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1. Scope
This process applies to suspected violations of the Terms of Membership, Community Standards, published operational rules, security requirements, and other Deutsche Kraniche Virtual policies. Third-party platforms may apply their own processes independently.
2. Roles
Trust & Safety Lead
The Trust & Safety Lead owns report intake, assigns reviewers, protects case records, tracks deadlines, and checks that the process is followed. Holding this role does not automatically make the person the decision-maker in every case.
Case reviewer
A designated senior staff member gathers relevant information, gives the affected member a reasonable opportunity to respond when appropriate, and makes the initial decision.
Appeal reviewer or panel
An appeal is reviewed by a senior staff member or panel that did not make the initial decision and was not materially involved in the underlying events.
Managing director
The managing director resolves a tied appeal or exceptional governance question unless conflicted. If conflicted, the managing director appoints an independent senior reviewer who has not participated in the matter.
Emergency administrator
An authorized senior administrator may impose a temporary restriction when reasonably necessary to protect a person, preserve evidence, contain a security threat, or prevent serious disruption. Emergency action is not a final finding and must be referred for review promptly.
3. Making a report
Reports may be submitted to [email protected]. A useful report identifies:
- What happened;
- When and where it happened;
- Which Deutsche Kraniche Virtual policy or community interest may be involved;
- Relevant messages, flight identifiers, links, or other evidence; and
- Any immediate safety, privacy, or security concern.
Anonymous reports are accepted, although anonymity may limit investigation or follow-up. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may ask for clarification but will not require a reporter to confront the reported person.
Do not include unrelated private information or evidence obtained through unlawful access. Deliberately false or manipulated reports may themselves violate the Community Standards. A report that cannot be substantiated is not, by itself, a false report.
4. Triage and interim action
The Trust & Safety Lead or delegate assesses urgency, jurisdiction, conflicts, and preservation needs. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may:
- Route an ordinary support or technical issue to the correct team;
- Ask for more information;
- Preserve relevant Deutsche Kraniche Virtual-controlled records;
- Limit contact between members;
- Temporarily hide content;
- Temporarily restrict an account or feature;
- Refer a credible emergency or legal issue to an appropriate authority; or
- Close a report that falls outside Deutsche Kraniche Virtual’s scope.
Interim measures should be no broader or longer than reasonably necessary. When safe and practical, the affected member receives notice of the restriction and the next review step.
5. Investigation
The case reviewer considers information that is relevant, proportionate, and reasonably reliable. This may include account records, Deutsche Kraniche Virtual messages, flight records, content, system logs, witness statements, and information supplied by an external platform or affected person.
The reported member ordinarily receives a meaningful description of the concern and an opportunity to respond before a final adverse decision. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may delay or limit disclosure when necessary to protect another person, avoid evidence destruction, preserve security, comply with law, or address an immediate threat.
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual does not use an automated flag as the sole basis for a material membership sanction. A human reviewer considers the available context.
6. Decision factors
The reviewer considers:
- The nature and severity of the conduct;
- Intent, knowledge, and foreseeability;
- Actual or potential harm;
- Whether the conduct was repeated or coordinated;
- The member’s relevant history;
- Cooperation, honesty, remediation, and acceptance of guidance;
- Impact on privacy, safety, security, or community participation;
- Consistency with comparable cases; and
- Whether a less restrictive response would adequately address the concern.
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual uses the more-likely-than-not standard for ordinary policy decisions unless a published rule requires a different standard.
7. Possible outcomes
An outcome may include:
- No violation found;
- Guidance or an informal resolution;
- Content correction or removal;
- Rejection or correction of a flight record;
- A formal warning;
- Required training or acknowledgment of a rule;
- Temporary limits on communication, events, flights, or another feature;
- Temporary suspension;
- Removal from a staff or trusted role;
- Permanent account termination; or
- Referral to a third-party platform or authority when appropriate.
Outcomes may be combined. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual will explain the policy basis and material reasons to the affected member, subject to privacy, safety, and security limitations.
8. Appeals
A member may appeal a formal warning, material feature restriction, suspension, staff removal, or termination by submitting an appeal to [email protected] within 30 days of notice.
An appeal should identify at least one of the following:
- A material factual error;
- Relevant information that was unavailable during the initial review;
- A significant procedural failure;
- A disproportionate outcome; or
- A conflict of interest.
An appeal is not a complete reinvestigation merely because the member disagrees with the result. The appeal reviewer may uphold, modify, reverse, or return the matter for additional review. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual aims to acknowledge an appeal within seven days and issue a decision within 30 days, but complex or safety-sensitive matters may require more time. We will communicate material delays.
The appeal decision is final within Deutsche Kraniche Virtual unless new material evidence or a legal obligation requires reopening.
9. Conflicts and recusal
Staff must disclose personal involvement, close relationships, prior disputes, financial interests, or other circumstances that could reasonably question impartiality. A conflicted staff member must not investigate, decide, or hear the appeal. Administrative steps necessary to preserve safety or evidence may still be taken before reassignment.
10. Confidentiality and outcome notices
Case information is limited to people who need it for review, safety, legal compliance, system administration, or oversight. Participants must not retaliate or use case access to spread private information.
Reporters ordinarily receive acknowledgment and appropriate closure information. They may not receive the details of another member’s account, evidence, or sanction. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may publish anonymous aggregate enforcement information in the future, but will not identify involved people without a lawful and compelling reason.
11. Records and retention
Ordinary conduct records are retained for two years after final resolution. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may retain a minimal restriction record longer when necessary to enforce a permanent safety or security restriction, defend legal claims, or meet a legal obligation. Access is restricted and records are deleted when no longer needed.
12. External platforms and authorities
A decision by Discord, VATSIM, IVAO, or another platform does not automatically determine Deutsche Kraniche Virtual’s decision. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may consider reliable relevant information and applies its own policies and process.
Deutsche Kraniche Virtual may contact an appropriate authority when it reasonably believes there is an immediate threat, serious unlawful activity, or a legal reporting obligation. Deutsche Kraniche Virtual cannot provide emergency services.
13. Changes
Material changes to this process receive appropriate notice. Previous versions remain available in Policy History.