Because the Fediverse is a network of totally independent servers, there is no central organisation setting rules.
Each server creates its own rules for acceptable behaviour, and that server’s admin team is able to enforce it through moderation tools. Usually the owner of a server sets the server’s rules, although some servers consult their members about what should be allowed.
How do I find out what the rules are on a server?
- Go to the server’s website, you don’t need to log in.
- If you’re on a computer, click the “About” link in the bottom left of the screen. If you’re on a phone, click the ⋯ icon on the right.
- You will be taken to the server’s info page, scroll down the page until you get to a section marked Server Rules and click this to open it.
Also, everyone who signs up on a server sees that server rules as part of the signup process.
Are rules written in weird legal language? Are they human-readable?
It will vary from server to server, but usually server rules are relatively brief and written in plain language.
What kind of rules are typical on servers?
Most servers will have rules against bigotry, abuse, threats etc, but it is totally up to a server’s owner to decide. That’s why it’s important to check a server’s rules before you sign up or transfer an account, as they are not all the same and it’s best to know the kind of place you are joining.
How do I find servers with nice humane rules?
You can find servers which obey certain standards of responsible moderation over on Fedi.Tips’s sister site Fedi.Garden ⧉.
How are server rules enforced? What happens if an offender is on another server?
If the rule-breaker’s account is on an admin’s server, the admin can issue a warning, limit the account in some way, suspend the account temporarily or even delete the account permanently.
If the rule-breaker is on another server, admins can limit or totally block specific remote accounts from communicating with their server.
How do server admins and moderators find out about rule breaking?
Most of the time admins rely on ordinary people reporting bad stuff going on. If you’re reporting bad behaviour by someone from another server, the reporting form on Mastodon will include the option to forward the report to the other server’s admin anonymously.
What if I disagree with a rule? What if a rule is unclear?
You can ask the owner(s) of your server if you have any comments or questions about the server’s rules. Bear in mind though that the owners have the last word on what is allowed because they own the server, and in some countries server owners are legally responsible for what goes on there.
If you are unhappy with how your server is run and unable to get any satisfactory response from the admin, you can transfer your account to another server without losing your follows or followers.
What if a server fails to moderate its own members properly?
If another server is consistently full of problematic accounts and refuses to do anything about them, admins on responsible servers can defederate such badly-run servers. Defederation cuts off all communications in both directions, and means servers full of bullies or trolls or spammers tend to end up isolated because so many other servers defederate them.
Is it possible to run a server jointly, owned by its members?
Yes! Some servers are owned and run jointly by co-operatives, where the members vote on what should happen and what the rules should be. All real world ownership structures such as co-ops can be applied to online services very easily.
Mastodon includes special tools for teams jointly running a server, you can find out more on the guide to organisations and groups running servers.