Vanderlust

Community Guidelines and Moderation Policy

Last updated: September 2026

Vanderlust is a small app run by one person. This page says what is not allowed, what happens when you report someone, and where the line is that gets an account removed for good. It is written so you can hold us to it.

1. What is not allowed

  • Sexual assault, sexual coercion, or any unwanted sexual contact with someone you met through the app
  • Threats, intimidation, or violence
  • Stalking: following, tracking, or showing up where someone is after they have asked you not to, or without being invited
  • Harassment: continuing to contact someone after they have stopped replying or asked you to stop
  • Unwanted sexual messages, photos, or comments
  • Lying about your gender to get into spaces or filters meant for someone else
  • Fake profiles, stolen photos, or pretending to be someone you are not
  • Using the map, chat, or a shared position to find someone who has not agreed to meet you
  • Spam and commercial solicitation
  • Anyone under 18 (see our child safety standards)

2. Removal is permanent for the serious ones

These get an account removed permanently, with no second chance and no mediation:

  • One credible report of sexual assault, sexual coercion, or violence
  • One credible report of threats
  • One credible report of stalking
  • Reports of harassment or unwanted sexual contact from more than one person
  • Lying about your gender to get past the women-only setting
  • Any child safety violation

"Credible" means the report is specific and consistent with what we can see in the app, such as chat history, timing, and location sharing. We do not require proof beyond that. We would rather remove an account wrongly than leave a dangerous one in place.

We do not run a restorative process. We do not put the reported person in contact with the person who reported them. We do not ask the person who reported to explain themselves to the person they reported.

3. Warnings for the rest

For a first report of spam, rude behaviour, a pushy message, or a profile that breaks the rules without being dangerous, we normally send one warning and remove the content. A second report of the same thing removes the account.

4. What happens when you report someone

  • Every report is read by a person, not a filter. Our aim is to act within 48 hours, and faster for anything in section 2.
  • Reporting does not block the person automatically. Block them from the same menu so they cannot see your profile or message you while we review.
  • The person you reported is not told who reported them, and we do not share what we did with anyone else.
  • The app does not yet notify you of the outcome. If you want to know, email us and we will tell you.
  • You can add details after submitting by emailing northernlightswebas@gmail.com with the name on the profile.

If you are in danger, contact local police first. We will cooperate with law enforcement and preserve account information when asked.

5. The women-only setting, and what it does not promise

Turning on the women-only setting hides your profile from men and shows you only women. Men cannot see that you exist in Discover or on the map.

Gender is currently self-declared. There is no ID check. That means someone can lie to get in. We are working on a verification step where verified women review a short video of a new member and their rig. Until that is live, treat the setting as a filter, not a guarantee, and use the same judgement you would anywhere else.

Anyone found to have lied about their gender to get past this setting is removed permanently.

6. Blocking

You can block anyone from their profile without reporting them. Blocking is immediate and they are not told. Blocked users cannot see your profile, your position, or message you.

7. Appeals

Removals under section 2 cannot be appealed. If your account was removed under section 3 and you think it was a mistake, email northernlightswebas@gmail.com within 30 days. We will look again once.

8. Changes to this policy

When we change this page we update the date at the top. Changes that loosen the rules will be announced in the app.

Contact

Questions about this policy: northernlightswebas@gmail.com.