Community

Community guidelines

A few simple rules so the network stays safe, fair and friendly, and how we handle it when something goes wrong.

Approved 17 October 2026. They apply alongside the spot guidelines and, once published, the terms of use. We'll say here if they change.

The rules

These apply everywhere: spots, photos, reviews, meetups, check-ins and the SpotterGO app.

    How we handle problems

    We follow a simple, fair process. You'll always know which rule we think was broken, what we saw, and how to respond.

    • Most problems are fixed quietly. A wrong tag gets corrected, a photo that doesn't pass the check gets a note.
    • A warning if a rule is broken: we tell you which one and why.
    • A suspension (usually 7 or 30 days) if it happens again or it's more serious. You can still look around and keep your logbook, but you can't post, upload, review, check in or report while suspended.
    • A ban for serious or repeated problems. You can't post at all, and your public content is hidden.
    • We choose the step that fits what happened. A serious first offence can go straight to a suspension or ban.

    Notices

    Every warning, suspension or ban comes with a notice you can see at planespotter.network/notices (and a banner on the site). It says which rule, what happened, and how long any suspension lasts. Once email is set up, you'll get an email too.

    Disputing a decision

    • You have 14 days to dispute a warning, suspension or ban. Press Dispute this on the notice and tell us your side.
    • A dispute is looked at again, by someone other than the person who made the decision wherever possible. While the network is small that may be the same person, and the notice will say so.
    • We'll reply on the notice with the outcome and why. If we got it wrong, we reverse it and put back anything that was hidden.

    Suspensions and bans

    • A suspension ends by itself on the date shown.
    • When an account is banned, its public photos, reviews, check-ins and upcoming meetups are hidden straight away.
    • They're deleted 90 days later, unless the ban is lifted or a dispute is still being looked at. Your private logbook of catches isn't deleted by a ban.
    • Spots you added stay, because they belong to the community map.

    Urgent cases

    Anything illegal, threatening, sharing someone's private details, or putting children at risk is hidden immediately, before anything else happens. You're still told why and can still dispute it. Where the law requires it, we may pass information to the police.

    Records and privacy

    • We keep a record of moderation decisions, disputes and outcomes, so decisions are consistent and can be checked.
    • After a ban's content is deleted, we keep a minimal note (username, dates and the rule) so a banned person can't simply rejoin.
    • You can ask what we hold about you at any time (New Zealand Privacy Act 2020). Use the contact form.

    Reporting something

    Use Report on a photo, review or meetup, or the report options on a spot. Three reports from different people hide something until it's checked. For anything urgent or private, use the contact form. False or spiteful reports break rule R7.