Final month, we shared an overview of the Coverage Staff’s work in 2021 and proposed just a few new updates for the primary quarter of 2022. Because of your suggestions, we refined, improved, and finalized the coverage proposals. Learn on to study extra.
Suggestions on new initiatives
1. Creator Advocacy Initiative
We introduced that our Creator Coverage Engagement Program is increasing to incorporate quarterly updates about alternatives for creators to advocate in public boards for creator-first legal guidelines and insurance policies. Creators expressed optimism about this initiative’s future:
“Having the federal government acknowledge what we do as reputable work can be actually cool. It’s scary being part of the primary wave of a brand new trade typically and it could be nice if it was considered the identical manner as a standard enterprise.” — Creator (from the Creator Advocacy curiosity type)
“I’m intrigued (by) how this creator advocacy initiative might probably increase to incorporate information in regards to the creator financial system and the way it impacts Patreon creators” — Creator (from the livestream suggestions survey)
“Thanks for advocating for us!! Positively would slightly be on the desk than on it!!” — Creator (from the Creator Advocacy curiosity type)
Early themes we’ve heard from creators embody points associated to mental property, funding and assist for small companies, and how authorities could make it simpler to construct a enterprise as a artistic individual. This work continues to be in its infancy, and we’re desperate to develop it in collaboration with you. Please proceed to make use of the Creator Advocacy curiosity type to share your tales.
2. Transparency report
We additionally introduced that we’ll be publishing our first transparency report this yr to ship knowledge and context on among the subjects you ask about most frequently, much like how we handle unlawful, dangerous, or violative content material when it arises. We’re onerous at work on the report, which can be revealed yearly, and are excited to share it with you quickly.
Suggestions on proposed Q1 coverage updates
We commonly consider our insurance policies and enforcement to verify they proceed to assist our group and handle the dangers we see on the platform. This quarter we proposed updates to offer creators extra readability round two sections of our Neighborhood Tips that assist maintain Patreon a protected platform. Beneath we share the finalized updates, as effectively how creator suggestions knowledgeable the ultimate product.
1. Hate speech
Our Neighborhood Tips make it clear that we don’t enable hate speech on Patreon or in tasks funded by the platform. Any speech that assaults folks primarily based on their protected traits is violating and contradictory to the inclusive and supportive setting we search to foster. Listed below are some updates we made with creator assist:
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Creators requested that we make clear that protected political speech and violative hate speech usually are not the identical (“I suppose it’s completely important that. . .you clearly make clear that sincere and respectful dialog about controversial subjects and positing concepts and theories that go opposite to ‘accepted’ norms is to be protected because the important constructing block of artistic development and exploration.” — Livestream suggestions survey). Certainly, there generally is a positive line there, and we wish to be clear about how we handle the grey areas. To that finish, we added to the Neighborhood Tips among the questions we ask when evaluating content material for potential hate speech violations, corresponding to:
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“Is there a name for violence in opposition to somebody primarily based on a attribute like these listed above?
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Does the creator use dehumanizing language when speaking about folks primarily based on one of many above traits?
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Is the creator utilizing racial slurs or damaging depictions of somebody primarily based on a attribute like these listed above?
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Does the creator mock or deny the expertise of victims of hate crimes such because the Holocaust?
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Is the creator focusing on folks primarily based on their immigration standing in a discriminatory manner or just discussing immigration coverage?
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Is the assertion reputable criticism of a State, establishment, or perception or does the context make it clear that the person is utilizing code phrases or proxies to assault folks primarily based on the above traits?”
2. Harmful organizations
Creators requested specifics round which organizations would qualify as harmful. (“Is there some type of approved record of organizations which might be harmful?” — Creator from the livestream suggestions survey). To that finish, in a brand new part of the Neighborhood Tips referred to as “Violent, Felony, and Hateful Organizations,” we specified examples of the kinds of harmful teams we’re referring to, together with however not restricted to:
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“. . .hate organizations corresponding to fascist, white supremacist and white nationalist teams, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic organizations, and anti-LGBTQ+ teams.”
Final month we additionally proposed including a caveat, within the spirit of redemption, that former members of harmful organizations who’ve since disavowed that membership might fund Patreon tasks. As a result of creators enthusiastically supported this carveout, we added language within the “Violent, Felony, and Hateful Organizations” part of our Tips that claims:
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“We perceive folks’s ideas and affiliations can change over time. We’ll all the time hear when a person leaves a harmful or hateful group and desires to fund a guidelines-abiding artistic challenge by Patreon. We’ll contemplate renouncements of previous actions and affiliations on a case-by-case foundation. Into account would be the time previous since a person’s renouncement, whether or not they’ve renounced each the group and its ideology and, lastly, what they plan to fund on Patreon.”
Extra suggestions
Creators additionally steered that we be extra clear in the course of the livestream Q&A that creators can ask about any and each Patreon coverage, slightly than simply the coverage proposals from the quarter at hand. (“I would really like future coverage livestreams to make clear that questions might be directed to each coverage Patreon at the moment has, in addition to insurance policies the Coverage Staff can be addressing as a part of that livestream.” — Creator from the livestream suggestions survey). That’s an awesome level, and one which we’ll incorporate subsequent quarter and past.
Till subsequent time
Thanks, creators. Your collaboration and considerate suggestions undeniably strengthens Patreon coverage. We stay up for one other spherical of the Creator Coverage Engagement Program subsequent quarter. Till then, don’t hesitate to achieve out to the Coverage Staff with ideas or questions at [email protected].
