Moderation
Comments are reviewed before publication. Nothing appears automatically. Moderation is carried out by the editorial team against this policy, and decisions are recorded.
Approved comments are published with the display name provided. Email addresses are never published and are used only for moderation and, where necessary, verification.
What is not allowed
We remove or decline comments that:
- Harass, threaten or abuse a person or group.
- Contain hate speech or discriminatory language.
- Reveal private personal information without consent.
- Make unsubstantiated allegations about identifiable people.
- Contain spam, advertising or repeated links.
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent an affiliation.
- Are off-topic or incomprehensible.
Editing
We may edit comments for length, clarity or to remove prohibited material. Where editing would change the meaning, we may decline the comment instead. We do not alter the substance of a comment and then attribute it to the author.
Identity and anonymity
Commenters must provide a working email address and a display name. We do not require real names, but we may decline comments where anonymity appears to be used to make unverified allegations.
Closing comments
Comments may be closed on stories after a period set by the department, or earlier where moderation capacity or safety requires it. Closed threads remain readable.
Appeals
If your comment was declined and you believe the decision was wrong, contact the editorial team with the comment text and the story URL. We will review the decision.
Questions about this policy can be sent through the contact page.