Network Standards for Communities

Version 2, effective 2026-11-02.

These standards apply to every Metabans community, on every plan. They protect shared network decisions and player information.

Our expectation (not a sanction on its own)

We expect every community to make a best effort to keep its servers free of cheating. Falling short of that expectation is not, by itself, misconduct; the conduct below is.

Your server choices

Your settings are never misconduct. This includes disabling network-ban enforcement, choosing exemptions, and deciding whom to admit. We do not require a particular setting or ban outcome. Public enforcement labels describe settings only; they are not endorsements.

Conduct we prohibit

Do not knowingly:

• Create false reports, bans, exemption explanations or evidence.
• Actively help someone cheat or evade a network ban, such as supplying cheats or arranging replacement accounts to defeat enforcement.
• Use network tools or information to harass, expose private information, retaliate against reporters or misuse data unrelated to community administration.
• Conceal misconduct by falsifying or deliberately destroying relevant records after receiving a preservation notice.

Review specific, credible cheating concerns in good faith, within your capacity. A notice or accusation does not establish cheating. Disagreement, limited resources, mistakes, and settings alone do not establish misconduct. Exemption reasons must honestly describe the actual reason; choosing an exemption is not itself an offence.

We assess conduct by owners and administrators acting for the community, including relevant conduct outside Metabans. An unrelated member’s actions or a rogue administrator do not automatically establish community responsibility. We consider authorization, owners’ knowledge and their response.

Evidence and review

The Aegis Council, Metabans staff, reviews reports. Reviewers with conflicts step aside. Metabans must establish that a violation more likely than not occurred, including any required knowledge or intent.

We check authenticity, context, identity matching and evidence against the allegation. Videos, screenshots, statistics and logs are leads, not automatic proof. Report volume, shared IP addresses, rumours and unverified accusations do not establish guilt.

Before a final decision, we explain the alleged conduct, applicable rule and evidence relied upon, with at least 14 days to respond and reasonable extensions. We redact identifying and unrelated private information and provide a meaningful summary where necessary. We will not base a misconduct finding on allegations the community cannot meaningfully answer.

For an immediate, documented network risk, we may temporarily restrict shared-network access before receiving a response. We promptly explain why, allow challenge and review the restriction within seven days. This is not a final misconduct finding.

Outcomes

Minor, correctable misconduct normally receives a private warning and a chance to repair harm. Serious or repeated misconduct can cause loss of network standing: the community’s contributions stop influencing network decisions, and access to shared intelligence may be restricted. Extreme deliberate abuse can end network participation. Server-management tools remain available.

Decisions state reasons, affected capabilities, duration or review date, and concrete restoration conditions. We consider harm, intent, repetition and correction, consistently across plans. We review potentially affected network decisions and correct errors. Restrictions are reviewed at least every 90 days; rebranding alone does not erase them.

Restrictions remain private to Metabans staff and the affected community. We do not publish sanctions or disclose them to reporters. Other people may infer changes; we cannot promise complete secrecy.

Appeals and reports

Appeal within 30 days for factual, procedural or proportionality errors; new evidence is not required. A reviewer uninvolved in the original decision handles one ordinary appeal. Material new evidence or a serious error can reopen a case later.

Anyone can report at metabans.com/report without a Metabans account, using Turnstile plus Discord OAuth or an email one-time link. Discord membership is optional. Verification establishes control of a contact method, not truth.

Staff handle reports, not the reported community. We provide a reference and general progress updates by verified email; optional Discord updates are best effort. Deliberately fabricated reports may lead to a reviewable reporting block; mistaken or unproven reports do not.

We do not voluntarily disclose reporter identities to reported parties. Evidence may reveal identity, and legally required disclosure may occur. Our reporting privacy notice explains access, retention periods, deletion, preservation exceptions and contact routes.

These standards take effect on the published date; later changes do not retrospectively create violations.