Community Rules

Last updated: 29 August 2026

Voice of AP aims to be a responsible digital platform where people can share news, problems, videos, photos, opinions and useful information from their area.

Your region. Your problem. Your voice.

To keep our community safe, trustworthy and useful for everyone, the following rules apply.

1. What you can share

You may send Voice of AP information such as:

• Public problems in your area
• Road, water, drainage, power and traffic issues
• Problems related to government services
• Local development works
• Useful public warnings
• Village, mandal, town and district news
• Local events
• Education, jobs, sports and culture information
• Information about people or organisations doing good work
• Videos, photos and first-hand event details
• Additional information for a story
• A correction request about an incorrect story
• A follow-up update that a local problem has been resolved

2. The information you send must be true

When sending information to Voice of AP:

• Send only information you believe to be true
• Do not knowingly send false information
• Do not present edited/fake video as a real event
• Do not send content taken out of context to mislead
• Do not present something you do not know as fact

Voice of AP may verify the information you send before publishing it.

3. Citizen submissions are not published automatically

Videos, photos, complaints, allegations, local news and documents sent by the public may first enter a moderation or verification queue.

There is no guarantee that a submission will be published as news immediately. Voice of AP has the right to Approve, Edit, Hold, Reject or Archive a submission.

4. Show your name or stay private

When sending information, users should be offered these choices:

• Show my full name
• Show only my creator/social name
• Keep my name private

Even for anonymous submissions, Voice of AP may ask for private contact details when needed for verification. Those details must not be shown publicly.

5. Unsupported allegations are not allowed

Serious allegations against any person, organisation, business, political leader or government employee should have supporting evidence as far as possible.

Voice of AP may reject:

• Allegations based on personal grudges
• Corruption allegations without evidence
• False criminal accusations
• Defamatory statements
• Doctored screenshots
• Edited audio/video
• Fabricated documents

Where needed, the person or organisation concerned may be given an opportunity to respond.

6. Ban on hateful content

Content that promotes hatred, humiliation or violence on the basis of religion, caste, race, language, gender, region, nationality, disability or other protected characteristics is not allowed.

Criticism may be allowed; calls for hatred or violence against people or groups are not.

7. Threats and violence

Physical threats, assassination threats, calls for mob violence, revenge threats, targeted harassment or instructions for violence are not allowed.

In situations of immediate danger, contact the relevant emergency services; the Voice of AP newsroom form is not an emergency service.

8. Graphic content

Content related to serious accidents, dead bodies, bloodshed or violent incidents is handled with extreme care. Where needed we may blur images, add a warning, change a thumbnail or decline to publish. We do not publish graphic content without a public-interest reason.

9. Content involving children

Content involving minors has special protection. Without permission, do not publish children’s personal details, home/school address, phone number, sensitive photographs or the identity of an abuse survivor. Sexual content or exploitation involving children is completely prohibited.

10. Privacy and personal information

Do not make public other people’s phone numbers, home addresses, Aadhaar details, passport details, bank details, passwords, private medical records or private messages. Limited personal information may be used only when necessary for public-interest reporting.

11. Copyright

Photos, videos, documents and audio you upload to Voice of AP should be your own content, or you should have the right to share them. Do not download another news channel’s video and re-upload it without permission. When there is an original source, disclose it.

12. How Voice of AP may use your content

When you submit content, Voice of AP may review it for moderation/verification. If publication is approved, it may be used in a website article, social post, YouTube video, short video, explainer or follow-up story.

Where needed we may trim video, add subtitles, blur personal details, add narration for context, or revise the headline/summary. We respect credit preferences as far as possible.

13. Manipulated / AI-generated content

Do not submit AI-generated, altered or synthetic content as if it were real footage. If content is AI-generated, say so clearly at submission. Content that misrepresents others through deepfakes, fake voice or manipulated interviews is not allowed.

14. Political discussion

Political opinions may be expressed, but personal attacks, false election information, fake candidate statements, content that inflames communal tension, or paid political promotion presented as organic citizen content are not allowed. Opinion must not be presented as fact.

15. Election-period content

During elections, political submissions may need additional verification. Where needed Voice of AP may carry out a source check, identity verification, content hold or legal/editorial review.

16. Spam and promotion

Repeated spam, irrelevant promotion or misleading links are not allowed. Local businesses or creators who want to promote content should submit through the appropriate creator, advertising or sponsored-content channel.

17. Local influencers & creators

Voice of AP may give local influencers and creators an opportunity to share useful videos and local stories. Creator content must be truthful, disclose sponsorship where it exists, respect copyright and not contain harmful misinformation. Creator content is not guaranteed publication.

18. Comments and discussions

When comments are available, stay on topic; do not abuse people, spam, threaten, share personal data or harass repeatedly. Voice of AP may moderate, hide or remove comments.

19. Polls

In polls, do not repeatedly manipulate results, use bots or fake accounts. Poll results should not be treated as a scientific survey unless a separate methodology is stated.

20. Impersonation

Impersonating another person, reporter, politician, government official or organisation is not allowed. Misleading the public through a fake profile may lead to account restriction.

21. Fraud and scams

Fake jobs, investment scams, loan scams, phishing links, fake government schemes, payment fraud and fake charity collections are completely banned. Suspicious content may be removed immediately.

22. Emergency situations

If your submission concerns immediate danger, an accident, fire, violence or a medical emergency, contact the relevant emergency authority first. The Voice of AP newsroom is not an emergency response service.

23. Content removal

Voice of AP may remove, restrict or hide community content, especially if it is found to be false, defamatory, dangerous, illegal, privacy-violating, copyrighted, abusive, spam or manipulated.

24. Account actions

Users with repeated violations may receive a warning, temporary restriction, submission block, comment suspension or permanent account ban.

25. Reporting

If you see fake news, abusive content, a privacy violation, a copyright issue, dangerous content or impersonation on Voice of AP, please report it. Our aim is for every article/post to offer Report an Error, Report Content and Request Correction options.

26. Corrections

If information you sent is wrong, or you see a factual error in a Voice of AP story, you may send a correction request. After necessary verification, Voice of AP may correct the story, add an update note or remove it.

27. Community Contributor Program

Users who often send useful, verified local information may in future be recognised as a Voice of AP Community Contributor. Contributor status does not grant publication rights. Every submission must still meet editorial standards.

28. Our community goal

Voice of AP’s goal is not only to treat people as readers, but to make them partners in a local information ecosystem.

You are not only Voice of AP readers — you are partners in our growth. Tell us about a problem in your area. Recognise good work. Share accurate information. Tell us if something is wrong.