Community Guidelines

DearSomeone exists to help people express what matters. A letter can hold an apology, a confession, a thank you, a memory, or a hope for the future. Because letters often carry deeply personal thoughts, everyone who uses the platform deserves to feel safe and respected.

These guidelines are not just a list of rules. They describe the kind of community we want to build together: one where thoughtfulness is the norm, privacy is protected, consent is honoured, and communication is used to connect rather than harm.

By using DearSomeone, you agree to help us protect that spirit.

We encourage every user to write with empathy. Even when a letter contains disagreement, grief, anger, or disappointment, it should still treat the recipient as a person worthy of dignity.

Respect means considering how your words may land. It means giving others the benefit of the doubt where you can, and choosing language that communicates honestly without being cruel. Difficult emotions are part of being human; they can be expressed without humiliation, threats, or contempt.

Recipient consent is a fundamental principle of DearSomeone. A person should not receive correspondence they do not want.

Where our systems ask a recipient whether they wish to accept a letter, that choice must be respected. Attempts to bypass a recipient's decision — by creating alternate accounts, using different addresses, or pressuring someone through repeated contact — are not allowed.

Consent is also about timing. A letter sent to someone who has asked not to be contacted, or sent in a way designed to circumvent their boundaries, violates the trust this platform is built on.

Anonymous correspondence can be a beautiful thing. It can give someone the courage to say something they could not say face to face. It can protect a sender who needs privacy. It can make a recipient feel seen without the weight of a reply.

But anonymity must be used responsibly. Anonymous letters must never be used to:

• threaten or intimidate anyone;
• harass, stalk, or repeatedly contact someone against their wishes;
• impersonate another person or organisation;
• manipulate, deceive, or defraud;
• spread misinformation or cause harm.

If the only reason a letter is anonymous is to avoid accountability for harmful behaviour, it does not belong on DearSomeone.

To keep DearSomeone safe, we clearly prohibit content that causes or promotes harm. This includes, but is not limited to:

• threats of violence or physical harm;
• harassment, bullying, or repeated unwanted contact;
• hate speech, discrimination, or slurs directed at protected groups;
• sexual exploitation, solicitation, or unwanted sexual content;
• child abuse material, or content that sexualises minors;
• illegal activity, or instructions for committing crimes;
• fraud, phishing, blackmail, extortion, or scams;
• malware, spam, or deceptive content;
• impersonation of individuals, organisations, or public figures;
• copyright infringement or other intellectual property violations.

This list is not exhaustive. Content that does not appear here may still be removed if it undermines the safety or dignity of others.

Letters are private by nature. Users must respect the privacy of others both on and off the platform.

Do not publish, share, or threaten to share another person's personal information without their permission. Do not misuse addresses, phone numbers, or any recipient information obtained through DearSomeone.

Our own privacy practices are described in the Privacy Policy. We encourage you to read it so you understand how we handle your data and the data you share with us.

Before a letter is fulfilled, DearSomeone uses automated systems to review content for signs that it may violate these guidelines. This review helps us identify potential risks to recipients and to the platform.

The review is focused on safety, not on judging the quality or sentiment of a message. It is not used for advertising, profiling, or building behavioural models of users. Human review may be involved in cases where automated signals are uncertain or serious harm is suspected.

If a letter is flagged, we may pause or refuse fulfillment and contact the sender with guidance where appropriate.

If these guidelines are violated, DearSomeone may take action to protect recipients and the integrity of the platform. Actions may include:

• refusing to print or deliver a specific letter;
• removing content that violates these guidelines;
• suspending an account temporarily;
• permanently terminating an account;
• cooperating with lawful investigations where required.

Enforcement is always intended to be proportionate to the severity of the violation and the risk it poses. A single careless mistake may be handled differently from a pattern of harmful behaviour.

We understand that enforcement decisions can be stressful, and we do not take them lightly. Where appropriate, users may contact our support team if they believe an action was taken incorrectly or without sufficient cause.

Not every decision may be eligible for appeal. Appeals are reviewed in good faith, but the safety of recipients and the community will always be the primary consideration.

DearSomeone exists because meaningful communication matters. In a world of instant messages and disappearing notifications, a letter is a deliberate act. It says: you are worth the time it takes to write, print, and deliver.

Every respectful letter helps make this community stronger. Every choice to honour a recipient's consent, to write with care, and to protect another person's privacy reinforces what makes this place different.

Thank you for being part of that.

If you have questions about these guidelines, want to report a concern, or believe someone is misusing the platform, please write to us. A real person will reply.