming.
Child and Youth Safety Policy
How Map.ca protects minors: photo controls, sensitive locations near schools, age-appropriate experiences, mandatory reporting handling.