Content Guidelines

At Readhive, we set stories free with the goal of creating a safe and comfortable space for everyone to discover and create.

In order to create an inclusive and respectful space, we want to ensure our Readhiveders know what type of content they will discover as well as content they can or cannot post!

Before you take off on your writing journey, please take a peek at the following guidelines:

  • It’s important to respect and protect fellow Readhiver’s feelings, property, and personal information.
  • You shouldn’t post anything you might regret in the future, or that your peers, family, or teachers might not want to see online.
  • You should read our Content Guidelines, Code of Conduct, Terms of Service, and our Privacy Policy so you have all the information you need to enjoy Readhive and help others enjoy it too!

If you come across any content that violates our guidelines, let us know by reporting it. See here for how to do that.

To learn more about Copyright, please see Copyright FAQ.

Rating Your Story

All creators are expected to rate their stories as either Mature, or for Everyone, according to the guidelines provided below. If you come across a story that has been rated incorrectly, you can let us know by reporting it. Please note that we will change your rating if it does not comply with these guidelines.

Mature Rating

Marking your story Mature does not mean that it can contain prohibited content. Stories that contain prohibited content will be removed regardless of their rating.

Mature stories are intended for an audience that is 17 and up. There are restrictions on discovering Mature stories on Readhive that help ensure they reach the correct audience. A story may be rated Mature if it contains any of the following:

  • Explicit sex scenes
  • Self-harm themes or scenes (including suicide and eating disorders)
  • Graphic depictions of violence; including but not limited to: sexual, verbal, emotional and physical abuse.

If you feel that your story fits our guidelines, but may include parts that aren’t appropriate for younger readers, please rate your story Mature.

What We Remove

The following are not allowed on Readhive. This is not a complete list, and we have the right to remove any content that we find inappropriate. Any content that could put our community at risk will be removed. Readhive has the right to close any account or remove content without notice.

Sexual Content on Readhive

  • Pornographic Content. Readhive considers content to be pornographic when it exists solely for the purpose of sexual stimulation.
  • Age of Consent. The age of consent is 16+ on Readhive. Any sexual content between characters must abide by this age of consent and not be in violation of Canadian Law.
  • Glorification of Sexual Violence. Readhive classifies non-consensual sexual acts to include rape, sexual assault, kidnapping for sexual purposes, or sexual slavery. The content cannot be encouraging or promoting of non-consensual sex acts.
  • Sexual Roleplay or Messaging. Readhive does not permit sexual messages or solicitation. This includes posting content which encourages sexual private messages, on or off Readhive, or posting rules for public or private roleplay that are intended for sexual purposes.
  • Illegal Sex Acts. In accordance with Canadian Law, Readhive explicitly prohibits any content which describes illegal sex acts including, but not limited to, bestiality, necrophilia, incest or child sexual exploitation and abuse material. Such content will be removed.

Media on Readhive

Media on Readhive includes images, videos, gifs, and sound clips. To help keep Readhive a safe space for everyone to create and discover content, we may remove images that don’t follow our Content Guidelines. The following Media is not allowed on Readhive, and will be removed:

  • Media containing full exposure of any private parts, such as genitalia, breasts, and buttocks.
  • Media displaying sexual intercourse, or any other sexual act, regardless of whether private parts are visible.
  • Media displaying self-harm or suicide.
  • Images of people posted without their consent, except for public figures and celebrities.
  • Any other media Readhive deems unfit in our sole discretion.

If you see the following indicator on one of your uploaded images, it means that the image in question appears to violate one of our Content Guidelines and is no longer publicly accessible by your readers on Readhive.

Readhive has the right to remove any media deemed unfit for Readhive.

Self-Harm on Readhive

If you are struggling with eating disorders, addiction, self-harm, thoughts of suicide, or other challenges, we want you to know that you are supported. It’s important to reach out if you are feeling blue.

Keep in mind that reading about self-harm and suicide can be upsetting or triggering. That’s why we want to remind you that:

  • Content that encourages or gives instruction on self-harm will be removed.
  • Content that contains lots of description might be rated Mature, and stories that glorify or do not “tell a story” might be removed. “Telling a story” means the work must have a plot unrelated to the self-harm scene/s, or must show a progression or growth in its characters.
  • We want to encourage healthy discussions about these issues, so content about recovery, survival or that portray the negative consequences of self-harm are acceptable on Readhive.

Violence

There are many forms of violence that can be harmful to our community. We will remove any content or accounts that are intended to shock or disgust our community.

Hate Groups/Extremist Content

At Readhive, we are committed to keeping our community safe. We value diversity and storytelling, so we want to make sure that the stories being told on Readhive do not contribute to real-world harm. The following guidelines have been developed in order to maintain a positive community. On Readhive, you are not allowed to make physical threats of violence or threats of death towards any individual or group of people. We will not allow stories or individuals that glorify, praise or romanticize current real life violent hate groups, figures, or extremist organizations with violent or hateful intentions. This includes:

  • Groups that express a violent mission.
  • Organized hate groups.
  • Terrorist activity.
  • Single event mass shooters/murderers.

Talking about Others

Sharing opinions on stories and the quality or style of writing is ok. We aim to create a safe community for everyone on Readhive, so be kind, respectful, and please treat others as you would want to be treated, so don’t post any content that:

  • Bashes a user purely for personal reasons.
  • Reveals any personally identifying information about other people, including private messages, photographs/videos. Due to the fictional nature of stories and the chances of real names being used coincidentally, we are unable to remove a work for having the same or similar name to a real person. Only if there is additional identifying information, such as the city you reside or your work/school, is there a violation of our content guidelines.
  • Actively promotes violence or hatred. The promotion of hatred on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, age, or sexual orientation, or content that is intended to bully, threaten, or harass others, is also strictly prohibited. General expressions of opinions are allowed, but they cannot be violent in nature or encourage others to attack Readhive community members.

Spam

Any content that advertises products or services unrelated to, or not sanctioned by Readhive is not permitted and will be removed.